Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte

I LOVE pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks. I've had two so far this fall which is probably a record low for me this time of year. I'm trying to control myself by following an anti-inflammatory diet for my arthritis which means omitting sugar and pumpkin spice lattes are loaded with sugar. Starbucks website does not list how much sugar is in them but I know it's a lot. And there isn't actually any pumpkin in them, either. It's just syrup which we bought when we made pumpkin spice lattes with our espresso machine in Idaho. The pumpkin spice syrup = pure sugar. Well, I've got the solution to the whole sugar problem now. I've discovered multiple blogs from people following the Plant Paradox diet and one had this recipe. It's a blog called Lectin Free Foodie and she has this copycat pumpkin spice latte recipe that tastes just like it. I omitted the whipped cream on top for calorie reasons (which would have made for a better photo) but it tastes just fine without the whipped cream. This recipe also substitutes pureed sweet potatoes instead of pumpkin since pumpkin is high in lectin and sweet potatoes have none. But again, you can't tell the difference at all.

For the sweetener, the recipe calls for Lakanto golden, a brown sugar substitute, that is made out of monk fruit. Monk fruit is a melon from Southeast Asian that was used as a sweetener by the Buddhist monks over 800 years ago. It is zero calories and zero glycemic index and is FDA approved.

The whipped cream portion of the recipe uses Swerve, another sugar substitute. Swerve is very common and is sold even at Walmart. I have the regular version but it also comes in confectioner's version (powdered sugar). It is a sugar alcohol product, erythritol, along with oligosaccharides from select fruits and starchy root vegetables that are prebiotic fibers, non-caloric and zero glycemic index.

These are all unusual items you can find in the natural food section of grocery stores and especially at our local Fred Meyer. But even most of our grocery stores in my neighborhood carry these. Otherwise, a lot of people order from Amazon or another popular online grocery store called Thrive Market. I mentioned before that I've bought so many new substitute foods since reading the Plant Paradox that I had to re-organized my kitchen in order to store them all using these cute little containers.

Aside from the 6 grams of sugar from the 1/2 cup of milk in this beverage (the natural sugar in milk), there is no added sugar and A LOT lower in total sugar than a Starbucks pumpkin spice latte.

Makes 4 servings or 2 large servings

2 Tbsp. sweet potato puree

1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice spice

4 tsp. Lakanto golden (or a brown sugar substitute)

1 cup A2 milk

1 cup strong coffee, or 2 shots espresso

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, optional

2 tsp. Swerve confectioner's, optional

1. In a saucepan, whisk together sweet potato puree, pumpkin pie spice, Lakanto golden and milk until well combined and heated through - about 2 minutes.

2. Remove saucepan from heat, and stir in vanilla extract.

3. Divide brewed coffee into two cups, filling halfway.

4. Top each cup with milk mixture.

5. Optional: Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie seasoning. To make whipped cream, simply whisk together 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream and 2 tsp. Swerve confectioner's sugar until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes of constant whipping.

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