Pumpkin Spice Latte

We’ve spent a good deal of the summer camping, and it’s been a challenge to stick to my keto diet.

Even when I can keep the carbs down - no small feat, given what my husband brings for HIS snacks! - getting enough protein in has been a huge challenge.

So, I’ve been doctoring up my basic protein powders into delicious coffee drinks. I’ve never been a fan of protein shakes, and these do NOT in any way feel like drinking protein powder.

I’ve got about a dozen recipes done up - see the link list towards the end of this post for all of them - but today, I’m sharing my high protein homemade pumpkin spice latte.

This time of year, I’m looking ahead to cold weather camping and the coming holiday season, so fall flavors are DEFINITELY coming to mind.

When it comes to the taste of fall, I like to think of it as “pumpkin spice season”. It really is turning into that, isn’t it?

I can’t say I blame retailers for the surge of EVERY manner of item infused with pumpkin spice flavors. Those warm spices are basically the epitome of fall flavor, IMHO.

Anyway, this homemade version of something like a Starbucks pumpkin spice latte makes it SO much easier to stick to my diet.

Beyond being high protein, it’s also far lower in carbs AND more economical than Starbucks’ version.

More convenient, too. I love having fancy coffee drinks on hand, with no need to venture to a local coffee shop!

Protein Pumpkin Spice Latte Mixes!

On the subject of convenience, the thing that really makes this a great recipe is that you can make them up in batches, for future use.

I’ll usually do them up in batches of 10 or so, label them with the recipe name and whether or not it’s caffeinated, and store them for daily use in my camper - and at home.

From there, it’s just a matter of adding water or milk, for either a hot PSL, or to do it up as an iced pumpkin spice latte recipe.

It’s a super easy recipe!

Oh, and with one simple - but somewhat unusual - ingredient, you can get robust pumpkin flavour, without the need for homemade pumpkin puree, pumpkin syrup, or anything of the like.

I’ll usually have one of these caffeinated protein coffee drinks in place of my morning coffee, then a second one - either caffeinated (right after lunch), or non caffeinated (later in the evening).

It’s really made protein consumption far more pleasant - it feels fancy, like I’m spoiling myself.

Love it!

Anyway, let’s get to that recipe!

Ingredients

This high protein homemade pumpkin spice latte recipe uses mostly simple ingredients. Most of those that aren’t already pantry staples should be easy to find in your local grocery store.

I do have some notes for you on the key ingredients, though:

Vanilla Protein Powder

The use of Vanilla Flavored Whey Protein Powder is obviously the reason for the higher protein content than the coffee shop version, but it also brings a few other things to this coffee recipe.

Because it’s sweetened, it reduces the amount of sugar substitute you’ll need to add.

It also adds a hint of vanilla to this delicious drink, taking away the need for added vanilla extract. This is handy, as I do these up as instant drink packets for future use.

Assembling lining some work one day means super easy, tasty drinks for many days to come... but vanilla extract doesn’t work so well in that scenario!

Anyway, I use Revolution Nutrition's High Whey in Vanilla Cake, but you can use whatever protein powder you want.

Need a vegan pumpkin spice latte? Use a plant-based protein powder - easy!

The key is to use something you actually like the taste of, and - ideally - a protein powder that mixes smoothly.

Pumpkin Powder

Pumpkin Powder is the one “weird” ingredient in here.

Usually when I make regular pumpkin coffee drinks, the pumpkin flavor comes from leftover pumpkin puree. REAL pumpkin puree - whether canned or homemade pumpkin purée.

Because I make these up as instant drink packets, I needed a dry alternative.

Pumpkin powder is dehydrated pumpkin that’s been powdered down to a granulate form, and it’s a great way to flavour these drinks. A few things to note:

1. Look for one that has ONLY pumpkin - pumpkin should be the only ingredient.

2. While you can get powdered pumpkin as a culinary thing, a lot of the time - at least here in Canada - you’re more likely to see it sold as a fiber supplement for dogs. As long as it’s ONLY pumpkin (no rosemary oil, fillers, etc), it’s all good - IMHO.

3. If you can’t find culinary pumpkin powder and don’t want to buy a nutritional supplement for dogs, you can make your own! There are tutorials online for making your own pumpkin powder. (I personally haven’t tried)

4. Pumpkin powder is known to be more granular than powder. If you find this to be the case with the powder you end up with, just run it through a mini food processor or spice grinder until it’s a fine powder. This will help it fully dissolve in your drink!

5. Pumpkin powder packs a punch - a little goes a long way! Feel free to add more if you like, but try it first!

When I was first developing this recipe, I overestimated how much pumpkin I would need, and it was like drinking straight up pumpkin pie filling!

Instant Coffee

While I usually use strong brewed coffee for making a homemade pumpkin spice latte, I use a different type of coffee for these: Instant Coffee Granules.

Sure, brewed coffee is the norm - cold brew coffee, real espresso, whatever - but again, I do these up as instant protein powder packets!

So... no need for an espresso machine or French press!

I know that instant is never anyone’s favorite coffee, but it’s an easy way to get that strong black coffee flavor into the mix.

And hey, between the protein powder, sweetener, pumpkin, and spices... it does NOT have that “instant coffee flavour.

Brown Sugar Artificial Sweetener

I have a mega sweet tooth, so I boost the sweetness from the protein powder, with a little Brown Sugar Substitute

Specifically, I like to use Brown Sugar Allulose - it doesn’t do the cooling sensation that erythritol does.

That said, if you’re NOT watching your carbs, feel free to use actual brown sugar.

Fall Spices

While I usually make a pumpkin spice sauce for making my own pumpkin spice lattes, this method needs dry spices.

My homemade pumpkin pie spice blend uses Ground Cinnamon, Ground Cloves, Ground Ginger, Ground Nutmeg , and Salt.

That said, if you prefer to use a premixed Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend (or your own pumpkin pie spice) in place of individual spices, use about ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice - or more, to taste.

Milk of Your Choice (or Water)

You can make your high protein, delicious pumpkin spice latte using milk or water, either hot or cold.

Milk will make for a creamier drink than water, but water may be more convenient in some cases - it’s all good.

As for what kind of milk to use...

Personally, I tend to avoid regular milk whenever possible, so I use dairy-free milk - usually either Unsweetened Almond Milk, or an unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

Oat milk, Cashew Milk, Flax Milk, Macadamia Milk, and coconut milk are all great options for non-dairy milk as well, depending on your dietary needs and restrictions.

I’m not personally a fan of soy milk, but if you are, I’m sure it would work well!

If cow's milk isn’t a problem for you, nonfat milk, skim milk, 2% milk, and whole milk will all work. Just remember though - the high the milk fat percentage, the creamier the texture of the espresso drink!

Shaker Bottle

Ok, so it’s not technically an ingredient, but if you’re going to get into making protein shake mixes for easy use, I recommend having a good shaker bottle on hand.

I love my 20 oz BlenderBottles - they’re the perfect size for these drinks, and the globe whisk thing ensures a smooth mix each time!

That said, you could also use a mason jar, immersion blender, or milk frother to mix up your homemade, high protein version of the famous pumpkin spice latte!

How to Make High Protein Pumpkin Spice Lattes

The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, here’s the visual walk through & full instructions:

First things first: finely grind instant coffee in a mini food processor or spice grinder:

For Hot Protein Pumpkin Spice Latte:

For a hot drink, combine dry ingredients in a shaker bottle or blender.

Add hot water or warm milk*; shake until well combined, smooth, and with no undissolved coffee granules left on the bottom of the bottle.

Note: You could also use an immersion blender or milk frother to mix the drink, if you prefer.

Pour into your favorite mug, garnish as desired: A little whipped cream, a cinnamon stick, a sprinklu of pumpkin pie spice... whatever floats your boat.

Enjoy right away!

For Protein Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte:

For a cold pumpkin spice latte, combine dry ingredients in a shaker bottle or blender.

Add cold water or choice of milk*; shake until well combined, smooth, and with no undissolved coffee granules left on the bottom of the glass or bottle.

Pour into a tall glass filled with ice cubes, garnish as desired (I like whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin spice, personally!). and enjoy right away!

Pro Tip: For easier dissolving, you can add a small amount of hot water or milk to the dry mix, shake until dissolved, then top up with cold liquid.

Another option is to make it with hot liquid, and chill it in the fridge for later use.

Yet ANOTHER option is to make a batch of this iced latte recipe, and freeze the pumpkin mix in nugget ice cube trays. Use THAT when making future batches of iced pumpkin latte!

For Protein Powder Pumpkin Spice Latte Mix Pouches:

Measure dry ingredients directly into individual snack-sized plastic baggies, seal and shake well to combine.

Press as much air as possible out of each baggie, seal the zipper.

Transfer baggies to an airtight container, labeled with the date, recipe name, and a note to use 12 oz of water or milk*, if you like.

More High Protein Drink Mixes!

Looking for more high protein, low carb drink mixes that can be made ahead? I've developed a whole series of instant drink mix recipes:

Chai Latte (Low Carb, High Protein)
Cream of Chicken Soup (Low Carb, High Protein)
Cream of Mushroom Soup (Low Carb, High Protein)
Fortified Instant Bone Broth
Gingerbread Latte (Low Carb, High Protein)
Matcha Latte (Low Carb, High Protein)
Mocha Latte (Low Carb, High Protein)
Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate (Low Carb, High Protein)
Peppermint Mocha (Low Carb, High Protein)
Protein Cappuccino (Low Carb, High Protein)
Protein Hot Chocolate (Low Carb)
Pumpkin Chai Latte (Low Carb, High Protein)

Share the Love!

Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @LowCarbHoser - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!

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