Labor Day marks the official release of fun seasonal flavors of your favorite latte.
Feel free to order pumpkin spiced lattes or salted caramel mochas until your pants don’t fit anymore, or until Starbucks takes them off the menu. Whichever comes first.
However, I’ll warn you. Not all seasonal flavors are created equal. Don’t go and try to order a gingerbread latte until November because you’ll be out of luck (and the barista will look at you like you’ve grown a third eye).
Ask me how I know.
It seems silly… to put Christmas decor on shelves in August, when the holiday is still over four months away, yet you can’t get a Christmas-flavored latte to go with those decorations.
Isn’t against the law or something to Christmas shop without a latte?
Anyway, I created my own gingerbread latte a couple weeks ago and tried to order one earlier this week to test it out. You know, “research.” But I was told the gingerbread flavor wasn’t available until November.
What in the world is going on around here?! I can get EGGNOG ice cream at the grocery store but I can’t get PUMPKIN ice cream… Yet I can get PUMPKIN latte’s and no GINGERBREAD?!
If you ask me, these coffee shops and ice cream makers and everyone else who creates “seasonal flavors” to entice us pumpkin/caramel/gingerbread/eggnog fans need to coordinate their calendars. It’s starting to confuse me, and don’t I look like the silly one when I go back into the same Starbucks and try to order the same gingerbread latte from the same barista and it’s still not there yet… *sigh*
Homemade Gingerbread Latte
Gingerbread is the unsung, redheaded step-child of the latte’s. Sweet and spicy and tastes like cake in a cup – what’s not to love?
Fortunately, making a homemade gingerbread latte means you’re a step ahead of everyone else. Make whenever you want – October, March or July – and avoid the third-eye stares.
You can even put it in a look-alike Starbucks cup to start Christmas shopping even though it’s not even Halloween yet. On the other hand, if you’re saving money by making your own gingerbread latte, why not start Christmas shopping?
- 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- pinch salt
- 1 tsp molasses (your choice of blackstrap or regular)
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- Combine spices in a small container with a lid; shake well.
- To make "one serving," measure ¼ tsp of mixed spice with molasses, maple syrup and vanilla if using. Stir well to combine.
Don't skip out on the molasses - your latte won't taste the same without it!
How to Use Your Gingerbread Sauce
I made a half batch of this and it lasted me well over two weeks with just one person drinking it, so one full batch should last at least two weeks with two people flavoring their drinks. With the spices pre-mixed, you’ll be ready to make all sorts of yummy holiday drinks.
Gingerbread…
- Coffee Creamer: one serving of gingerbread sauce + 2 Tbsp half & half
- Latte: one serving of gingerbread sauce + 1 cup strong coffee + 1/2 cup preferred hot milk (Serve over ice to enjoy cold.) Note: If you like it a bit frothy like the latte you buy, add ingredients to a mason jar and shake it up a few times. This froths the milk and mixes the ingredients really well. Be sure to use a towel around the jar. It gets hot!
- Tea: one serving of gingerbread sauce + 1 cup of chai tea (serve over ice to enjoy cold)
- Warmer: one serving of gingerbread sauce + 1 cup warm milk
- Hot Chocolate: one serving of gingerbread sauce+ single serving of homemade instant hot cocoa
- Kid-Friendly “Latte”: one serving of gingerbread sauce + 1 cup warmed apple juice/cider + 1 Tbsp half & half (serve over ice to enjoy cold)
- Yogurt: one serving of gingerbread sauce + 1 cup regular or Greek yogurt
Looking for more ways to use your gingerbread sauce?
- add into your favorite pancake or waffle batter
- use it to spiced homemade granola
- season a hot bowl of oatmeal
- combine with 1 cup of yogurt and a banana for a simple gingerbread smoothie
More DIY Holiday Beverages
- Salted Caramel Mocha
- Cinnamon Dolce Latte
- Pumpkin Pie Spiced
- Peppermint Mocha
- Vanilla Bean Creamer
- Homemade Eggnog
I love all your gingerbread ideas! I also definitely laughed while reading this, especially since I am a former barista. At the coffee shop I worked at we had lots of flavors and people who were ‘in the know’ would always order odd drinks that weren’t actually on the menu. But we didn’t get the pumpkin or gingerbread flavors until later in the year. The other flavor that doesn’t seem to appear until November is peppermint mocha.
Ashley! I love hearing the point of view from a former barista! 🙂 Peppermint mocha… not my fav, but definitely one I should add to the list so us make-it-from-scratchers can have a well rounded repertoire. 🙂 Thanks for the reminder!
Can’t wait to try this now that the weather is chilling! By the way, what does SC stand for?
Salted Caramel. 😉
I don’t understand the SC in the recipes- how could it mean salted caramel?! I thought it meant spice concoction but still can’t figure out the drink recipes. Thanks!
Hi Annie! Every time you see “SC” in a recipe, add a tablespoon or two of the prepared salted caramel. So as a creamer, add a tablespoon plus 2 of half and half into your coffee. Does that help? 🙂
Hi, your recipes look exciting! I noticed you use the term “preferred”, as in –preferred hot milk, or preferred granulated sugar. What does that mean? Thank you!!
Hi Roxanne! Preferred milk what you use at home, whether it be raw, organic, conventional, etc. Preferred sugar can be organic, coconut palm sugar, raw sugar, etc. We’re all in different places in our journey and while one variation is better than another (I believe), that doesn’t mean we can all afford it at the same time. 🙂 I’m so happy you’re enjoying the recipes!
Thank you, that is what I thought, your answer was very kind.
Sill not getting the SC, I get that it’s salted caramel, but this is a GINGERbrEAD post!! Shouldn’t it read 1 serving of gingerbread spice instead of salted caramel??
Doh! I see now Luri! Thanks for pointing that out to me. I’ll take care of that! 🙂