Maple Pumpkin Café au Lait

Fall has always been my favorite season, and coffee is always my drink of choice, so it’s no wonder I’m a big fan of fall-themed coffee drinks. This new coffee drink is inspired by a box of amazing maple syrup goodies that Mex’s mom sent to us last week. The maple hard candies were my favorite treat in the box: they taste exactly like a drizzle of maple syrup. I tried to capture some of that perfect maple flavor in this drink.

Along the lines of my Cinnamon-Swirl Latte, knew I wanted to doctor up my milk before I frothed it, and I figured that nothing screams fall like pumpkin, and voila! Maple Pumpkin Café au Lait was born. It’s much less of a sugar bob than Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, which is far too sweet for my taste. I like maple syrup rather than sugar in this drink because it not only imparts sweetness, but it also has its own flavor. This is the same reason I often put bananas in my baked goods or oatmeal: it adds natural sweetness and also provides a flavor boost.

The difference between café au lait and a latte is that a latte uses espresso and milk, whereas a café au lait uses brewed (drip) coffee and milk. Of course you can substitute in espresso if you prefer,  I just assume that more of you have a Mr. Coffee laying around rather than an espresso machine.

Maple Pumpkin Café au Lait

Makes 1 drink. Multiply as necessary for more servings.

Adjust the amounts of milk, coffee, and maple syrup to your taste.

• Milk (low fat foams better)
• Brewed coffee
• 1 tbsp pumpkin puree
• 1-2 tsp pure maple syrup
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg

Fill a mug about 1/3 of the way with milk. Microwave for 30 seconds on high. Add 1 tbsp pumpkin puree, 1-2 tsp maple syrup (to taste), and a dash of cinnamon to the milk.

Froth the milk with a handheld frother, a whisk, or a blender.

Pour hot coffee to fill the mug. Sprinkle with a bit more cinnamon or nutmeg and enjoy!