Student-friendly recipe of the week: fall-spice coffee

A healthier, more affordable alternative to the pumpkin spice latte

Fall is here and that means that the world—we’re being dramatic for comedic effect—will soon be divided into two kinds of people: those who like pumpkin spice lattes and those who make fun of people for liking pumpkin spice lattes, but then drink them in secret.  

Okay, so not everyone likes PSLs—I actually prefer gingerbread lattes—but PSLs have become an iconic autumnal hot beverage. While it’s fine to have a treat once in awhile, these hot drinks are neither healthy nor affordable.  

According to Starbucks, a grande PSL with two per cent milk and whipped cream is 380 calories with 120 calories from fat. To put it into perspective, a Junior Chicken Sandwich from McDonald’s is 370 calories. That’s not to say you should eat that instead of drinking a PSL. It’s meant to help keep in mind that although it may only be a drink it’s definitely a treat—even if it’s being tricky about it.    

“…the PSL contains 50 grams of sugar, which according to a cooking conversion chart on SassyRadish.com, is 1/4 cup of granulated sugar.“

Another issue is that the PSL contains 50 grams of sugar, which according to a cooking conversion chart on SassyRadish.com, is 1/4 cup of granulated sugar. I’m guessing that’s not what you would put in a coffee you were making for yourself.  

Even the healthiest option I can think of—a tall (i.e. 12-ounce), nonfat milk, no whipped cream PSL—is 200 calories with 38 grams of sugar. Not only is a hot drink that small unsatisfying as the weather cools, but it’s also not really worth five bucks.      

Don’t worry, this week’s fall-spice recipe may not be a pumpkin spice latte, but it’ll still give you that warm and fuzzy fall feeling in your bones while keeping your sugar levels down and your bank balance up.   

What you need

Coffee maker, French press, or kettle

Ground coffee or instant coffee  

Ginger powder  

Ground cinnamon

Ground nutmeg  

Milk (or whatever you take in your coffee)

Water

Granulated white sugar  

Directions

If using a kettle, then boil at least a cup of water in your kettle.  

While the water is boiling, put one heaping teaspoon of coffee into a mug.  

Add 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon of ginger powder, a tiny pinch of nutmeg, and two teaspoons of sugar.  

Pour 3/4 of a cup of boiling water over your instant coffee blend.  

Add 1/4 cup of milk.  

“…have a hot fall beverage that doesn’t have to be a once-in-a-while treat.”

That’s all there is to it. Once you’ve tried it this way, adjust the milk and sugar to suit your own taste and then you can also adjust the spices or add other flavours like allspice or ground cloves. Remember that spices in this state are heavy and will sink to the bottom, so if you aren’t going to strain your coffee, then just don’t drink the very last couple of sips.

If you have a coffee maker or French press, make coffee as strong as you normally like it, but then add the spices listed above to the ground coffee beans. You can even find different flavoured coffee beans that you can grind at the store and bring them home. Either way, you’ll have a hot fall beverage that doesn’t have to be a once-in-a-while treat.

Photo by Mariah Bridgeman/The Ontarion.