Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

Fall is great for many reasons - TV shows come back in full swing, the air regains a refreshing and crisp edge, Halloween is on everyone's radar, and let's not forget, pumpkin spice lattes return to Starbucks! What's not to love? Well, I'm going to go with the cost of supporting a pumpkin spice addict! At $5 a pop, that's $35 a week (give or take a few bucks depending on your level of restraint and the size of your coffee!). I've already had 8 and we're only 13 days into the promotion!

Luckily for me (and my bank account), 4 of those were homemade. Incredibly, my amazing husband has tackled and perfected a delicious homemade version of the recipe. It may not come in a nicely branded cup, and no, you can't check your email while a barista whips it up, but you're going to pay about the same amount of money for 2 weeks worth of lattes vs. 1 day's worth. I'm not saying never go to Starbucks again, I'm just giving you another option in case you're trying to cut back on spending... that, or they just happen to be closed the next time the craving strikes ;)

Ingredients - yields 4 cups

• 1 cup Evaporated Milk
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Pure Pumpkin
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1 Tbsp Pumpkin Spice
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Ginger
• 1/8 each Cloves & Nutmeg

 Tip: Keep a spice bottle of pre-mixed pumpkin spice on hand for a variety of seasonal recipes.


Instructions
1) In a small saucepan heat milk, sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin spice. Once sugar has dissolved and the spices are evenly distributed and free of clumps, add pumpkin.

2) Bring to a simmer and continue cooking until sauce begins to thicken. Stir often to avoid burning.

3) Once mixture has thickened, you're done. Remove from heat and add 3-5 teaspoons to your mug,  top with espresso or brewed coffee and add a little milk to smooth it all out. The remaining pumpkin mixture can be stored in the fridge and reheated in small batches for your next cup. Top with whip (if desired) and an additional sprinkle of the pumpkin spice and there you have it, your very own, homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte! Enjoy :)

Homemade pumpkin spice mixture on the bottom, pumpkin spice latte on the top!