Introduction:
Pumpkin Spice Season is finally here and taking over coffee shop menus, social media, and grocery store shelves. This classic fall flavor is added to our lattes, pancakes, desserts, and baked goods, that we just can’t resist. Despite the delicious flavor, most of these treats are packed with loads of sugar, which can affect our usual, everyday diet.
Starbucks has a full Fall menu with pumpkin spice drinks and baked goods. But did you know they contain more sugar than actual pumpkin spice! So, we broke down how many grams of sugar are in each Grande Pumpkin flavored drink on the Starbucks menu for reference:
- Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew = 31 grams of sugar
- Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Latte = 66 grams of sugar
- Classic Pumpkin Spice Latte = 50 grams of sugar
The numbers above are high seeing that the American Heart Association recommends women consumer no more than 25 grams of sugar per day and men consume no more than 36 grams of added sugar per day. By drinking one Grande Classic Pumpkin Spice Latte, you will have consumed twice the recommended amount of sugar in one day!
Indulging in moderation is part of living a balanced life. But when we start to add too many high sugar foods and drinks into our daily routine it becomes hard to keep our healthy habits in check. That is why we rounded up no added sugar pumpkin spice drinks and food recipes that are guaranteed to satisfy your pumpkin loving taste buds.
No Sugar Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
We created a SweetLeaf® version of the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew that is made with a creamy pumpkin spice cold foam and will instantly remind you of the classic Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew. We substitute the sugar with our SweetLeaf® Sweet Drops® Pumpkin Spice Squeezable and SweetLeaf® Sweet Drops® Vanilla Crème. Both are zero-calorie, zero-sugar and add the delicious flavor of pumpkin spice to your latte. Another reason we love this simple and easy recipe is because SweetLeaf® Sweet Drops® Pumpkin Spice is liquid based and dissolves instantly in cold liquid, making it simple to capture all the spice flavor!
Pumpkin Spice Oats
These healthy, satisfying Pumpkin Spice Oats are made with 100% pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, and SweetLeaf® Sweet Drops® Pumpkin Spice. The perfect, cozy fall breakfast to start your day and get your daily dose of fiber and pumpkin spice!
Spiced Dutch Baby with Pumpkin Butter
This Spiced Dutch Baby with Pumpkin Butter is perfect for breakfast or brunch! We partnered with the American Diabetes Association to create this diabetic friendly recipe made with a healthy Pumpkin Butter that uses pumpkin puree, pumpkin spices, and SweetLeaf® Sweet Drops® Pumpkin Spice. The sweetness of the pumpkin butter balances out the light and fluffy Dutch baby pancake making for a delicious and satisfying dish!
We are excited to announce that on September 7th at 4pm PST we have partnered with the American Diabetes Association to sponsor a live cooking demo of this recipe being made by a professional chef! You can sign up to join us here.
Conclusion:
Pumpkin Spice is the ultimate fall flavor and can be used to make a variety of delicious drinks and dishes like the ones we shared with you here. Incorporating more whole foods and treats that use natural sweetness from SweetLeaf® Sweet Drops® is a fantastic way to minimize your sugar intake during the fall season. So next time you are in the mood for something sweet and cozy, whip up one of these fall recipes and enjoy all the pumpkin spice flavor in a healthy and balanced way!
