Cinderella Latte Recipe with White Pumpkin

The pumpkin spice latte?  Old news.  This year, the Cinderella Latte is the break out hit for fall.

When the Starbucks version went viral this year, basic white witches everywhere raved.

Naturally, it came with some appropriate internet lore.  The pumpkin enchanted by the Fairy Godmother in this classic tale was white. 

It was after this spellbound pumpkin that the Cinderella Latte was named.

And I thought: Surely there’s a way brew such a magical drink right here in my humble cauldron.

I added some things, swapped out some things, and ultimately came up with a rich, creamy, decadent version I hope you enjoy!

The (Vegan) White Pumpkin Cinderella Latte

This recipe just happens to be vegan.  I didn’t really plan it that way, but after I assembled it, I realized that it was totally without animal products.

That said, I personally liked it better than the milk-based version, and I find that non-dairy milks tend to be easier to control when heating them.

Concepts for the Kitchen Witch

For the kitchen witch, this recipe is packed with metaphysical goodness for the autumn season.

The typical ingredients in pumpkin spice, like allspice, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger, usually take center stage in my fall recipes because of their magical meaning at this time of year.

Also crucial to magical properties of this recipe?  Coffee, which has many uses in the Craft.  In this case it represents warmth, retreat into the home, contemplation, reflection and energetic meditation.

In addition, the folklore surrounding Cinderella and her fairy godmother is really a story about a witch, white magic and the joy of helping others.  Those are all great themes for a magical practitioner/kitchen witch to play around with.

If you want to include the kids in this fun, use a decaffeinated coffee and sit around the fire to tell the tale of Cinderella for a perfect fall afternoon.

Tips

-If you opt to swap out coconut milk for dairy milk, be very careful when heating not to scald it.

-Adjust spices to your preference.  I would describe this recipe as light-to-medium spicy, so if you like spicy, go heavier with the pumpkin spice.

-I made whipped cream from scratch with coconut milk for this recipe.  You must chill it overnight to get the desired effect.

-Pair this with my gingerbread pancakes or for a cozy, comfort-food meal on a cold day.

Ingredients

-1 tablespoon white pumpkin puree (or sub orange pumpkin puree)

-1 cup non-dairy milk (I used coconut milk, but rice or soy will also work fine)

-1/2 cup strongly brewed coffee (or sub 2 shots of espresso)

-1-2 teaspoons pumpkin spice, plus more for garnish

-1/2 teaspoon finely grated, fresh ginger

-splash of vanilla extract

-2-3 tablespoons coconut sugar (or sub regular white sugar, honey or maple syrup)

-1/4 cup coconut milk chilled overnight

-1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Step 1

Start a pot of coffee.

In a small pot or sauce pan, slowly warm milk.  Before it boils, stir in pumpkin puree, sugar, vanilla extract and pumpkin spice.

Whisk constantly.

Once it reaches a very light simmer, add in the freshly ground ginger.  Stir for one more minute, then remove from heat.

Step 2

Remove chilled coconut milk from refrigerator.  It should be semi-solid, like consistency of slightly melted ice cream.

In a small bowl (a cereal bowl works fine) use a rubber spatula to empty chilled coconut milk.  Add powdered sugar.

Use a hand blender or a standing blended, whip coconut milk until fluffy and light.

Step 3

In a large mug, combine stovetop milk mixture with strong coffee. 

Spoon coconut whipped cream on top of drink.  It will sink to the bottom, then float back to the top.  At first, it looks a little wonky (you’ll see what I mean), but after about 30 seconds or a minute, it turns into a lovely white foam.

Finally, sprinkle a little pumpkin spice on top for garnish.

Serve and enjoy!