How to prepare Pumpkin Spice Latte and Gingerbread Cappuccino at home

Flavored coffee with milk for cold days

When autumn arrives, it gets colder outside and the coloured leaves gradually fall off the trees. We fly kites, collect chestnuts and acorns. In cafés, autumn means a change from summer's cold drinks, such as the coffee hit of hot days - cold brew. On the other hand ,hot drinks like pumpkin spice lattes and gingerbread cappuccinos are among the seasonal draws.

Where did the pumpkin spice latte come from?

These two drinks have been on the menus of Czech cafés for several autumns now and are already part of the traditions of autumn days. The pumpkin spice latte has its roots in America. And it's a good reason not to, since the pumpkin itself comes from this part of the world. European colonizers discovered it in North America and immediately incorporated pumpkin into their recipes, with thefirst pumpkin pie recipes dating back to 1670.

From the originally savoury spiced pumpkin pies, they eventually moved on to other and sweeter spices. By the end of the 20th century, recipes for sweet pumpkin pies made with a blend of spices were written in cookbooks. This mixture consisted of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and sometimes allspice. Pies with pumpkin and such a spice mixture became atypical taste of the autumn season.

The first Pumpkin Spice Latte

Since 2003, this typical taste of autumn in America has been combined with coffee. The idea was given to Starbucks employee Peter Dukes, who was tasked with creating a new drink on the menu. He used espresso and frothed milk to create the base - a classic latte, which he complemented with cinnamon, cloves and spiced pumpkin sauce. He also perched a dollop of whipped cream on top of the drink, which he dusted with pumpkin spice.

In a short time, the pumpkin latte became the absolute hit of the autumn season and is still sold in branches of the aforementioned coffee chain in more than 50 countries. In its first twelve years, Starbucks sold more than 200 million units of the drink. No wonder thepumpkin spice latte has become a popular drink in other coffee shops.

Coffee, milk, pumpkin puree and spices. It's practically a traditional drink of autumn in our country, too, the pumpkin spice latte. Image source: Canva Pro

Pumpkin latte as an autumn hit in cafes

Gradually, various cafés around the world have included pumpkin lattes in their autumn menus and created their own versions of this drink. To prepare the drink in a café setting, it is preferable to use syrup rather than spiced pumpkin sauce. Most cafés prefer to make pumpkin spice lattes using purchased syrup from a supplier such as Monin. Some cafés prefer to use original syrup made in-house.

Making your own syrup is not difficult, all you need are some ingredients and time. Youcan then useyour homemade pumpkin syrup not only to make pumpkin spice lattes, but also to make other drinks. For example, you can add it to hot chocolate, autumn lemonade or mixed alcoholic drinks.

How to make pumpkin syrup for coffee

For homemade pumpkin syrup you will need:

one smaller or half Hokkaido pumpkin
300 g sugar
600 ml water
Pumpkin spices: cloves, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger and maybe some star anise, cardamom, pepper, vanilla pod or orange peel

First you need to make the pumpkin puree. To prepare this, cut the pumpkin open, scoop out the seeds, cut into marigolds, remove the skin and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C. Bake the pumpkin spread out on a baking sheet covered with baking paper until soft. Let the baked pumpkin cool and then puree it.

Next ,prepare the spiced syrup. Pour water into a saucepan and add the sugar and spices. Over a low heat, let the sugar dissolve in the water. Then add the pumpkin puree and cook together for about 20 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken.

Strainthe cooked mixture now through a cheesecloth so that only the clear syrup flows through. However, if you want a more original pumpkin latte, don't strain the mixture, just pull away the spice bits and pour the pumpkin sauce into a resealable jar. The sauce or syrup should then be refrigerated and used within a month or so.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

Place two tablespoons of pumpkin spice sauce or syrupin a latte cup . Add espresso and warm frothed milk. Don't pour the whipped milk all the way to the rim, but leave a little room. Top the drink with whipped cream and sprinkle with ground pumpkin spice or just cinnamon.

Vegan latte with Pumpkin Spice flavour

Is making your favourite Pumpkin Spice Latte from syrup not right for you? Maybe you're looking for a slightly healthier version of this great drink. In the most important ways, this recipe isn't much different. It also relies on pumpkin, pumpkin spice and good coffee. But it lacks white sugar and cow's milk. Interested in this variation? Come try the vegan pumpkin latte too!

You will need:

1/2 cup almond milk
3 tablespoons pumpkin puree (see syrup preparation)
2 teaspoons honey (or other sweetener)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg)
and of course coffee (half a cup of black coffee or 1-2 espressos)

Healthy pumpkin latte for vegans [recipe]

Mix almond milk with pumpkin puree and heat for 30-45 s in the microwave or over a low flame on the stove.Season the warm pumpkin milk with spices, vanilla and honey.Whisk all into a milky froth and pour over the prepared coffee. Finally, dust with pumpkin spice.

Gingerbread cappuccino. More than coffee with cinnamon

Pumpkin may be the hallmark of autumn, but in addition to a pumpkin spice latte, youcan alsowarm up on a cold day with a gingerbread latte or gingerbread cappuccino. More than a symbol of autumn, the aroma of gingerbread spice is a little tune-up for the surely approaching Christmas time. The typical baking of gingerbread has also not escaped the attention of baristas, who have incorporated its aroma and flavour into their coffee.

The creation of the gingerbread cappuccino is again based on the spiced syrup. Like the pumpkin one, gingerbread-flavored syrup can be purchased from coffee syrup suppliers. Or you can also opt to make your own at home. This syrup is even easier to make than the previous pumpkin syrup.

Sprinkle cinnamon on your coffee? Try a delicious cappuccino with gingerbread syrup instead, and preferably gingerbread to nibble on. Image source: Canva for

How to make gingerbread syrup for coffee

For homemade gingerbread syrup you will need:

500 ml of water
250 g sugar
gingerbread spices: star anise, allspice, anise, cardamom, coriander and fennel, cinnamon and cloves

Put everything in a saucepan and let the mixture boil over a low heat, stirring occasionally. Cook together for about half an hour. Let the cooked syrup cool, strain or remove the spices and pour into a bottle.

Recipe for Homemade Gingerbread Cappuccino

When making a gingerbread cappuccino, again, put the syrup in the cup first. Add espresso on top and top up with frothed milk. You can also leave a little space from the rim of the cup again and cover the surface with a dollop of whipped cream, which you can garnish, either by dusting with ground gingerbread spice or cinnamon as well, or with crumbled or grated gingerbread.

Or bake up a supply of small gingerbread cookies to decorate your autumn coffees. Because of the popularity of candy like baked gingerbread shaped like a dummy, you may also often find gingerbread lattes or cappuccinos in coffee shops, the whipped cream of which is waved at you by a little "Mr. Gingerbread".