Autumn is here, which means it’s pumpkin season! All over the country, huge hauls of mind-boggling big pumpkins are being harvested. And that means one very particular thing for coffee lovers: pumpkin spice!
Pumpkin spice lattes have gained a lot of popularity over recent years. The latte itself is already the most ever popular coffee drink in the history of coffee, but pumpkin spice latte has found a following that seems very big even compared to that of the traditional latte.
So it is only natural that we learn how to make pumpkin spice latte all on our own! This recipe is a very easy recipe that’ll teach you how to make pumpkin spice latte with the help of your trusty Keurig espresso maker.
Before we get into the recipe, it’s very important we learn what exactly pumpkin spice is.
Pumpkin Spice: What Is It?
No, it doesn’t have any pumpkin in it. Pumpkin spice refers to the spice that is added to pumpkin in the traditional recipe of pumpkin pie.
The pumpkin pie, and therefore pumpkin spice, is very American food that has a rich history. It is one of our earliest worldwide hits. During the 17th century, travelers brought this already staple food to France by travelers who taught the French about this wonderful pie that had taken the country over by storm.
France loved the recipe, and from there, it went over to spread to the rest of Europe. England and France are the two main countries which also have a long tradition of preparing pumpkin pie.
Pumpkin pie as food is present in our culture and, because of the season when it’s prepared, it has always been present during Thanksgiving, making it a Thanksgiving food by tradition.
Beautiful, isn’t it? Just so you see: we’ve loved pumpkin pie for hundreds of years!
And now, it is time to learn how to make a pumpkin spice latte!
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Latte at Home?
The trick to making a good pumpkin spice latte is to not overcomplicate things. Just make a latte the same way you would always make it, and then add the pumpkin spice on top. That’s all you really need to do—as long as you keep it simple, it will turn out delicious.
So, this is a double recipe: one for you to learn how to make a batch of pumpkin spice on your own, and another to make a latte using your French Press with K-cup.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice?
Ingredients
- 100 grams ground cinnamon
- 20 grams nutmeg
- 20 grams ground ginger
- 10 grams ground cloves
Instructions
- Mix everything together in a small jar. You can shake if you want to or simply stir with a spoon.
- Store in a dry place.
And that’s it! Keep it sealed and dry and it’ll last a really long time. Now, for the coffee.
How to Make a Latte Using a French Press with K-cup?
You’ll need a French press for this recipe, as we need to froth the milk.
Ingredients
- K-cup (1)
- 180ml milk of choice
Instructions
- Brew one cup of coffee.
- Use half of that to pour into a coffee cup. The other half can be used to make either another latte or some other coffee. If you’re not going to use it right away, store in the fridge.
- Heat up the milk until it is steamy and then pour it into your French press. Press the plunger down and then back up. Do this quickly for about thirty seconds to one minute. It should create a lot of foam and froth the milk.
- Once done, pour into your coffee cup.
- Done!
The only thing left to do is to sprinkle your homemade pumpkin spice mix on top of your homemade latte. Feels good, doesn’t it? Now you have a homemade pumpkin spice latte.
FAQs
Can I Use Vegetable Milk for a Pumpkin Spice Latte?
Yes! In fact, some people may say that a pumpkin spice latte is best enjoyed with some vegetable milk like almonds, cashew, and so on. This is because the flavor of nut milk goes great with the spices in the pumpkin spice mix, so you have an extra layer of combined flavor for your enjoyment!
Is Cinnamon Safe to Eat?
In short, yes, cinnamon is safe to eat. You may have heard that cinnamon contains traces of toxic compounds, which is true. If you eat a lot of cinnamon, then it could be toxic. But it is incredibly difficult to poison yourself with cinnamon because you’d have to eat hundreds of grams in a day, and no one ever really uses more than a couple grams per coffee.
If you want to play it safe, then see about getting authentic ceylon cinnamon. This kind of cinnamon is completely free of any toxic compounds, so you can enjoy it without care.
This is because there are many different types of cinnamon trees out there. Unlike most spices, cinnamon isn’t a bean or a root, but it is actually made of tree bark! This specific type of tree is native to many places and there are different species. The most common species contain these toxic compounds, but the ceylon species don’t. It is a bit more rare and hard to get, so it can be a tad more expensive.