“Aprils have never meant that much to me, autumns seem that season of beginning, spring.” – Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Charlotteans are putting on a brave front this October.
The sky is blue, but temperatures have barely dropped. We run our air conditioning every day, dress in shorts after work.
The leaves are still oh-so-green. Some call Charlotte, NC the City of Trees … some call it The (Drama) Queen City. Warm autumns like these, I think it should be called The Emerald City.
And yet …
And yet …
We decorate our houses with pumpkins and gourds and fluttering ghosts.
We buy candles and optimistically place warm throws on the furniture. We gaze longingly at our pleather boots and Express Minus The Leather moto jackets and move them to the forefront of our closet, when … surely, one day soon, we will wear them.
And we go WILD for pumpkin spice!
I think the pumpkin spice craze started at Starbucks, and for years I’ve advised frugal vegans to save money by making their own pumpkin spice coffee at home – at least part of the time! This year it’s easier than ever with a wide array of dairy-free pumpkin spice coffees, creamers, and seasonings available in grocery stores. Here are two of the best.
Califia Pumpkin Spice Latte Cold Brew Coffee with Almond Milk
This one is my favorite. Califia makes quality products and their line of cold-brewed coffees is no exception. The Pumpkin Spice Latte is excellent. You can heat this up, if you’d like, but I prefer it cold, served in a tall, frosty glass with a straw. It’s a very refreshing drink in the morning! The spices are very smooth, with no one particular spice dominating. It’s not too sweet. It’s got a creamy mouthfeel. And you get a nice little kick of caffeine (and Rainforest Alliance Certified caffeine, at that). It’s also not too bad nutritionally, with only 90 calories and 45% RDV of calcium. (8 oz. of a Starbuck’s non-dairy Pumpkin Spice Latte is 150 calories.) Retails in the Charlotte, NC area for about $5.50 per 48 oz. bottle.
Silk Pumpkin Spice Almond Creamer
Reach for Silk Pumpkin Spice Almond Creamer if you prefer hot coffee.
Non-dairy coffee creamers have come a long way in the past few years. They have become much creamier, and the almond ones in particular are less likely to “separate” in a hot cup of coffee. This one is perfect for pumpkin spice fanatics to keep in the refrigerator to jazz up their standard morning brew.
I did find it to be quite sweet, so keep that in mind when adding to your coffee. No additional sugar is needed! I also found the cinnamon to be very assertive.
At 25 calories per tablespoon, and about $3.99 per bottle, it will cut back on your Starbucks visits and save you both calories and money.
VegCharlotte 
Nice post
Thank you, mistimaan
May I ask where did you find the creamer?
Harris Teeter, probably the Morrocroft one.
I can drink pumpkin spiced lattes all day! The saddest part is that in the UK they don’t sell these flavored creamers, or I’ve just been blind! Every time the PSL hits the Starbucks, I end up just carving up a pumpkin and making it from scratch! Kind of wish that I can save myself the time and just get the pumpkin spice creamer!
Hopefully these flavored creamers will be making it to the UK soon!