Or: How to bring the coffee shop home without spending a small fortune.
I'm going to start this article on a bewildered note. What I am about to say has flabbered my gast for the longest time, and I need to know if anyone else feels the same.
Pumpkin spice.
My seasonal love. The flavour of my autumns. The scent of my kitchen. My regular Starbucks order (before I decided to no longer patronise their establishments for approximately 417 political reasons). Nevertheless, for years, it was a tradition. My first drink of the season was always a Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate from Starbucks.
So, here's what has always blown my mind: why have they never released bottles of pumpkin spice syrup?
Toffee Nut? Sure! Peppermint? Why not! But the syrup that people have been going bonkers for every year for – now brace yourself, you're about to feel old – twenty-one years? Nowhere to be seen.
Every year, the buzz would begin to build in August. The autumnal cup designs would start infiltrating coffee shops, and guesses about the release date would be bandied about. Yet somehow, the biggest seasonal speciality drink flavour of the year was never to grace the shelves.
It has always, always surprised me. Perhaps they don't want people making their own at home? Maybe there's more money to be made from a £5+ Tall drink than a £3–4 bottle of syrup? Who knows how the mind of a corporate giant works.
That said, following a recent job loss, buying a pumpkin spice anything from anywhere isn't exactly an option. And with no ready-made way to replicate my beloved drink at home, I've had to get creative. I've been experimenting, testing and finding ways to make all my speciality hot drink dreams come true from the comfort of my own kitchen.
And now, naturally, I'm going to share all my hints, methods and recipes so that you can create your own coffee-shop-worthy drinks at home, saving yourself many a £5+ in the process.
Trust me. I'm a fully fledged barista.
These are the tools and ingredients I’ve been using. Choose flavours you love and look out for alternative methods below.
Pumpkin Spice Latte
You are going to think I’m phoning this one in, but trust me, you’ll get your pumpkin spice fix without stepping foot in a coffee shop.
Ingredients:
250mls Alpro Cinnamon Roll milk
1-2 shots Espresso (bean to cup or pod works)
Cinnamon to spinkle
Method:
This works best with espresso, if that’s not possible, you can use granulated coffee, but it will change the taste a bit. Use 50-60mls of water that is off the boil so it doesn’t scold the graduals.
For a creamy latte consistency, use an electric or handheld milk frother. Heating the milk on the stove works well too. Stir often and don’t let it burn.
Sprinkle cinnamon on top
Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate
I couldn’t believe it when I tasted this. It tastes exactly like the pumpkin spice hot chocolate I used to order at Starbucks for an absolute fraction of the price. Islands Chocolate powder is the powder that is closest in taste and is currently on offer in Tesco.
Ingredients:
250mls Alpro Cinnamon Roll milk
20g Islands Chocolate Powder
Cinnamon to sprinkle
Method:
Add just a little boiled water to the hot chocolate powder so the consistency is thinner than a paste and mixes immediately with the milk. Froth or heat the milk on the stove (try not to burn as this does impact the taste). Give it a wee stir and sprinkle with cinnamon.
TIP: for the love of all that is autumnal, do not purchase Califia Farms Pumpkin Spice Barista Blend. Separately, myself and a friend of a friend bought this milk and both found it disgusting. The consistency is like curdled milk and nothing I tried salvaged it.
Iced Crème Brûlée Mocha
You are just going to have to trust me on having an iced drink as we tiptoe into November. It will be worth it.
Ingredients:
20g Islands Chocolate Powder
50mls Crème Brûlée Coffee Concentrate (this is from Tesco and is currently on offer. The bottles last for 4 weeks once open too).
250mls of any milk you fancy, but I use Lidl’s own coconut barista milk
Cinnamon to sprinkle in the drink and on top
Method:
Add the chocolate powder and cinnamon to the bottom of the glass, measure 50mls of the coffee concentrate, add to the powder and stir well until dissolved. Add as much ice as you prefer. Top up with your milk of choice and stir again. Sprinkle cinnamon on top.
I would love to know if you make any of these drinks and how you found them!
In the last year, supermarket shelves have exploded with coffee, matcha and mocha-based products. I’m not one for the powdered sachet drinks, but there are more than enough products on the shelves now that going to a coffee shop everyday and spending more than £5 isn’t necessary. When I do buy coffee out, I have a list of independent coffee shops, I love and take friends too. Let me know in the comments if you want some recommendations.