Brilliant Way to Upgrade Your Coffee for Fall

It might not be cool anymore to admit it, but you know what? We love a good a pumpkin spice latte! What we don’t love, though, is paying for it. Thankfully, replicating the perfect fall drink at home is easier to do than you migh think.

We’re not sure when, exactly, it became mockable to adore the popular, oh-so-delicious-and-perfect-for-autumn beverage, but to be honest we really don’t care. It’s warm, it’s satisfying, and it’s the perfect mix of slightly sweet and just a little bit spicy. There really isn’t anything better with which to start your day once autumn rolls into town, and luckily for all of us, we don’t have to go stand in line for Starbucks to get it. We don’t even have to make a special trip to the grocery store! No, it turns out that everything we need to upgrade our coffee and make a homemade pumpkin spice latte is probably already in our pantries. Gabi Moskowitz, the Brokeass Gourmet, is stopping by OWN to show us how to whip one up. Watch how easily she does it, then read on to where we broke down the step-by-step instructions for you. It’s going to be the best fall ever.

DIY PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE

INGREDIENTS

  • Your favorite coffee
  • ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 teaspoons honey (or agave syrup)
  • ⅔ cup milk

Want a more detailed written recipe? Head on over to Brokeass Gourmet!

DIRECTIONS

  1. Brew your coffee as you normally would.
  2. Make a pumpkin spice syrup by mixing the honey – or your syrup of choice – together in a small bowl or glass.
  3. Stir your homemade syrup into your brewed coffee until it’s thoroughly mixed. Set aside.
  4. Warm the milk in your microwave or on your stovetop, whichever method your prefer. Pour the warmed milk into a pint glass. Using a milk frother, French press, or a simple whisk, whisk the milk to add air into it. Keep whisking, frothing and/or pressing until the milk froths so much that it doubles in size and fills the pint glass. If you’re using a milk frother, this step should take about 30 seconds!
  5. Top off your cup of coffee with your freshly-made froth.
  6. Top with a little bit more of pumpkin spice, and enjoy!

How fabulous is that? Not only is it a much more cost-effective way to enjoy a pumpkin spice latte, it’s a great primer for making any type of latte you like— even just a nice, plain, simple one! As Gabi Moskowitz says on her blog:

This freshly-brewed, wildly cheap version of the pumpkin spice latte can be warming your hands and your spirits any time you please–even after the coffee shops close, and without an espresso machine. The directions below are for one latte, but the ingredients priced out will make about a week’s worth of homemade lattes. And best yet, you likely have most (if not all) of the ingredients at home already.

If you like your lattes straight, feel free to omit the spices and/or sweetener.

Wonderful! Do you think you’ll give this homemade pumpkin spice latte a try? What other flavored lattes do you like to enjoy, and what other drinks would you like to learn how to reproduce at home? What are some of your other favorite autumnal drinks? Tell us if you give this version a try and how it turns out for you!