Pumpkin is the magic ingredient that takes us from summer and right into the sweater-weather months of fall. Trees are turning golden-brown and the chill in the air makes you want to get cozy with a cup of hot coffee. Except in California. Summer seems to hang on a little longer here. Some days actually seem hotter than summer! But that doesn’t stop people from getting their PSL fix this season.
Pumpkin spice needs no introduction. Basically, fall doesn’t begin until you’ve tasted the sweet concoction of a classic pumpkin spice latte. But this wasn’t always the case. Whether you love the drink or not, did you know that the popularity of this drink only started back in 2003?
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A (very) Brief History of Pumpkin Spice
As I am writing this blog post in 2023, Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte will be celebrating 20 years. The creation of this drink is attributed to a man named Peter Dukes, who led the espresso drink team in 2003. During their testing, they tasted pumpkin pie and espresso together to see how the flavor profiles played together. I would have loved to sign up for that job just for the pie alone!
Once they figured out all the ingredients and spices, the “Fall Harvest Latte” was born. Apparently that name was high up on the list of ideas. Fortunately, they ended up landing on the Pumpkin Spice Latte, and the rest is history. Twitter and Facebook, both launching a couple years later in 2006, also helped make this drink wildly popular. Today, we probably don’t think twice about drinking a Pumpkin Spice Latte, but you have to appreciate the perfect timing of all these events coming together to create this espresso phenomenon.
Pumpkin Cold Foam Ingredients
As much as I’d love to dive into a pumpkin spice latte recipe now, this post is about pumpkin cold foam. It is super easy to make and can be added to both hot or cold coffee. Since the warm weather does not want to let go just yet here in California, I am adding this to a cold brew. For those that want the pumpkin spice latte, James Hoffmann has a pretty sweet recipe you can make at home.
Like I said, cold foam is really easy to make. We’ve made a chocolate cold foam in a previous post as well, and you will see that the steps are very much identical. It takes the same base ingredients (heavy cream and maple syrup) and you just swap out the flavor you are going for. If you have any excess, it stores very nicely in your refrigerator. Put it in a jar or container that you can access easily. Use it to pour on your cold brew, or mix it in your hot coffee as a sweet cream. It works both ways and it tastes like fall.
Pumpkin Cold Foam
Equipment
- 1 Hand Mixer or a
Milk Frother - 1 Measuring Cup (we use
Pyrex measuring cups)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream
- 1 tbsp Pumpkin Puree
- 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1 pinch Pumpkin Pie Spice
Instructions
- In a measuring cup, add the heavy cream, pumpkin puree, maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice.
- Mix the ingredients with a hand mixer or a milk frother. The longer you mix the more firm the foam will be. You will want to shoot for slightly firm, but runny enough for you to pour. If you keep mixing for a long time it will turn into a pumpkin whipped cream.
- Add the pumpkin cold foam to your cold brew (or add it to a hot coffee as a cream and sweetener combo).
- Pumpkin Cold Foam stores great in a jar. Keep refrigerated until the next coffee break. Adjust the ingredients if you plan to make more!
Final Thoughts
And now we have created the Fall-Harvest-Cold-Foam-Cold-Brew! Still working on the name, of course. I’m taking suggestions in the comments below.
I hope you enjoy this recipe! But most of all, enjoy the connections you will make with others over a seasonal drink. Or try a new recipe and share it with a friend. These are the things we love about coffee. It connects people together and that is what matters most in every season.
