Skinny Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

It's October and we are hoping for cooler weather here in Florida. But, the heat won’t stop us pumpkin lovers from the “everything pumpkin” craze. Yes, I love pumpkin flavor. Especially in this fall. Pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies, and whatever else (the baby wants it….😂), all these goodies come with a lot of joy and also loads of CALORIES! Like most health enthusiasts I pay attention to these sweet treats and know when is a good time to enjoy it. But, how about beverages? Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) anyone? Yes please, but not so fast! Lets talk about this savory drink that every pumpkin lover seems to be so obsessed with. Most flavored lattes contain more sugar than a muffin. A grande Starbucks PSL has 380 calories (with whip cream on top) and 50 grams of sugar. Sure you can remove the whip cream and still you only lose 2g of sugar reducing it to 48g. Yikes!

To all my pumpkin lovers out there, the good news is you can still enjoy your seasonal latte and save on calories (and money too) by making one of your favorite drinks in your kitchen with this easy to follow recipe.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

Makes one latte.

1 cup 2 percent milk (whole or 1 percent milk can be substituted)

1 tablespoon demerara (raw cane) sugar

1 cinnamon stick

5 allspice berries

3 whole cloves

¼ teaspoon nutmeg, divided

1 pinch ground cinnamon

2 shots espresso

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, sugar, cinnamon stick, allspice berries, whole cloves and 1/8 teaspoon of the nutmeg. Bring to a simmer then turn off the heat, cover and let stand 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the whole spices and discard.

Heat the spice-infused milk over medium-low heat until hot, then use a milk frother to foam the milk (alternatively, you can transfer the milk to a blender and blend until foamy).

Pour the hot espresso into a mug and top with the hot milk, pouring the milk over the back of a spoon into the mug to hold back the foam. Then spoon the foam on top and garnish with the remaining nutmeg and the ground cinnamon.

Enjoy! And, if you have your own healthy alternative to a favorite seasonal treat, please share it in the comments below.