Hi Folks! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I can’t believe it was the last one of the summer. Where did the season go? How are we into mid-September already? I bet you are asking the same questions.
I’m going to interrupt the recent peach programming (Peach Pie, Peach Cupcakes) on my blog lately to bring you something completely different. Anyone else have pumpkin on the brain these days?
Well if you were in Ottawa last weekend, you probably did. We had a cold snap and it only reached 13C (8 overnight! Brrr) when it’s normally closer to 25C at this time of year. I think it was more of a shock to the system after a recent bout of 43 degrees.
But I really can’t complain about our weather because it could be a whole lot worse. I hope all my friends in the Carolinas are staying safe right now. The damage, flooding and destruction from Hurricane Florence is just devastating. I’ve been thinking of you and sending prayers your way xo.
Well summer is back with a vengeance here in Ottawa (it was 40 degrees here yesterday!) and we still have a couple of days left to enjoy it. But, I’m already in pumpkin mode and there’s no going back.
Don’t tell the Anti-Pumpkin Spice Police but I even ordered my first PSL of the season last weekend. I was meeting a friend at Starbucks and it was a bit chilly out so I caved. Plus I figured that if Mother Nature is going make me wear jeans and a sweater —when it’s still summer –then it’s okay to order a pumpkin coffee, right? (Come on fellow pumpkin lovers, I know you’ve got my back).
We sat on the patio sipping coffee and soaking up the sun while we caught up, it was perfect. Our summers up here aren’t long enough as it is so a bit of chilly weather ain’t gonna keep us indoors. Plus we had our pumpkin coffees to keep us warm 😀
And I didn’t stop there. I also baked my first pumpkin pie of the season as well. And not just any pumpkin pie, I made one based on my favourite fall drink.
Behold: The Pumpkin Spice Latte PIE!
It tastes exactly like the drink, but in pie form. (Take that Starbucks! he he)
The pumpkin filling (made with roasted pumpkin) is swirled with a vanilla bean cheesecake mixture to resemble the ‘foam’ on the drink, and then I sprinkled it with more pumpkin spice (cinnamon and fresh nutmeg) to bring out the pumpkin-y goodness. After baking it, I let it cool and then drizzled it generously with salted caramel. SO GOOD! Make this pie (recipe below post) and you might never go to Starbucks again (well, for the fancy drink, anyway).
The Story of the Famous Pumpkin Spice Latte
I find there are basically two kinds of people: 1)Those who love pumpkin spice and, 2) those who hate it.
With Fall just around the corner, the anti-Pumpkin Spice jokes are now out in full force. They started as soon as ‘the drink’ came out for the season, not too surprisingly. Some are really funny and quite clever, such as this sign for an Oil Change company I saw recently that says: ‘It’s Back… Pumpkin Spice Oil Change! hahaha
You can laugh all you want at us pumpkin fanatics, but deep down I bet you’re secretly a pumpkin spice fan, too. Sure you may not imbibe in pumpkin lattes on a regular basis, but I’ll bet you’re the first to dive into a pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, right? I knew it! Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me (maybe). If you don’t really like pumpkin, then I think you’re just crazy. Just sayin’…
I really wanted to dislike the PSL, I really did. If you know me, you know that I’m (mostly) a regular coffee kinda girl. No sugar, no cream and the stronger the coffee, the better. Anyone else agree that campfire coffee is thee best? I was never a fan of my mom’s coffee at home because it was so weak (it looked more like tea!) but when we were at the cottage? I LOVED it. My mom had one of those old-style peculators where you boil the coffee on the stove top. Best coffee ever. I wish I’d remembered to grab it when we sold the cottage a few years ago….
Being a regular coffee drinker does have its perks (get it? :D) when you’re at Starbucks, though. Especially when it’s super busy (so basically all the time). I just order my coffee and I’m on my way. No waiting in another line for a fancy drink like all those poor suckers he he.
Except when Fall rolls around, then I AM one of those suckers, too. HA! But that extra ‘waiting-in-line-again’ tax is so worth it when I get my hands on that delicious pumpkin concoction. I don’t actually get a fancy coffee very often, mind you, just once in a while as a special treat or as a pick-me-up on a dreary day.
The Pumpkin Spice Latte is celebrating its 15th Anniversary this Fall. What?? How has it been that long? I remember it coming out for the first time like it was just yesterday. Crazy…
Did you know that they almost didn’t launch the PSL because a few folks at Starbucks were concerned that the drink would be so strongly flavoured (other than coffee) that a pumpkin drink might not put their coffee in the best light. However, despite some hesitation and reluctance, the company went ahead with it and it was officially launched in 2003. Smart decision because it’s now their top-selling (seasonal) drink.
No wonder it comes out in the middle of summer August nowadays. I guess they realized that they can make more money off us crazy pumpkin fanatics who simply can’t wait ’til Fall to get our fix. Not speaking from experience, of course….. 😀
If you do love the PSL, you may want to skip this next part. Keep Scrolling to see my little pup posing with a coffee. hehe
We all know the drink is super tasty but you probably wouldn’t be surprised to hear that it’s not the healthiest drink at Starbucks. Did you know that until recently, the PSL didn’t actually contain any pumpkin? Whoa, that’s heavy.
It was mostly caramel colouring and artificial colours to make it look pumpkin-y and tons of sugar and fall spices to lure you in. In 2015, there was a huge backlash to the company when people found out there was no actual pumpkin in the PSL. The spokespeople for the company said that the drink was supposed to taste like the spices in pumpkin pie, not of actual pumpkin. To appease the masses, Starbucks went ahead and reformulated their recipe anyway to include a small amount of pumpkin. I’m not sure how much they add now, but I bet it’s not a whole lot. They also took out the artificial colours, so that’s something at least.
It’s also chuck-full of sugar. A Grande-size PSL has a whopping 50 grams of sugar!! (that’s more than a can of Coke!!). After your first sip, liquid sugar dives into your blood stream and causes an immediate dopamine rush. Then add some fat and caffeine and it tastes even more amazing. No wonder this drink is such a best-seller.
So, besides the fact that I am mostly a ‘regular coffee’ drinker, those are a few other reasons why I don’t have the fancy drink all too often. When I do have one, it’s usually just a tall and half-sweet with coconut milk. Still not healthy, but a little better anyway.
Your best bet? Make your own at home (maybe to go with this pie?). Much healthier and it tastes much better as well. You’ll know it contains real ingredients only and you can also easily accommodate your dietary restrictions as well. Use the milk of your choice (cow/almond/coconut/macadamia/hazelnut etc) and add maple syrup instead of sugar (or sugar syrup–which they use at Starbucks) for a slightly healthier, non-refined sweetness. Plus, maple syrup and pumpkin are so amazing together. As you’ll see in my pumpkin pie recipe, I use maple syrup in addition to some brown sugar.
There are tons of recipes for a homemade PSL out there but this is one of my favourites. I’ll share my recipe (I’ve made a few changes to that recipe) on here soon in case you’d like to give it a try. I think you’ll love it.
One of the best parts of summer is that my little furry friend can join us on the patio. She loves to patrol the area (just in case anyone is up to trouble) from her perch and she also loves all the attention she gets from passerby’s. We sometimes call her the ‘Walmart Greeter’—Starbuck’s should pay her, I think.
Most people laugh at her because she looks like a little human sitting with a coffee in front of her.
Anyone else a little sad that summer is coming to an end? I’ve probably mentioned this before but I’m not a big fan of Fall. Mostly because of the cold and the shorter days. But I am getting excited about fall baking (clearly), the colourful leaves and best of all: the lack of humidity.
It’s never easy to say goodbye to summer but it’s hard NOT to be excited for Fall when the scenery looks like this:
I’ll be sharing my Wales trip with you shortly as well as my next Starbucks Copycat recipe: Pumpkin Spice Scones. Stay tuned!.
Now go make this pie, I think it’s great way to kick off the season.
Have a great rest-of-the-week, everyone! Let me know if you try this recipe and hopefully you enjoy it. A couple of questions for you:
- Are you a fan of pumpkin spice, too? Or, do you avoid it like the plague?
- What is your favourite fall treat? (I’m looking for new inspiration for my fall baking).
(please let me know in the comments).
Love, Dana xo
Pumpkin Spice Latte Pie
A delicious pumpkin pie with a vanilla bean cheesecake swirl, pumpkin spice and drizzled with homemade caramel sauce. Tastes just like the popular drink....in pie form!
Ingredients
- 1 Store bought or homemade 9" pie crust
- 1 cup homemade or store bought caramel sauce
- Whipped cream for topping.
Cream Cheese Mixture
- 1--8 oz 224g package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- 1 1/2 cups roasted pumpkin or butternut squash puree
- 3/4 cup sweet potato puree or use 2 1/4 cups pumpkin/squash
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups half and half I've used coconut cream/milk with success
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract
Instructions
Instructions
Cream Cheese Mixture
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In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese for about a minute on medium speed until it's smooth and creamy.
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Add egg, sugar and vanilla and beat on high speed until combined thoroughly. Set in fridge until ready to mix into the pie filling.
Pumpkin Pie Filling
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Preheat oven to 400F
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In large saucepan combine the cooled squash and sweet potato purees. Mix in sugar, maple syrup, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. *This is not a necessary step, you can just mix these in a bowl instead, however cooking the purees with the sugar and spices adds a much nicer flavour to the filling. Cook for about 10 minutes, until mixture has reduced and has thickened .
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Remove from heat and add vanilla bean extract. Allow to cool.
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In large bowl, whisk eggs, half & half (or coconut milk/cream). Slowly add the cooled puree mixture and stir to combine. For best results, pour the custard mixture into a strainer over a large bowl or pot. This will prevent your filling from little eggy bits or extra-stringy pumpkin pulp. Not a necessary step but makes for a smoother filling.
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Pour the pie filling into an unbaked pie crust. If you're worried about a soggy bottom you can either blind-bake your crust first or brush egg white onto the crust and bake for a few minutes before adding the pumpkin mixture (which will create a seal between the crust and filling). Allow pie crust to cool before adding pie filling.
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Drop dollops of cream cheese mixture on top of the pie filling and swirl with a knife.
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Place pie on a baking sheet (in case of overflow) and bake at 400F for 10 minutes then reduce the oven to 300 and bake for another 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven when mixture is mostly cooked but looks slightly wobbly in the middle. It will continue to cook after it's removed from the oven.
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Cool pie at room temperature for at least an hour, and then place in fridge for a least a few hours to set. If you try to cut it before this time, it may be more like a pudding than pie. It's hard to do, but you gotta be patient with a custard pie. Even if you don't want to and can't wait to dig in.
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Swirl caramel on top, dust with a bit more nutmeg and cinnamon (if desired) and top with your favourite whip cream. enjoy!
Jen H. says
Wow Dana that pie looks delicious! I’m sure it is, just like EVERYTHING you bake! I do not like sweet coffee so although I want to love the PSL, it doesn’t agree with me. My favourite fall treat is…anything from Pies and Prejudice! <3
Pies & Prejudice says
Thanks girlie! I knew there was a reason you’re on of my best friends! heehee I”m so excited to see you on here. Thanks for the sweet words, you know I love to bake and share 😀 Plus it’s great to have so many willing taste testers. We’ll have to meet for coffee soon, but no PSL don’t worry! haha Maybe I’ll bring the pie version to share with you guys soon 😀 xo
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking says
Fall definitely arrived here today! I went for a walk this evening with a hat and mitts on! I love all the fall vibes you have going on with this beautiful pie! And I’m a huge fan of PSLs!! I had my first one a few weeks ago, and I think it’s time I treat myself to another. (Totally wish I had skipped that section in your post on the nutritional information!). A PSL with a slice of this pie would be heavenly right now! Happy Fall Dana!
Pies & Prejudice says
Thank you so much Leanne!! Yep it;s gotten colder here and I’m super excited to be able to turn the oven again again without having to fight the air conditioner lol HAHA oh yes, I wish I didn’t read much about the nutrition info but at least it’s improved now and you can custom order it to make it slightly healthier if you prefer. I am already ready for another one! Happy Fall my friend and hope you guys had a fabulous weekend!!
Dawn says
It definitely is fall-ish here now. Though, I don’t think I find it as cold as Leanne….no mitts for me just yet 😉 How did pumpkin stuff get so big? I mean it’s delicious, but now it’s a huge thing, right?? Hubby makes me pumpkin spice lattes at home and I’ve already had a few…so good…so I can only imagine how yummy it is in pie form with a buttery crust!! Wish I had a huge piece of this right now….I have some serious PSL cravings 😉 Have a wonderful upcoming weekend, Dana! XO
Pies & Prejudice says
Thank you Dawn! it’s definitely more Fall-ish here too though not quite cold enough for the winter outerwear yet thank goodness! haha I’m just happy I can start my baking as I have to cut back on crazy humid days which slows me down 😀 Are you close to Leanne on the island? I’m sure even the town over gets different weather sometimes as the wind changes often. That’s great that your hubbie makes you PSL, homemade is the best isn’t it? It’s so delicious in pie form, too. Have a great weekend girlie!! xo
Sarah says
I am SO ready for fall and yummy pumpkin treats like this amazing pie! I love the story behind the famed PSL!
Pies & Prejudice says
me too, Sarah! SO happy to be baking pumpkin everything again/ Thanks my friend, this pie turned out quite well and a fun change from regular pumpkin pie. Hope you’re doing great girl! Any big trips planned to the coast to visit the fam soon? Have a fabulous weekend !!!
Kelly @ Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats says
I think it’s pretty amazing you made a pie taste just like a PSL!! You are the pie queen! A pie genius!! I love anything pumpkin, so save me a slice 🙂
Colleen - Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck says
What a gorgeous looking pie and your furry little friend is kind of cute too!!!
Wendy Klik says
This pie sounds wonderful
Amy (Savory Moments) says
What an awesome pie! Super creative and yummy – such a perfect autumn treat!
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen says
I’d rather have a slice of PSL pie than an actual pumpkin spice latte any day. This sounds AWESOME! I hope you saved a slice (or three) for me! I’m giving this five stars only because I can’t give it 12 🙂
Kim Lange says
Looks amazing and sounds amazing!! Wish I had this in my little paws right now! That doggie is soooo cute! 🙂