When it comes to favorite flavors, you guys know pumpkin spice ranks pretty high in my book. Well, this year I decided to take the somewhat embarrassing chance of asking for a pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks before September 1st. Bold, I know. But in my defense there were just a few days left in August, the weather was feeling especially fallish and I knew they had their shipment of pumpkin spice syrup stocked for debut later that week. I played the best tired, pregnant woman I could in hopes the barista would have sympathy but instead he (very politely) told me to come back on Friday. The nerve!

Really though, I have those sticklers at Starbucks to thank because they inspired me to go home and put a new spin on my beloved homemade pumpkin spice syrup.  Say hello to the love of my mornings as of late, the pumpkin spice turmeric latte.

This latte literally tastes like fall in a mug and makes early morning toddler wake-ups slightly more tolerable. Made with just a handful of ingredients, including wholesome milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin spice and turmeric, this latte is a delicious way for me to get in that necessary caffeine each morning, with milk providing 8 grams of quality protein and other essential nutrients like calcium and potassium.

If you haven’t yet gotten on board with the turmeric trend, now’s the time. By itself, it doesn’t taste like much but gives a warm edge to whatever you add it to and gives food the most beautiful color. This trendy spice also contains numerous health-promoting compounds thought to be beneficial for inflammation, oxidation, cell signaling, blood sugar and lipid levels and more.

What I love most about this latte is its simplicity. It takes just a few minutes to whip up and has only six ingredients. Plus, with a base of wholesome dairy milk, it provides more satiating protein and other essential nutrients, like Vitamin D, than different non-dairy latte bases. One latte offers approximately 30 percent of the daily recommended amount of Vitamin D  – something we can all can benefit from during these dark fall and winter months.

One tip before I go — since you only use about one tablespoon of pumpkin puree per latte, I highly recommend freezing any unused pumpkin in ice cube trays and transferring cubes to a plastic freezer bag for longer-term storage. Then, just drop a couple of cubes into your favorite coffee mug before going to bed and let them defrost while you sleep!

Special thanks to the National Milk Life Campaign for sponsoring this delicious recipe. For more nutritious recipes, head on over to MilkLife.com or connect with them on social via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.