Want a hot flavorful holiday beverage without venturing out into the cold to reach a coffee house? Try this very easy recipe at home. If you don’t quite have all the ingredients, you can try it anyway with what you have on hand. It’s even good without the pumpkin.
Ingredients to make 2 servings:
2 Tbs pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
2 cups milk of your choice *
1 or 1½ Tbs sugar (or substitute with sweetener of your choice) **
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice (or dash of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove)
1-2 shots espresso or ¼ cup strong coffee
* Milk may be cow’s milk (whole or lower in fat), almond milk, rice milk, or soy milk. Coconut milk from a carton is my favorite because its consistency is similar to that of whole milk.
** Sweetener may be honey, maple syrup, or agave
Optional: Make a non-coffee version by omitting the coffee/espresso
Instructions:
- Heat all ingredients except coffee/espresso in saucepan on medium heat. Stir constantly with whisk. Gently warm mixture to a hot simmer. Do not boil.
Optional: Pour the heated milk mixture into a blender and blend until frothy.
- Make the coffee or espresso.
- Pour half the coffee or espresso into each of 2 mugs. Fill remainder of each mug with milk mixture. Garnish with dash of pumpkin pie spice or ground nutmeg.
Enjoy!
I’ve heard it said that a dash of black pepper can balance the sweetness for a spicy flavor, although I haven’t tried adding pepper yet. If you do, please let me know!
This is perhaps not the healthiest beverage, depending on your opinion of coffee, milk, and/or sugar but if you wish to satisfy your holiday sweet tooth, this is one of the healthier options out there.
Happy holidays! – Linda
