Halloween Pumpkin Latte

Sip on a warm non-dairy Pumpkin Latte while you hand out vegan candy this Halloween! Make it decaf, since it’s evening—that’s what I would do.

Too much fun and too much deliciousness at special dinners this week had me feeling a little tired this morning. Well, upping the weights in exercise class from 8 pounds to 12s yesterday probably contributed, too!! That won’t do though. Today is Halloween.

After my morning ritual of a big glass of water followed by coffee with a shot of espresso and topped with a thick layer of frothed soymilk at home first thing, I felt more awake. I opened my refrigerator but wasn’t ready yet for the overnight oats and chia that were soaking. Still, I needed more than the coffee and apple I’d eaten.

Homemade oat milk sweetened with dates and about 1/4 cup of the Pumpkin Puree I made last week got me thinking. Many of you will find this unthinkable, but I am not a fan of pumpkin lattes. I like lattes and I like pumpkin, but I have not understood the super popular pumpkin lattes and other such beverages. I figured I had nothing to lose in trying to make one at home, so I did. The resulting thick and frothy drink isn’t going to replace my morning cup of joe, but it will go into rotation alongside my afternoon matcha latte. I could’ve made a thick drink using cashews, but I had lower-fat-but-still-creamy oat milk to use.

Here’s how I made my Halloween Pumpkin Latte:

• Into a high-speed blender (I have a Vitamix), pour 1 cup oat milk, 1 shot espresso (I used decaf), and 1/4 cup Pumpkin Puree.
• Blend on low and increase the speed to high. Continue blending until the liquid is very hot. Carefully check for steam, so you know the liquid is close to a boil. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, pour the creamy liquid into a saucepan and heat.
• Taste and decide if you want to add some maple syrup or cinnamon. My Pumpkin Puree is sweetened, and my oat milk was made with dates. I do not like super sweet beverages, and I didn’t feel I needed to add additional sweetener.

Yield: 1 1/4 cups 1 large mug or 2 teacups.
Drink warm or hot.