A keto pumpkin spice latte with no added sugar: coffee, plant-based milk, pumpkin purée and speculoos spices.
A large steaming mug, a soft layer of foam on top and warming spices wafting up to your nose. This keto, or ketogenic, pumpkin spice latte has no added sugar: its sweetness comes from a sweetener, although the pumpkin does provide some naturally occurring sugars. Made without whipped cream, it takes 5 minutes to prepare and makes 1 serving. One to add to my keto drinks.
What is a keto pumpkin spice latte?
The name “pumpkin spice latte” refers to a milky coffee drink flavored with a spice blend inspired by pumpkin pie. This keto version keeps the spirit of a creamy, spiced fall drink, but replaces the usual sweetener and whole milk with options better suited to a low-carb diet, provided you check the ingredients and the carbohydrates per serving.
The recipe combines instant coffee, ideally unsweetened almond or coconut milk, plain pumpkin purée, Bourbon vanilla and speculoos spices. The base comes together in two stages: first, the instant coffee is whisked in the mug with three tablespoons of hot milk and the sweetener, then the remaining milk is blended with the pumpkin purée, vanilla and spices. Allow for approximately 230 kcal per serving.
The origins of this version
This milky coffee drink is one of those fragrant drinks we make when temperatures drop. A classic pumpkin spice latte combines espresso, frothed whole milk, sweetened pumpkin purée, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and, often, whipped cream.
Here, the recipe skips added sugar and calls for simple equipment: a handheld milk frother, a small saucepan, a blender and a large mug. Instant coffee replaces espresso, unsweetened almond or coconut milk takes the place of whole milk, and caramel-flavored liquid sweetener or erythritol provides the sweetness. The speculoos spices add a warm, cookie-like aroma with notes of cinnamon.
The main ingredients
Your choice of ingredients affects the texture, sweetness and balance of the drink. Unsweetened almond or coconut milk, 200 to 250 ml in total, forms the base: almond milk keeps it light and fluid, while coconut milk gives it a fuller texture. Plain pumpkin purée, 2 tablespoons, adds color, thickens the base and brings slightly sweet, vegetal notes.
Instant coffee, 1 teaspoon, delivers immediate intensity and mixes easily into the three tablespoons of hot milk used for frothing. For sweetness, one product is enough: 1 teaspoon of caramel-flavored liquid sweetener, or 2 teaspoons of brown or regular erythritol, which must dissolve thoroughly in the hot milk to avoid graininess. Digestive tolerance varies from person to person.
Bourbon vanilla powder, 1/2 teaspoon, rounds out the coffee and complements the spices without adding sugar. The cookie and speculoos spice blend, 1/2 teaspoon, brings warmth, a cinnamon aroma and cookie-like notes, and may leave a little sediment as it sits.
Technique and serving tips
Success comes down to the order of the steps. Heat the milk gently, without bringing it to a full boil, to keep the texture smooth. Take three tablespoons of hot milk, use it to dissolve the instant coffee and sweetener in the mug, then froth with a handheld frother, keeping the head submerged. Add the pumpkin purée, vanilla and spices to the remaining milk, blend briefly until smooth, and pour it slowly into the mug to preserve the foam.
For consistent results, use plain pumpkin purée rather than sweetened pie filling, ground speculoos spices rather than crumbled cookies, and just one sweetener. Ideally, drink it straight away, as the foam is best when freshly made. If you prepare the milk and pumpkin base ahead of time, cool it quickly, refrigerate it, then reheat gently while stirring; make the coffee foam just before serving.
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Keto pumpkin spice latte
Ingredients
- 200 to 250 ml almond or coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin purée
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee
- 1 teaspoon sweetener caramel-flavored liquid, or 2 teaspoons of brown erythritol, or regular erythritol
- 0.5 teaspoon Bourbon vanilla powder
- 0.5 teaspoon cookie and speculoos spice blend
Instructions
- Heat the milk.200 to 250 ml almond or coconut milk
- Take three tablespoons of warm milk and place them in a mug with the instant coffee and sweetener.1 teaspoon instant coffee, 1 teaspoon sweetener
- Froth the coffee with the small amount of milk. This works best with a small handheld milk frother.
- Add the pumpkin, vanilla and cookie and speculoos spice blend to the remaining milk. Blend until smooth and free of lumps.2 tablespoons pumpkin purée, 0.5 teaspoon Bourbon vanilla powder, 0.5 teaspoon cookie and speculoos spice blend
- Add the pumpkin milk to the foam in the mug.
