This post is by staff writer Yazmin Cruz.

I live in sunny L.A. so for me, fall is not marked by turning leaves or the chill in the air. It’s marked by the arrival of one of my favorite seasonal drinks: Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte. To my horror, I recently read on The Consumerist that there’s a shortage of syrup needed to concoct the beverage. Say it ain’t so!

Below I share my Pumpkin Latte knockoff recipe and a yummy Pumpkin Pie Frozen Yogurt recipe that will get me through this shortage. On the bright side, I’m going to end up saving BIG BUCKS! I’ve shared in the past how my coffee addiction has been costly, so I crunched the numbers. I’ll be saving about $55 — that’s one Pumpkin Spice Latte a week!

Pumpkin Latte knockoff recipe

Ingredients

2 cups milk
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
1 to 2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, plus a dash more for garnish
1/2 cup of strong brewed coffee
Whipped cream (optional)

Directions

In a saucepan whisk together milk, pumpkin, agave, and coffee and heat on medium. Once hot, stir in the vanilla and spice. I use an AeroLatte to mix and make it foamy. If you don’t have one, you can use a blender, or whisk. Top with whipped cream, and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice on top. Note, you can also add espresso if you have a machine at home.

Makes 2 servings.

Try my Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt recipe if it’s still too hot to switch to lattes.

Ingredients

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup Greek yogurt (I use Fage. Bargain Babe has her own yogurt recipe.)
3 tablespoons agave nectar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Directions

Mix all ingredients. Place in the freezer and mix every 30 minutes for 2 to 4 hours. Scoop and enjoy afterwards! Note that this recipe will turn rock solid if left in the freezer over night. And you’ll have to thaw for a couple hours to enjoy. You can mess around with the spices to suit your taste. You can also use honey in a pinch if you don’t have agave.

Love everything pumpkin? Give my pumpkin bread recipe a try. I’d love to exchange pumpkin recipes if you’re willing to share them in the comments!

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