[[{“value”:”‘Tis the season to indulge in all the beloved flavors of the holidays. From a pumpkin pie latte topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon to a sugar cookie latte adorned with whipped cream and red and green sprinkles, stopping by your favorite coffee shop for a warm beverage is always a highly anticipated treat. But alas, many of these sweet sips can come with lots of excess calories and added sugar. That’s why we chatted with registered dietitians who share five festive beverages you can prepare right at home.
The best part? They’re lower-calorie alternatives to popular holiday coffee-shop lattes!
Sugar Cookie Latte
It’s easy to see why people love sugar cookie lattes this merry time of year. This festive sip exudes the aroma of sugar cookies fresh out of the oven and ready to pair with a tall glass of milk or decorate with frosting and festive toppings.
“Traditional sugar cookie lattes have more added sugars, making these swaps helps keep the vanilla and butter flavors with less added sugars to help with better blood sugar control and being mindful of overall added sugar intake throughout the day,” explains Kalyn True, RDN, CSOWM, LD, NSCA-CPT, a registered and licensed dietitian specializing in bariatric and outpatient nutrition counseling with Memorial Hermann Health System.
Below is a delightful at-home recipe she recommends to make 1 serving (approx. 12–14 oz). It would be approximately 75 calories per drink with 1 to 2g of total sugar. According to True, the Starbucks Grande version contains around 150 calories, in addition to roughly 25g of sugars.
Ingredients:
1 to 2 shots espresso (or ½ cup strong brewed coffee)
1 ½ tbsp sugar-free sugar cookie syrup (i.e. Torani, Jordans, etc.)
¾ to 1 cup vanilla premade protein shake (or unsweetened almond milk)
¼ tsp butter extract
Directions:
Brew the espresso or coffee into a mug of choice.
Combine the syrup, almond milk, and butter extract in a frothing pitcher. Use a hand frother to mix until a foamy texture appears.
Add the frothed milk mixture into the espresso.
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Gingerbread Oat Milk Latte
Gingerbread is one of the most iconic flavors of the holidays, and there are healthy ways to bring it to life at home in your warm beverages.
“Swapping traditional coffee shop syrups for zero sugar seasonal flavors is a quick swap of added sugars without sacrificing the fun holiday flavors. Using spices alongside sugar free syrups also create more authentic holiday flavor profiles without the blood sugar spikes,” True explains.
This recipe is a lower-calorie alternative to Starbucks’ Gingerbread Latte. A Grande with whole milk may contain approximately 280 calories and 35g of sugars, while True’s homemade version has roughly 50 to 70 calories and 1 to 2g of sugars per 12 to 14 oz. serving.
Ingredients:
1 shot espresso or ½ cup strong brewed coffee
1 tbsp sugar-free gingerbread syrup
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
Directions:
Brew the espresso or coffee into a mug of choice.
Heat the almond milk, and then froth in a frothing pitcher.
Stir the gingerbread syrup and ground spices into the milk.
Pour it over the coffee.
Top with a light dusting of cinnamon.
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Peppermint Bark White Mocha
If you’re in the mood for a peppermint bark white mocha, consider this decadent recipe.
“White chocolate mochas are notoriously high in added sugars due their makeup of condensed milks and heavy syrups,” True tells us.
According to True, her variation is reminiscent of the traditional holiday peppermint bark flavor while containing less added sugars. A 12 to 14 oz. serving has 45 calories and 1g of sugars, compared to a Starbucks Grande Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha (with nonfat milk), which contains roughly 400 calories and 73g of sugars.
Ingredients:
1 shot espresso or ½ cup strong brewed coffee
2 tbsp sugar-free white chocolate syrup
2 to 3 drops pure peppermint extract
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
Unsweetened cocoa powder, dusted on top
Directions:
Combine the hot espresso or coffee, sugar-free white chocolate syrup, and peppermint extract in a mug, stirring well.
Warm and froth the unsweetened almond milk until light and foamy.
Pour the frothed milk over the espresso mixture.
Dust lightly with cocoa powder.
RELATED: 5 Easy Coffee Recipes For Weight Loss
Cinnamon Maple Coffee
This cinnamon maple coffee contains approximately 60 to 70 calories and 1g of sugars, says Theresa Link, RD, a registered dietitian at Virta Health. A Grande Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte (with 2% milk) has roughly 260 calories and 38g sugars.
Ingredients:
2 cups hot brewed coffee
2 tbsp half-and-half
1 tsp sugar-free maple-flavored syrup
⅛ tsp ground cinnamon, divided
2 tbsp sugar-free whipped topping
Directions:
Stir the half-and-half, sugar-free maple-flavored syrup, and ½ of the ground cinnamon into the hot brewed coffee.
Top your coffee with the whipped topping and remaining cinnamon.
RELATED: 6 Coffee Creamers a Dietitian Says to Limit, From Coffee Mate to Oatly
Pumpkin Spice Almond Latte
This pumpkin spice almond latte hits the spot on a chilly morning. It contains roughly 85 to 95 calories and fewer than 1g of sugars. A typical Grande Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte has 390 calories and 50g of sugars.
Ingredients:
1¼ cups strong brewed coffee
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp heavy cream
¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice, plus a small pinch for topping
¼ tsp vanilla extract
3 drops liquid stevia or monk fruit sweetener, adjusted to taste
2 tbsp sugar-free whipped topping
Directions:
Warm the unsweetened almond milk, heavy cream, and pumpkin pie spice in a small saucepan, whisking until combined.
Remove the mixture from the heat.
Stir in the vanilla extract and stevia or sweetener.
Pour over the brewed coffee.
Top off with whipped topping and a pinch of spice.
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