Hot Drinks
On a cold day, all you want to do is curl up on the sofa or in bed and stay nice and snuggly warm. In reality, unfortunately, we all have responsibilities that we have to fulfil. It’s not really possible for us to be surrounded by our creature comforts 24 hours a day. But we can take a piece of that. Warm, comforting, fuzzy feeling with us as we go about our day. And usually people like to do that in the form of a hot beverage. Some turn to hot chocolate, others prefer coffee, and some like tea. Surprisingly, a lot of people in recent years have turned to a new hot drink. The vegan pumpkin spice latte.
Mundane Choices
When it comes to hot drinks, yes, there are a lot of choices, but most of them are, shall we say, boring, old, and monotonous. The majority of coffee shops have menus that never really seem to evolve when it comes to the hot drinks section. Their argument for this probably would be something like, If it’s not broke don’t fix it. These establishments feel as though the choices they’re offering are working, and people are buying. But small changes can make a huge difference. It can spark interest and draw in new customers. Maybe adding more vegan hot drinks to the menu could make their cafes the new hotspot for the plant-based community.
The Origins Of The Pumpkin Spice Latte
Most people probably know where the pumpkin spice latte originated from. And if you don’t know, you’ll probably kick yourself for not guessing it. It’s pretty obvious. Of course, this beverage had to originate from one place. The drink was created by Peter Dukes at the coffee empire known as Starbucks. Unfortunately, although this drink has been around for quite a while now, Starbucks has refused to veganize it. Most of the ingredients used to make this drink actually contain dairy products. Like the Caavakushi team, do you believe that it’s time for this change? Maybe we need to start hounding Starbucks on Twitter around the world and via email in order to persuade them to put a vegan pumpkin spice latte on their menu. Come on, guys. It’s been a while now. You need to move with the times and get the plant-based version out there ASAP. Wouldn’t you agree?
Festive Feeling
Do you feel as though hot drinks on cold days or nights not only seem to warm the body but also the heart? There are certain drinks that just remind everyone of the festive season. It’s safe to say drinks like hot chocolate and pumpkin spice latte stir up a lot of feelings inside. Along with warming our cold hearts in autumn and winter, these drinks also stir up strong feelings of nostalgia associated with Christmas. But this might just be because they’re heavily promoted at this time of year. They unleash memories from our childhood like drinking our favourite hot drinks at Christmas surrounded by family and friends. Whatever it may be, there’s no denying that there is some type of connection between hot drinks like the pumpkin spice latte and the festive season.
The Traditional Pumpkin Spice Latte
It probably won’t come as much of a shock to anyone that the pumpkin spice latte is one of the most popular hot drinks in the colder months of the year. This drink has definitely been sensationalized by its creator. You know, the ultimate daddy of large coffee corporations, Starbucks. But who can really blame them for capitalizing on their most iconic drink. The Starbucks pumpkin spice latte has become somewhat of a social phenomenon. It’s the likely choice of hot drink for most people on a cold day. Are you a fan of the traditional Starbucks pumpkin spice latte? Or do your prefer a good old homemade vegan pumpkin spice latte?
The Veganized Version
Being that this is one of the most iconic drinks of autumn or fall, the Caavakushi team felt that we just had to recreate it. As a team, we wanted to make sure the plant-based community had a delicious vegan pumpkin spice latte recipe that actually captured the cosy flavours of fall. Also, it really makes us feel bad that most large coffee corporations don’t seem to want to offer their customers a vegan version of this drink.
Vegan Pumpkin Recipes
You might be surprised to find out that we actually have some free plant-based recipes from all around the world. The Caavakushi team has taken it upon themselves to veganize some of the most famous dishes, snacks, treats, and drinks. Some of our favourites include:
- Vegan pumpkin pizza recipe
- Vegan mango lassi
- Vegan coconut lassi
- Vegan salty lassi
- 7 vegan watercress sandwich recipes
- Vegan ginger shot recipe
- Vegan Thanksgiving recipes
- Vegan Diwali mithai recipes
- 7 vegan Japanese hosomaki rolls recipes
Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of brewed strong vegan coffee or 2 shots of vegan espresso
- 1/2 a cup of pumpkin puree (canned or homemade)
- 1 cup of unsweetened plant-based milk (such as almond, soya, or oat milk)
- 2 tablespoons of maple syrup or agave nectar (remember to adjust to taste)
- 1/2 a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice (or a mixture of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves)
- 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla extract or substitute for vanilla extract
- Vegan whipped cream (optional)
- Ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, for garnish
Directions:
- In a small saucepan, combine the pumpkin puree, plant-based milk, maple syrup or maple syrup substitute agave nectar, and pumpkin pie spice (or your own spice mixture).
- Whisk the mixture together over medium-low heat until it’s well combined and heated through. Be careful not to boil it; you just want it to be warm not piping hot.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract or substitute for vanilla extract.
- Brew a strong cup of vegan coffee or two shots of vegan espresso.
- Pour the brewed vegan coffee or vegan espresso into a large mug.
- Carefully pour the warm pumpkin spice mixture over the vegan coffee, using a spoon to hold back the foam.
- Stir the latte gently to combine all the flavours.
- If desired, top your vegan pumpkin spice latte with vegan whipped cream and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice for an extra touch of indulgence.
- Serve your latte hot and enjoy the comforting flavours of fall!
Thoughts
We have plenty more articles where that came from on the Caavakushi vegan blog plus you can always find recipes with the Caavakushi vegan search engine. We also love to help plant-based brands and individuals by allowing them to submit vegan guest posts for free. Share your thoughts, experiences, and advice with our vegan community on the Caavakushi vegan forum. If you want to keep up with everything vegan, including products, services, restaurants, hotels, etc., you might want to consider joining our free vegan newsletter. There are also plenty of other places where you can find us, including Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Podcast, and Tumblr. Don’t worry, we’ll be back soon with more articles about all things vegan, plant-based, and cruelty-free.
