You will not believe this, but I have some news that will stand your hair on end: Starbucks is already selling its pumpkin spice latte! EEK. It's not even Labor Day yet and already we've got the full flavor of autumn breathing down our necks with that special coffee treat we cannot resist -- no matter how much we resent its early arrival.
But before you whip out that five-dollar bill for your first PSL of the season -- that's $5.17 for a Grande in my neck of the woods -- consider this: You could make your own for about a dollar. Any time of the year! We've got your homemade pumpkin spice latte recipe right here. Learning how to do that pretty heart foam thing, though? That's on you.
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte adapted from The Broke Ass Gourmet
Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup freshly brewed strong coffee
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
Instructions:
1. Stir spice, vanilla, and sugar into coffee until fully dissolved.
2. Pour milk into microwaveable bowl and whisk 2 1/2 minutes (or longer) until frothy. Microwave 8-10 seconds.
3. Pour milk into coffee and top with foam. Whip cream and add that as well if you're feeling extra indulgent. Grate some nutmeg or cinnamon over the top if you like.
More from The Stir: An Open Letter to Pumpkin: Please, Tone It Down
Where is the pumpkin, you ask? Silly, you don't need that! There is no actual pumpkin in the Starbucks version -- after all, the pumpkin spice latte is all about the spices, not any actual pumpkin flavor. But if you truly miss it, you can add about a teaspoon of pumpkin puree to the hot coffee when you add the sugar and spice.
How do you feel about the pumpkin spice latte's early return?
Images © iStock.com/mphillips007, © iStock.com/mphillips007