This one is dedicated to my brother, who made it halfway through a conversation we were having about Starbucks “Pumpkin Spice Latte” thinking I was saying “bucket-size latte.” Which, depending on the size you opt for, actually isn’t that far off…
We were discussing these sugar-bombs because of the Starbucks I had found conveniently located right in the middle of the casino where I was staying during my weekend in Las Vegas. I’m always happy to find easily accessible coffee, but as I stood in line the following morning – fully intending to order a tall regular coffee – I saw it:
Frightening amounts of sugar, just in time for Halloween...
Not to sound like a broken record, but first Primal holiday season and all, plus these were a fall favorite in years past, plus I’m on vacation… So, yada yada yada before I know it I’m strolling through the maze of slot machines with the evil latte in my hand, rationalizing that I’d regain my self control once the temptation wasn’t a mere elevator ride away from my bed.
Which, as it turns out, hasn’t been very difficult; While I did enjoy the little cheat, I realized the concoctions are just too syrupy sweet now that I’ve retrained my taste buds. Still it’s the little rituals that reel me in this time of year, and I wanted a substitution good enough to make me not even think about that temptation. Enter homemade pumpkin spice coffee creamer. This can be made with whole milk, coconut milk, or heavy cream depending on the thickness you prefer and, of course, whether or not you’d like a dairy-free creamer. I’ve tried it all three ways, and they all work equally well.
I love simple treats, and this has all the spicy pumpkiny flavor without the overwhelming sweetness. If you’ve given up coffee, try a splash of it in your tea instead of milk or cream. Oh, and since it’s sugar-free, you can go ahead and have the bucket-size if you want.
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer
1 cup Whole Milk, Coconut Milk, or Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons Organic Canned Pumpkin
½ teaspoon Cinnamon
¼ teaspoon Nutmug
¼ teaspoon Cloves (or Allspice)
½ teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
2 packets of Stevia Powder (I use Sweetleaf brand)
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk continually for a few minutes and remove from heat when the mixture begins to steam. Pour the liquid into a glass container through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove remaining solids. Cool and store in the refrigerator. If the spices settle to the bottom of the bottle, gently shake it before using.
You can adjust the amount of ingredients depending on your personal taste – spicier, sweeter, more pumpkin, etc. Also, I prefer these smaller batches because I’m only making it for myself to take to work. I’m not sure what the shelf-life actually is, because I’ve always used it all before it has a chance to go bad. But this can easily be doubled or tripled to serve a crowd!
Ooh! This looks yummy! I’m not much of a stevia fan. Actually, I really don’t like it at all. I find that coconut milk is a little sweet on its own anyway. I might add just the teeniest bit of sugar anyway. Just for a little sweetness. Can’t wait!
You could definitely replace the stevia with another sweetener – I was just on a sugar-free mission! I’m sure it would be very good with a little honey or maple syrup too. Let me know how it turns out!
mmmm that’s the same coffee flvaor I use. I really love a hot “home made” latte in the early afternoon hours, on a cold winters day. I sometimes use the syrup they use in the stores to really make it work for my taste buds.My quirk.. a messy foyer or entry way. I can’t stand to walk in my house and see everyones outer wear and school bags strewn about. I do have coat hooks, shoe racks and a place for the bag but somehow they seem to miss those every time. Crazy kids!!
I am so making this tomorrow. Sounds delicious.
I hope you like it! Little treats like this totally make my day.
Shannon, everyone loves that pumpkin spice latte! I’m not even much of a coffee fan, but I LOVE pumpkin. This recipe sounds great!
Shirley
Thanks, Shirley!
It gives me a little treat to look forward to in the morning when I get to work….which is always a good thing!
I finally got to make it tonight! I tasted a little bit of it, and it was really good! I am going to try it in my coffee tomorrow morning.
Let me know how it is! Did you decide to use sugar or any other sweetener?
It tasted really good, but it was really thick. Was yours really thick? I keep adding a little more water to thin it out. Also, I didn’t add much sugar, so I think I need a little more sugar next time. So far it’s not working too well in the coffee for me, but it does taste really good on its own!
Hmm, did you go with coconut milk? I haven’t had that problem with milk or cream, but I have had coconut milk get too thick before. I’m not a non-dairy person myself, so I really prefer my coffee with heavy cream.
I can’t reply to your reply, so here it is. I did use coconut milk. Were you thinking about the stuff in the can or the “other” coconut milk? Actually, the thinner stuff would probably work out better. The stuff in the can is still thicker than heavy cream, no? I was a half & half girl until I went paleo. I will definitely play around with this, because I like the idea of preparing my own creamer as opposed to paying an obscene amount for the stuff at the grocery store. Or I should probably just give it up altogether. My coffee is the only thing that I put refined sugar in. Otherwise, I don’t bother with added sugar much.
The time that it got a little too thick I used canned coconut milk too, I think the brand was Thai Kitchen. I’ve read that “light” canned coconut milk doesn’t tend to thicken up or separate as much (I guess because of the added water) but I haven’t tried it. I think specifically it was Trader Joe’s brand light coconut milk that I read that about – but I don’t know if you have Trader Joe’s in your area…