Pumpkin Spice Golden Milk Latte

I’m baaaaaack!!!

Apologies for the brief hiatus – Vegas really took it out of me (not shocking for this grandma-at-heart). It is not feeling anythingggggg like fall here in LA and if you know me at all, you know I get homesick without fail every year at this time. I’m a New Yorker at heart, so of course all I want to do is go apple picking and see the leaves change colors, although from the looks of it, it doesn’t seem as though it’s feeling like fall anywhere on the east coast these days. #globalwarming

But even though I can’t wear my cozy sweaters yet, I’m going to do everything in my power to make this season feel like the one I love so much, and that means starting with PUMPKIN. Please don’t hate me, I know I’m basic as anything sometimes, but there really is just something so comforting about fall spices like cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and nutmeg. I riffed off of these golden milk (aka turmeric) lattes everyone is raving about and added a little fall flare. The combination is UNREAL, if I do say so myself.

I absolutely love sipping on this before bed since it has no caffeine and feels a bit more decadent than tea. You could even add a tablespoon of coconut oil to make it more filling if it’s a morning or afternoon kind of drink, but I like to keep things light around here right before going to sleep! This recipe actually makes 2 servings too, so you can have one at night and then pop the rest in a mason jar for the next day. I actually had my second serving today at work and it made me SO damn happy. It just like, cozied things up a bit, you know?

Another thing to note – this recipe includes real pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!), which makes this drink super creamy and adds fiber, potassium and vitamin C. Not to mention it also has tryptophan (the stuff in turkey that makes you sleepy after Thanksgiving!), which makes it literally the BEST thing to drink before bed.

Pumpkin Spice Golden Milk Latte

(makes 2 servings)

2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk

2 tbsp canned pumpkin puree

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp pumpkin spice

pinch black pepper (freshly cracked if you can swing it!)

1-2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

1. Put almond milk in a saucepan and heat on the stove over low to medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring about every 30 minute or so to make sure the flavors really combine and any clumps of pumpkin puree are broken up.

2. Carefully pour pumpkin spice golden milk into a mug and use a milk frother, if desired. *You can totally just drink this as is too, but if you like that part of lattes best and don’t have a frother, you can even put this in a blender (as long as it’s not too hot!) and blend it up for a sec. I also shook mine in a mason jar for couple of minutes with a strong arm and it had the same effect!

3. Store remaining mix in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Shake before drinking.

Alright y’all, I hope you have a wonderful weekend that’s filled with seemingly fall-ish things, even if it’s 80 degrees where you are, too!!

xo Jordan