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Author:
Franco Salzillo
Gingerbread cookies are one of those treats that take you to your fondest childhood memories. They taste like the holidays, and most of us love that. Holidays are a synonym with time spent with our loved ones, and when you can replicate that feeling with a latte, then count me in!
Let’s start from the beginning. Starbucks launched a non-dairy gingerbread latte for their seasonal menu a few years back, but it completely disappeared after that. That was a shocker because that year, it was one of the coffee chain’s most popular items.
Since then, lots of people have tried to replicate the seasonal treat, including me. You know me, and you know I’m a perfectionist, so it took me quite a while to take this Christmassy latte where I want it, but here it is. My vegan gingerbread latte recipe.
It all starts with the coffee. And since I like my lattes strong, I use two espresso shots. You can use only one, but the delicious coffee flavors tend to get lost in the spicy drink. Look for medium roast coffee, those golden beans that literally smell like cinnamon. As I always say, leave dark roasts for mocha and used medium (city) roasts for lattes.
Then we’ll need almond milk. You can use any milk, including regular milk, oat milk or coconut milk, but I feel the slightly sweet, nutty almond milk goes better with the warm ginger scents. It’s vegan too.
Make sure you have some powdered ginger in hand. I’m sure you have some in your pantry; I don’t know why, but we all do! We’ll add some complexity with powdered cinnamon, too.
If you want your latte low-carb, use a zero-carb sweetener like stevia or monk fruit, but use brown sugar for the most comforting version.
The final touch is vegan whipped cream, which you can buy almost everywhere. You can make your own by blending full-fat coconut milk and powdered sugar until frothy. To make our latte extra special, crush some gingerbread cookies on top of the whipped cream.
Brew your espresso and reserve.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the almond milk, and incorporate the powdered ginger, cinnamon and brown sugar. Heat until steaming.
With an electric hand mixer, whip until frothy.
Add the espresso shots to the mugs and pour in the gingerbread milk.
Top with whipped cream and crushed gingerbread cookies.
