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Home / Comfort in a Cup – 3 Healthy Fall Beverages

Comfort in a Cup – 3 Healthy Fall Beverages

As the leaves turn and the air becomes crisp, many Americans find comfort in seasonal beverages. While these drinks can be a treat, they often come with excess ingredients that can negatively affect your health if consumed frequently. In fact, an average 16 oz. pumpkin spice latte contains 390 calories, 9 grams of saturated fat and a whopping 50 grams of sugar, overwhelmingly exceeding the American Heart Association’sdaily recommendation for sugar. When visiting coffee shops this fall, consider these health tips:

  • Opt for smaller sizes. Choose a smaller size to reduce caloric, sugar and fat intake, which allows you to still enjoy the flavor.
  • Choose skim or low-fat plant-based milk. This can significantly cut down on saturated fat.
  • Request fewer pumps of syrup. Many drinks are overly sweetened. Ask for half the usual amount or specify one or two pumps of the sweetener.
  • Skip the whipped cream. This can save you extra calories and saturated fat.
  • Add spice instead of sugar. Consider adding cinnamon or nutmeg for flavor without the added sugars.

Coffee house drinks can also affect your wallet. According to Drive Research, as many as 27% of Americans buy coffee from a shop a few times a week. The rise of specialty beverages in the fall, particularly with flavors like pumpkin spice, leads to increased sales and price hikes during this season. Otherwise known as the “pumpkin spice tax”, pumpkin-flavored products cost 7.4% more than their non-pumpkin alternatives, according to Lending Tree.

Here are three delicious and healthier fall drink recipes you can make at home to save money and boost health value:

Iced Pumpkin Cold Brew

Unlike many pumpkin beverage recipes or coffeehouse go-tos, this one uses pumpkin puree rather than syrup – offering up real pumpkin flavor with more nutrients. Pumpkin puree is mixed with pumpkin pie spice, milk and sweetener to form a delicious mixture to pour over your morning cup of Joe.

Serves: 2

Prep time: 5 minutes

Total time: 5 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup cold brew
  • 1 cup oat milk
  • 1⁄4 cup pure pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp. maple syrup
  • 1⁄2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, plus extra for garnish
  • Whipped cream

Instructions:

  1. In a blender, add oat milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup and pumpkin spice. Blend until smooth.
  2. Fill a glass with ice and pour over cold brew, leaving room for the desired amount of mixture. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.

Pistachio Latte Recipe

This cozy fall drink features the creamy, nutty and earthy flavor of pistachio. The pistachio syrup is incorporated with the espresso shot, to allow the flavors to melt together. By adding the pistachio syrup to the espresso rather than the milk, it helps prevent the milk from burning and provides a smoother taste.

Serves: 2

Prep time: 5 minutes

Total time: 5 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 2 tsp. pistachio syrup
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 shot espresso
  • 5 cup oat milk
  • 1 Tbsp. crushed pistachio

Instructions:

  1. At the bottom of each serving cup, add 1 tsp. pistachio syrup.
  2. Extract espresso over the syrup to melt them together. Stir.
  3. Add vanilla extract to the milk. Steam milk until frothy and desired temperature.
  4. Pour milk over the espresso and pistachio syrup mixture.
  5. Top with crushed pistachios and an additional pistachio syrup drizzle if desired.

Chai Latte

A chai latte is a spiced beverage that combines warm, creamy milk with a robust blend of black tea and aromatic spices that provides a balance of sweetness and warmth. Simply steep tea bags in oat milk heated in a pot and add spices.

Serves: 2

Prep time: 5 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups oat milk
  • 2 black tea bags
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
  • 4 cardamom pods or 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
  • Maple syrup or honey to taste

Instructions:

  1. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add milk and allow to heat until it begins to bubble around the edges of the pot.
  2. Turn off the heat and add tea bags to the hot milk. Wait 3 to 5 minutes for the tea to steep, then remove the bags.
  3. Add cinnamon, ginger and cardamom, and then a little bit of sweetener at a time to taste. Whisk to combine
  4. Heat mixture over medium heat until it reaches desired drinking temperature. Enjoy!

Shanthi Appelö is a registered dietitian and health and wellness spokesperson for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan based in Detroit. Passionate about the science of nutrition and behavior, Shanthi has experience working in clinical nutrition, public health and teaching in the university setting. In her free time, she enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, exploring the outdoors, working on art and spending time with family. For more recipes and health information, visit ahealthiermichigan.org.