healthy pumpkin spice latte recipe: vegan + ayurvedic
happy fall to all you hippies! i’m so glad it’s time to enjoy the leaves changing, cooler weather, and warm drinks again!
fall is slowly becoming my favorite season. everything is so freakin’ beautiful here in colorado. the leaves seem extra colorful, and there’s a million squirrels bouncing around in my backyard.
but the thing i love most about fall is all the yummy drinks that are associated with it! apple cider, hot toddies, and most infamous of all… the pumpkin spice latte.
what is a pumpkin spice latte and why are they so popular?
pumpkin spice lattes (or psl as the youngin’s call it) are starbuck’s claim to fame. although they did not invent it, starbucks and psl are synonymous.
the starbuck’s pumpkin spice latte is made with milk, sugar, sweet and condensed milk, pumpkin puree, vanilla syrup, espresso, and it’s topped with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice. that’s a whole lotta garbage. the worst part is that it can’t even be made vegan! the sweet and condensed milk is mixed with the pumpkin puree.
although it’s really garbage health wise, the psl is one of the most popular fall drinks. why? because it’s freakin amazing. it’s the right mix of sweet, spicy and caffeine. the hype is real.
looking for a different warm drink? check out my ayurvedic chai recipe!
can you make a psl healthy and ayurvedic?
if you make it at home, absolutely! a psl is stupid easy to make, and i think it’s better if you make it from scratch.
ayurvedically speaking, the ingredients of a pumpkin spice latte are grounding and warming, it’s the perfect drink for vatas!
coffee is a no in ayurveda in most cases. coffee is rajasic, meaning that in raises energy in the body. this is great for kaphas, who may need a little boost to get going. not so great for pittas and vatas.
instead of coffee, i recommend using roasted dandelion root tea. it has the same bitter, rich quality of coffee without the caffeine. it’s still slightly vata increasing, but it’s better than coffee. the rest of the ingredients are also vata reducing, so it’s gonna be null anyways.
new to ayurveda? check out my ayurveda for beginners post!
ayurvedic pumpkin pie spice
i’m not gonna lie, i just used the pumpkin pie spice that you can buy pre-made at the grocery. i’m a busy lady, and i didn’t have time to go grinding my own herbs for this one.
but! if you would prefer to make your own pumpkin pie spice mix, here’s a basic one for ya:
4 tsp ground cinnamon (pacifies vata and kapha, aggravates pitta)
2 tsp ground ginger (pacifies vata and kapha, aggravates pitta)
1 tsp ground cloves (pacifies vata and kapaha, aggravates pitta)
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (pacifies vata, aggravates pitta and kapha)
optional: 1/2 tsp ground turmeric (pacifies vata and kapha, aggravates pitta. makes it into a golden milk pumpkin spice latte, which is dank)
pumpkin spice latte for pitta
let’s be real, a psl isn’t the ideal drink for pitta types. both the spice mix and the coffee increase pitta. in this recipe, i’ve toned down the spice level and substituted coffee for that roasted dandelion root tea.
pitta balancing pumpkin spice latte
1 cup nondairy milk (oat is great for pittas!)
1 tbs pumpkin puree
1 tbs maple syrup
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup roasted dandelion root tea, steeped for 10 minutes
heat a small sauce pan on medium. pout in all ingredients besides the tea. combine with a whisk or a milk frother. once everything is frothy, add tea. pour into your favorite mug and enjoy. pittas may want to consider drinking it lukewarm or iced as to not rev their fire too much.
pumpkin spice latte for vata
as i said earlier, a psl is a pretty ideal drink for vatas. all of the spices involved are vata pacifying, and the creamy and sweet aspects are ideal for vata season. as stated earlier, coffee isn’t good for vatas, so we’re gonna replace it with roasted dandelion root tea.
vata balancing pumpkin spice latte
1 cup nondairy milk (oat is great for vatas and a personal favorite!)
1 tbs pumpkin puree
1 tbs maple syrup
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup roasted dandelion root tea, steeped for 10 minutes
heat a small sauce pan on medium. pout in all ingredients besides the tea. combine with a whisk or a milk frother. once everything is frothy, add tea. pour into your favorite mug and enjoy.
pumpkin spice latte for kapha
ya for warm and spicy drinks! there’s definitely pros and cons to this drink for kaphas. the spice and caffeine can help rev up the digestive fire for kaphas, which is great if you’re feeling like hibernating all fall. on the other hand, the creamy and sweet parts aggravate kapaha. kaphas are supposed to avoid milks of all kinds, with he exception of rice milk. i recommend you use that, up the amount of spice, and use for little or omit the sweetener.
kapha balancing pumpkin spice latte
1 cup nondairy milk (rice milk is the only milk that works well with kapha types, but if you want to treat yourself use oat)
1/2 tbs pumpkin puree
1/4 tbs maple syrup (if your not vegan, honey is good for kaphas)
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 shot espresso or dark roasted coffee (if you’re avoiding caffeine, use 1/4 cup roasted dandelion root tea, steeped for 10 minutes)
heat a small sauce pan on medium. pout in all ingredients besides the coffee. combine with a whisk or a milk frother. once everything is frothy, add the coffee. pour into your favorite mug and enjoy.