Originally developed to play the starring role in our Harvest Moon Latte, this adaptable recipe for a homemade pumpkin spice latte is something we crave as soon as the first maple leaves begin to turn in September. We take roasted squash (yes, canned squash/pumpkin is a-okay!) and puree it with brown sugar and spices to enchant your autumnal sensibilities. Great when combined with coffee and milk, it’s also delicious drizzled on vanilla bean ice cream or with butter on a fresh biscuit. The possibilities are as numerous as the fall flannels in your closet!

Recipe Adapted from Peace Coffee Shop’s Harvest Moon Latte

What You Need

For the pumpkin sauce:

• 1 lb pumpkin (or butternut, kabocha, delicata squash & sweet potato work too) or 1- 15 oz can of puréed pumpkin
• ½ cup hot water
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• (or 2 tsp of your favorite pumpkin pie spice)

For the beverage:

• ¾ cup coffee concentrate
• ¼ cup pumpkin sauce
• ½ cup hot milk (or milk alternative)

How To Make It

1. To roast a pumpkin: cut it in half and place it cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast in a 450° oven for 20 minutes or until a knife pierces the pumpkin skin without resistance.
2. Let cool and remove seeds and skin from pumpkin. (A 2 lb pie pumpkin should yield 1 lb of pumpkin once roasted, seeded, and skinned.)
3. Add the pumpkin, hot water, brown sugar, and spices to a blender or food processor and run until a smooth purée is achieved. Pumpkin sauce keeps for 1 week in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for use later.
4. To make coffee concentrate: make coffee as you normally would with half the amount of water. If using a pour-over or auto-drip machine, grind the coffee slightly finer if possible.
5. Heat ½ cup milk in the microwave or stovetop to 140° F, approximately the temp of hot water coming out of your hot water faucet. If foam is desired, whisk vigorously.
6. Combine hot milk, pumpkin sauce, and coffee concentrate and pour into a 12 oz mug.