How to Make a Pumpkin Spice Latte with Healing Herbs

Preparing and enjoying a pumpkin spice herbal latte is a perfect way to welcome autumn. This herbal latte is deeply nourishing on many levels. The base herbs of dandelion and burdock are packed with vitamins and minerals, and the spices — cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice — help to warm us from the inside out as the weather cools. For me, it is treats like this that make the seasonal transition feel like a welcome snuggling in.

Lattes for Self-Care

There is something decadent about enjoying a homemade latte. More than just a delicious drink, a latte is an experience. This pumpkin spice herbal latte mixes flavors of bitter, pungent, and sweet with the distinct autumnal taste of pumpkin.

I gift myself with one of these lattes as the mornings begin to have a chill to them, fully enjoying the preparation process. It begins with the aroma of roasting dandelion and burdock roots in the skillet. Then there is the mixing of the pumpkin puree with the butter, maple syrup, and spices. I do this in one of my beautiful, tiny pottery bowls.

Once the tea and pumpkin spice mix is blended together, it’s time to warm and foam the milk. There’s just something about pouring the foamy milk over the tea that heightens my anticipation for this delicious morning treat. Giving it a gentle stir and topping it with a dash of cinnamon provides the final heart-warming flourish.

I take this latte to my little kitchen window seat nook and savor each sip of its rich smoothness as the sun slowly begins to light up the sky. The experience is one of warmth and nourishment, and of slowing down to the pace of fully enjoying life’s wonders. This is the way to start an autumn day!

How to Make a Pumpkin Spice Herbal Latte

Note: You can replace the tea with your favorite coffee or espresso and use this same recipe for a coffee pumpkin spice latte if you so desire.

Ingredients you’ll need…

• 3 T dried dandelion root
• 1 T dried burdock root
• 2 cups water
• 8 T pumpkin puree
• 2 T maple syrup
• 2 tsp. butter
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon powder (+ a dash for the top)
• 1/4 tsp. Ginger powder
• 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg powder
• 1/4 tsp. Allspice powder
• 1 1/2 cups milk, oat milk, or other non-dairy milk of your choice

1. Measure the dandelion and burdock root into a small dry skillet and roast over medium low heat, stirring often. You will know when the roots are fully roasted when they have turned a slightly darker color and are releasing their rooty aroma. It is important to keep them moving in the skillet so they do not burn.

2. Transfer the roasted roots into a small saucepan along with 2 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil and then turn down the heat to low. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
3. While the roots are simmering, mix the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, butter, and spices together in a small bowl.

4. Transfer the pumpkin mixture to a blender.
5. After the root tea has simmered for 20 minutes, strain out the roots, reserving the liquid. Measure 1 cup of the root tea into the blender and blend with the pumpkin mixture.

6. Gently heat the milk, removing it from the burner just before it starts to boil.
7. Froth milk using a frother or by pouring it into a quart mason jar with a tight lid and shaking it for one minute until the milk has roughly doubled in volume. I found that holding the jar with a towel was helpful since the milk was very hot.
8. Pour the blended tea into 2 cups (1/2 in each).
9. Pour the milk over the tea to fill the cups.
10. Stir gently and top with a dash of cinnamon or whip cream if you want to be extra decadent.

Yield: 2 large mugs

The Benefits of Pumpkin

Pumpkin is a nutritious fall food that is packed with beneficial vitamins and minerals. Pumpkin is particularly high in Vitamin A which can help to strengthen your immune system. It is also a good source of vitamins C and E. Pumpkin also contains antioxidants that can help neutralize free radicals that can lead to oxidative stress. So enjoy the pumpkin in this latte and maybe make some pumpkin soup for the family as well. Food is our best medicine!

The Benefits of Dandelion Root

Though often considered a pesky weed, dandelions actually have some pretty amazing health benefits. We’ll focus on dandelion roots because that is the part of the plant we are using for our latte but know that the leaves, flowers, seeds, and even the sap have properties that make them beneficial for humans.

Dandelion roots are high in micronutrients and phytonutrients like iron, manganese, carotenes, calcium, and potassium. They are also high in inulin, a starchy carbohydrate that can act as a prebiotic to help restore gut health.

In addition, dandelion roots help support liver and gallbladder health. The roots are cooling and gently stimulating so they can help move stagnation in these organs, which helps keep them healthy and functioning at full capacity. This leads to more efficient digestion, preventing the many ailments that can arise when our bodies are struggling to digest our food.

The Benefits of Burdock Root

Like dandelion, burdock roots are a nutrient dense food, containing vitamins and minerals like calcium, potassium, and magnesium. The roots are also high in antioxidants, and their high inulin content also makes them a prebiotic that can help to restore our gut health.

Burdock is particularly helpful for keeping our skin healthy. Herbalists like Rosalee de la Forêt, jim mcdonald, and Mathew Wood attribute this to burdock’s positive effect on our sebaceous glands which secrete an oily substance called sebum which helps lubricate the skin and is also antimicrobial.

The Benefits of Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, and Allspice

These herbs are added to the latte mix primarily for their warming qualities and their pleasing pungent taste. Cinnamon and ginger will help increase circulation. Nutmeg is also warming, and it has a deeply relaxing effect, which makes it particularly lovely for our slow savoring of the morning. All of these herbs will help facilitate digestion.

Enjoying Your Latte

You’ll notice this latte recipe is for two cupfuls. I thought you might want to share one of these delicious treats with someone you love. As the days get shorter perhaps you will want to cozy up by the fire with your sweetie and these pumpkin spice lattes. My daughter also absolutely loved it, and I can imagine you sharing it with a dear friend as well.

This latte will bring nourishment and warmth to anyone you share it with, and it will also gently whisper about the joys of the coming season. So, I invite you to take some time out and prepare and enjoy a latte or two. I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below!

What is in a pumpkin spice latte?

A pumpkin spice latte is usually made with a base of coffee or espresso. In this recipe I have used a roasted dandelion and burdock root tea as the base. Since these are bitter herbs they contribute that flavor to the latte (as the coffee would normally do). These lattes also include pumpkin puree and warming, pungent spices like allspice and ginger. Finally, there is a foamed milk component that makes the latte into a smooth, decadent treat.

What is the taste of a pumpkin spice latte?

Pumpkin spice lattes combine the taste of a holiday pumpkin pie complete with whip cream, with the bitter taste of coffee (or in my recipe roasted dandelion and burdock root tea). The flavors combine beautifully for a truly unique and delicious taste experience.

Why do people love pumpkin spice?

Pumpkin spice is a beloved fall flavor. As the weather turns cooler with the coming of the fall equinox, winter squash like pumpkins begin to ripen on the vine, so the earthy, sweet taste of pumpkin is one of the gifts of this seasonal change. Adding pungent spices like allspice, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon to pumpkin puree bring delicious flavors and also a comforting warming quality to the mix. To me the taste of pumpkin spice is the taste of curling up by a warm fire in a cozy blanket with someone I love.

Warmly,

Kimberly