Vegan Pumpkin Latte: Regular & Chocolate

Nothing says Fall to me like a pumpkin spice latte. Even though it's still in the 90s here in L.A., I am determined to wear sweaters and boots and drink as many pumpkiny coffee drinks as possible. The Starbucks version of this drink is not vegan (BOOO to you Sbux!), but Whole Foods and Peet's both make a pretty decent version. These options are great when you're out and about or in a hurry but I wanted to figure out how to make my own version at home for those lazy Saturday mornings when I'd rather stay in my pajamas.

I looked through recipes online and decided to go with this one from Averie Cooks. It looked good and simple enough for me to tackle. I tweeked her process a bit, and I made one regular cup and one chocolate cup.

Ingredients:
Coffee - brewed strong, about 2 cups
1 c almond milk
1/4 heaping cup pumpkin puree
2 tbsp organic sugar
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice blend, or to taste
1 tsp cinnamon, or to taste
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp cocoa powder (for the chocolate version)
Vegan whipped cream, cinnamon & chocolate chips for garnish

1. Brew your coffee. We don't own a regular coffee maker, so I use a French Press. I think it tastes better that way anyway.

2. While your coffee is brewing, combine all other ingredients in a sauce pan. Over low heat, whisk until mixture is smooth. Spices will not disolve completely, so you just have to live with that :)

3. Take out two large mugs and add the cocoa powder to one (or both if you don't want a regular latte). Fill each cup 1/2 - 3/4 with coffee and then top off each with the pumpkin/milk mixture. Stir, stir, stir! *This is the kind of latte that you'll have to stir often, even while drinking, just the way it is!

4. Top with whipped cream. I sprinkled cinnamon on the regular cup and chocolate chips on the chocolate cup.

I really liked how this turned out, even though you do have to keep stirring it otherwise the pumpkin mixture tends to float to the bottom. I look forward to making these more often on the weekends if the weather ever actually cools down!