I really love the fall season, but most of all I love pumpkin spice.

Yes, I am one of those people who goes crazy for pumpkin spice everything.

One of the most popular seasonal pumpkin spice items is coffee. Although I’m not a serious coffee drinker like I used to be (ahem, 21 cups per day while I was in college & working full-time), I do like to enjoy a cup here and there. Sadly, the fancy pumpkin spice latte at a popular coffee shop comes in at a whopping 25 grams of sugar. That’s as much as a candy bar! If I drink that much sugar and caffeine in one sitting I’ll be jittery for hours, and then I’ll crash and feel fatigued all day. I’ll bet you’re the same way too.

So, I made this healthier, immune-boosting version of the fancy pumpkin spice latte with protein powder and reishi mushroom spores.

Don’t worry, you can’t taste the reishi mushroom spores and the coffee brand I use makes the BEST cup of coffee I’ve ever tasted.

As a side note, coffee is a reintroduction on the autoimmune protocol and some people with autoimmune disease are sensitive to reishi mushroom. If you haven’t tried it before, go slow and try 1/2 a packet to start and see how you feel. If you haven’t been able to reintroduce coffee yet, you can use plain hot water instead of the coffee and make a pumpkin cream latte.

Here are 3 ways this pumpkin spice latte is a healthier alternative to your coffee shop version

1. Reishi mushroom, or Ganoderma lucidum, helps to boost the immune system, contains a compound called triterpenoids that fight inflammation, and helps to support liver health.

2. The protein powder and collagen I use adds 20 grams of protein, and the cinnamon in the pumpkin spice both help balance out the usual cortisol spike from the caffeine and prevent the energy crash.

3. Maple syrup adds that extra sweetness and flavor we associate with the fall season, and it adds a small amount of nutrients that white sugar doesn’t have.

If you try the recipe out, let me know what you think!

Healthier Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

Ingredients

1 packet Organo Gold King Coffee

2 tbsp vanilla protein powder

1 scoop collagen powder

2 tbsp pumpkin puree

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or swap with cinnamon if you’re following the AIP)

1-3 tsp maple syrup to taste

almond milk or coconut milk to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat 7 oz of water until hot and pour into a blender
  2. Pour vanilla protein powder, collagen powder, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and maple syrup into the blender.
  3. Blend for 5-10 seconds (don’t blend too much or it will become too frothy!)
  4. Pour into a coffee mug and add the almond or coconut milk to taste
  5. Serve!

Makes 1 serving