Quest for the Perfect Low Carb Pumpkin Spice Latte

A quest, it is. 

I was determined to find the recipe for the perfect low carb pumpkin spice latte.  I even drove out of town to a Starbucks to get a Pumpkin Spice Latte to compare with the recipes.  I found 3 recipes that I thought would be great contenders.  *Sigh*....I did NOT find the perfect recipe.  But, it wasn't for a lack of trying.  I felt like a mad scientist in that kitchen! :)

I can't in good conscious say that any of the recipes compared the Starbucks version.  There is one recipe that was on the right track but I couldn't get the "sweetness" right.  It wasn't sweet enough and when I added more Splenda, it then tasted overly "fake" sweet. 

Here's the recipe that was the best.

1/4 cup coconut milk (full fat)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup strong coffee
2 tbsp. 100% pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1.5 tbsp. Splenda

Whisk all ingredients in a saucepan on medium/low for about 7-10 minutes, stirring constantly.  If you don't mind a little pumpkin puree texture, just pour it in a cup.  If you like your lattes smooth, strain the mixture into a cup.  The texture didn't bother me.  It wasn't very gritty or anything to me.


**Please don't expect this to taste like Starbucks.  It doesn't.

It was okay, but in comparison to the Starbucks version it fell short.  It was almost there, but something was missing.  I almost think a tablespoon of organic maple syrup would have done the trick (in place of some of the Splenda).  I didn't have any, so I couldn't test that theory.  I did like the flavor that the coconut milk added, though.

A tablespoon of organic maple syrup is only 13-14 carbs  So, even if that was used instead of Splenda it would still be WAY less carbs than the original Starbucks version.  Maybe I'll try that next time.

I had some leftover coffee in the pot, so I poured some into a cup, added a couple of teaspoons of pumpkin puree (or maybe a tablespoon?), a little Splenda, and some SF Coffee Mate pumpkin spice creamer to it and it was just as good as the recipe above, maybe better. 

So, the quest for the perfect low carb pumpkin spice latte is still in motion.  Not much success today, but at least I learned some things that work and some things that don't. 

It's all part of experimenting.  I may try again next weekend.  We'll see.

Until then...