I am a pumpkin spice failure. I set out to create a recipe this past weekend. A recipe based on a seasonal coffee beverage I was fortunate to come across during a trip to one of my favorite New England towns. This beverage had it all: warmth, a subtly sweet and spiced flavor, a cute name, and the je ne sais quoi that comes with a seasonally limited drink.

The beverage I am speaking of is New Morning Market’s Sleepy Pumpkin. I remember it as warm, spiced, pumpkin pie in a cup, and I remember it often. Now, I have to admit, I have a bit of an ego in the kitchen. Originally, I thought recreating the Sleepy Pumpkin would be a breeze. A breeze it was not.

Pumpkin Spice Testing

After two failed attempts (Test One: not sweet or spiced enough / Test Two: too much coffee, not enough pumpkin), I consulted the New Morning Market website and saw that the Sleepy Pumpkin does not have coffee or espresso listed as an ingredient. I felt a slow drip of irritation. What if the memory of my favorite autumnal beverage was inaccurate?

Unwilling to accept the exclusion of coffee in Test Three, I incorporated one part french pressed coffee with two parts soy creamer + pumpkin spiced purée blend. Test Three was borderline bangin’: it had that pumpkin pie in a mug flavor I was after, which was nicely balanced by the small amount of strong coffee. Still, I thought a Test Four was necessary. Test Four included no coffee and the end result was essentially a creamy potpourri in a mug.

Maintaining Composure and Dignity

Following Test Four, I knew I had to wrap up my experiment to avoid losing my composure and dignity. I deemed Test Three the winner. My Stay at Home Sleepy Pumpkin recipe is delicious, nicely spiced, and has a balanced sweetness, without that syrupy unpleasantness that can oftentimes be found in big-chain seasonal coffee beverages.

This recipe has a bit less than half of the amount of sugar as the typical (size small/tall) PSL. However, the amount of sugar in this recipe is still a touch high for my liking; hence, my being a pumpkin spice failure. Drink it out of a small glass, girl.

Stay at Home Sleepy Pumpkin Latte

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

3/4 c Silk Vanilla Soy Creamer
2 T pumpkin purée
1 t (heaping) Ceylon cinnamon*
Heavy pinch** ground clove
Heavy pinch ground cardamom
Heavy pinch ground nutmeg
Heavy pinch ground allspice
Heavy pinch vanilla bean powder (optional, for additional vanilla flavor)
Dash of maple syrup (optional, for additional sweetness)
Coffee or espresso of choice (I used Ceremony Coffee Roasters: Thesis, brewed in a french press)

Add all ingredients, apart from coffee/espresso, into a milk frother (I used the Nespresso Aeroccino 3 Frother) and combine with the frothing, milk warming function. If you do not have a milk frother, whisking these ingredients in a small pot, on low heat, over the stove will do just fine, as well. Once combined, add two parts spiced cream mixture to one part coffee or espresso. Enjoy.

*Ceylon cinnamon is “the good stuff.”
**A heavy pinch in this instance is about a quarter less than 1/8 t. Use your best judgment, girl.