The Perfect Pumpkin Latte
Raw, Vegan, with Soy and Caffeine-Free Options
Believe me, this non-dairy latte is a real winner. Even if you haven’t made the leap to a vegan lifestyle, when you have a luscious alternative, it’s a no-brainer — and certainly beneficial to your body to cut back on dairy products.
Over the years I have invested many a five dollar bill into Pumpkin-flavored lattes at trendy coffeehouses and my body has simultaneously invested in extra calories, preservatives, artificial flavorings and sugar spikes from unhealthful sweeteners.
Have found some other non-dairy pumpkin lattes online but I didn’t like how they were sweetened or the commercial flavored syrups as main ingredients. Those bottled flavorings are loaded with high fructose corn syrup and often use mainly artificial ingredients. Raw Fusion Style means finding alternatives for your favorite comfort and craving foods that do not sacrifice on taste and actually have nutrition benefits for your body, as well as your taste buds.
ALLERGY ALERT: If you are are sensitive to soy, you can replace the tofu with a half cup of raw cashews and 3 dates, which will help mimic the foaming effect of the “latte.”
Best of all, this Pumpkin creation is made with the real deal — actual pumpkin, not the distilled (or chemically duplicated) version. What a novelty in this day and age…
LJ’s Healthy Pumpkin Latte
Ingredients:
2 cups almond, coconut or hemp milk (I used a blend of all 3 but one will do)
2 TB. vanilla extract
3 TB. sweetener (maple syrup, agave or coconut nectar)*
2 heaping TB. canned or cooked pumpkin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, or a combination
1/2 cup raw cashews for RAW or for VEGAN 2-3 oz. silken tofu (I used a sprouted variety)
2 cups of brewed teecino**or coffee
optional: add 1 TB. decaffeinated powdered instant coffee or coffee extract for more flavoring if using teecino.
If using cashews, add 3 pitted medjool dates as an alternative sweetener and thickener – if used, reduce other sweetener above to 2 TB.
Brew coffee or teecino. In your blender add the rest of the ingredients and blend well, creating a foamy texture. Then slowly add pour in the teecino/coffee. My Vitamix warms this to steaming, but you can gently heat this mixture on the stovetop in a glass or stainless steel pan. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice and BLISS OUT. Also tastes great cold.
Optional: Add coconut whipped cream – Cool a can of full fat coconut milk for at least 6 hours in the fridge. Open can and scoop out the thickened cream at the top – use the rest of the liquid in a shake or smoothie. Place in mason jar (best also cooled an hour or two) with 1 TB. Pure maple syrup and ½ tsp. vanilla extract. Shake vigorously 3-5 minutes until thickened. Spoon on top of the latte.
*Sweetener options: There are so many alternatives to sugar, which these days is most likely a genetically modified mix of cane juice and sugar beets. Coconut nectar is one of my favorites (as are the coconut crystals), maple syrup works well with this blend, but strongly recommend buying organic as often conventional tappers use formaldehyde. Agave nectar has gotten a bad rap for the past few years but I have personally felt that, while it should not be your “go-to” sweetener, in moderate amounts, the fructose effect is not deleterious to the body. Was happy to find this confirmed by a recent study by Bio-Energetics.
**Teecino is a fantastic coffee alternative that comes in many flavors. I have personally found (upon recommendation by a friend) that the French Roast (part of the Mayan connection) most resembles coffee. For someone weaning themself from coffee, it is recommended that you use half and half. SO much less acidic and this beverage contains antioxidants. You can find it in most health food stores or online. Here is their website.
NOTE: Right after I published this post I found an article on the Starbuck’s Pumpkin Latte – 380 calories, 18 grams of fat, 49 grams of sugar etc.
Here’s a meme that says it all:
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