Our latest post will have you whipping up your own coffee creamer – no need to run out to the store in the a.m. when you have an empty creamer bottle, just whip up a batch in your kitchen! The Pumpkin Spice Oat Milk Coffee Creamer is a blend of two current coffee shop trends: the ever popular Pumpkin Spice Latte and one fairly new to the scene, oat milk as a dairy-free creamer alternative.
The Pumpkin Spice Latte has become such a ubiquitous fall drink. Once September arrives you will have a difficult time not tripping over a flannel-and-UGG-clad person carrying a PSL. We have a secret, well, Kyle has a secret….he never liked the Pumpkin Spice Latte. However, he does love everything else all pumpkin-ed up.
I’ll also admit, that I prefer my PSL with actual pumpkin in it. The only way to get that is to make it at home, and except for when you are entertaining, who has time in the morning to whip up a batch of PSLs. Not me, I know that. Kyle feels the same about the non-pumpkin PSL. It really only has gotten worse since Starbucks changed their recipe a few years ago. The blend of spices can taste just a bit off. We do have a idealized version of the PSL in cocktail form, but it is not always socially acceptable to down spiked coffee on a Tuesday morning. Kyle has created a “dry” pumpkin coffee beverage that does justice to his two favorite flavors.
Kyle’s first experience with oat milk was at La Colombe over the summer. They were serving up an Oat Milk Cold Brew, which was intriguing to Kyle. Oats in coffee? The flavor and texture of the Oat Milk Cold Brew was a pleasant surprise. The coffee had the richness of a brew that had been enhanced with cream or half-and-half, but was completely dairy-free, and the oat flavor was not that pronounced. Kyle had a couple of his friends (who were unaware of the contents of the coffee) sample the drink; however, none of them could pick out the ingredients or the oat flavor.
This beverage piqued his interest in the oat milk trend, having him delve into to researching it a bit further. As it turns out, oat milk has become quite popular as a coffee additive worldwide. It provides a dairy-free option that doesn’t rely on other common allergens (soy, nuts) and offers a thicker, creamier consistency than most other dairy-free alternatives. Anyone (myself included) who has had coconut milk in their coffee can relate to the non-creamy latte sorrow.
As added bonuses, Oat Milk is quite easy to prepare at home and is way cheaper than making a batch of DIY nut milk. Just in time for the fall season, Kyle decided to take his first foray into making homemade oat milk. Which, as it worked out, coincided perfectly with the Pumpkin Spice Everything Season (which tends to get promoted earlier and earlier each year). He was psyched to do justice to pumpkin flavored coffee. After soaking and rinsing the oats (a very important step to avoid a gummy texture), he blended them with some real pumpkin puree, sweetener and some spices. Most oat milk recipes call for a second straining after you puree everything. Laziness ruled in this situation – he skipped the second straining. There weren’t any tiny bits of oats left over in the milk, so he feels like he made the right choice. Just an FYI, to ensure your oat milk is gluten free, double check the label of your oats. This is for your peace of mind to be sure that there was no cross contamination with wheat ingredients.
The Pumpkin Spice Oat Milk mixed perfectly in both hot and ice coffees, providing a delicious fall flavor. Your morning cup of coffee just got a new acronym, the PSOMC (Pumpkin Spice Oat Milk Creamer). If you love your Pumpkin Spice Lattes – no worries, indulge away – but now that there is a dairy-free and gluten-free option, everyone can enjoy some pumpkin flavor in their coffee!
- ½ cup rolled oats (make sure to use certified gluten-free oats if going gluten-free)
- 2 cups water, divided
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Dash ground clove
- Dash ground allspice
- Pinch salt
- In a small bowl, combine oats and ½ cup of water. Let stand for 15 minutes.
- Strain the oats, discarding the used water, and rinse thoroughly - this step is step is important to prevent the coffee creamer from having a gummy texture. Once the water runs clear, you’re good to move forward.
- Combine oats, remaining 1 ½ cups water and the rest of the ingredients in a blend. Puree on high speed for at least 1 to 2 minutes - until mixture is completely smooth. Most oat milk recipes call for a second straining at this point to ensure a smooth texture - I skipped the second strain and didn’t notice any bits of oats in this creamer. Transfer to a sealable container and refrigerate until ready to use.
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