Fun seasonal treats, including coffee shop drinks, are often off-limits to those of us living with an allergy or significant dietary restriction.

In one Canadian study, pediatric food allergy reactions were observed to spike around Halloween and Easter, related unknown exposure to allergens and cross-contamination.

This author has anecdotal experience to that effect - as precaution, I know that my standard order at a coffee shop is a black coffee. If I’m feeling brave and the barista is considerate, I may be able to add non-dairy milk directly from the carton.

Are we doomed to miss out on the universal celebration of fall, the Pumpkin Spice Latte?

The primary treatment for food allergy right now is avoidance. Fortunately, that seems to be changing, which is very exciting news for children and adults alike. In the meantime, perhaps we can find a way to make treats at home that are delicious and customizable to taste and safety.

Hypothesis 1a: We can make a customizable pumpkin spice latte at home, devoid of common allergens.

Hypothesis 1b: The recipe will actually be easy to execute, so that we’ll want to make it again and again this season.

Method

Recipe source:

@courtandnate (Instagram account)

Post titled: Pumpkin Cream Recipe

Dairy-free modifications:

None needed!

This recipe makes a syrup is naturally free of dairy.

As you’ll see, you can add your syrup to any milk beverage of choice.

Procedures

Step 1. Gather your ingredients.

Note: The original recipe calls for brown sugar, but I substituted maple syrup because a) it sounded delicious, b) I had a lot of it, and c) to honor (honour) my Canadian roots.

Pro tip #1: I used my ingredient scale to help minimize clean up.

Pro tip #2: If you’re using a measuring cup for syrup or honey, spray the cup first with cooking spray to allow the sticky liquid to slide right out.

Step 2. Mix the ingredients over low to medium heat.

I was pleasantly surprised how quickly the ingredients melted together.

The recipe does not provide guidance on how long to cook it for or the specific consistency to which we should aim. I just let it go for 5-10 minutes, stirring a few times.

Step 3. I let the ingredients cool in a jar. I found the syrup thickened a little more over time.

Note: I made half the recipe.

Step 4. Add as much as you’d like to your drink of choice!

Results

I enjoyed this syrup in both hot coffee and as an iced pumpkin spice latte.

I added a slight splash of Silk creamer to the hot coffee, and Trader Joe’s almond beverage to the iced coffee.

Figure 4. Hot pumpkin spice latte on a cozy fall morning.

Figure 5. An iced pumpkin latte on a sunny fall afternoon in the garden.

Conclusions

Our primary hypotheses were supported. By making a quick pumpkin spice syrup, we can customize our drinks to be hot or cold, and using any milk beverage that you enjoy safely.

For someone who enjoys multiple coffees a day, I appreciated being able to make a syrup to enjoy across the day or week.

More than that, I enjoy being included in a fall drink trend, and I hope these notes help someone else do the same.

Happy Fall, y’all! Drop me some feedback here or on Instagram, I’d love to hear from you and learn what you would like to see next!

Dairy-Free Pumpkin Spice Latte