CINNAMON DOLCE LATTE

This low carb version of the Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte tastes just like the real thing, with a rich spiced flavor in a smooth drink. It’s great for diets like keto, paleo, and vegan.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 2 tablespoons confectioners swerve sweetener
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• optional whipped cream, for serving

Instructions

1-Gather Ingredients: Add almond milk, sweetener, coffee powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg to measuring glass (or microwave-safe bowl); stir with spoon for a few seconds.

2-Heat Drink: Microwave uncovered for 90 seconds on high (100% power), then stir with spoon to mix ingredients. Microwave uncovered on high power again until liquid reaches sufficiently hot drinking temperature, and instant coffee and sweetener are completely dissolved, another 90 seconds (Note 4). Do not overheat. Stir with spoon until well-mixed.

3-Serve: Pour liquid into mug with at least 14 fluid ounce capacity. Optionally, top with whipped cream. Serve while hot.

NOTES & TIPS

(1) Almond Milk. Almond milk is used for its lower carb impact, compared to dairy milk. You can substitute with other nut milks, ideally unsweetened and vanilla flavored. Find them in the refrigerated fresh milk section of a grocery store. To determine if your nut milk is unsweetened, look at the carton’s nutrition facts, which should only have 1 gram of total carbs per 1 cup serving. Anything more than that, and it’s likely sweetened with a lot of added sugars (meaning it’s not low carb) and your drink will end up tasting too sweet.

(2) Sweetener. Confectioners Swerve is a dry erythritol blend that measures the same as regular powdered sugar. It has zero net carbs, which makes it a better choice than a sugary cinnamon dolce syrup. You can substitute your preferred dry or liquid sweetener by adding it to taste after heating other ingredients.

(3) Instant Coffee Powder. I use instant coffee powder because of its convenience and availability. Specifically, I use Nescafe Dark Roast, and the amount listed in the recipe is equal to 3 servings according to the Nescafe label. I use 3x the normal amount in order to mimic the more highly-concentrated espresso that is used in traditional lattes. Depending on the instant coffee brand you use, you may need to adjust the amount to suit your preferences.

(4) Microwave. Cooking times are based on a 700-watt microwave, and are approximate since microwaves vary.

(5) Heating Almond Milk. Avoid overheating. Compared to dairy milk, almond milk has less protein so it’s less heat-stable and more likely to split. Heat the almond milk mixture until the powders are dissolved and it’s at an optimal temperature for a hot drink. In my tests, microwaving led to better results for heating almond milk, compared to stovetop heating which can quickly overheat and split the milk. Microwaving also yielded more consistent results.

(6) Serving. Serve this latte with low carb treats like almond butter cookies and pecan sandies. To make multiple servings, increase the ingredients proportionally and adjust the microwave cooking time as needed.

(7) Iced Latte Variation. Want a cold drink? Use the same ingredients in this recipe, with one change: dissolve the instant coffee powder and sweetener using a few tablespoons of hot water. Without microwaving the almond milk, combine all of the ingredients and pour over ice.

(8) Nutrition Calculation. The nutrition calculation assumes you are using Swerve or similar erythritol-based sweetener that uses sugar alcohols, whose carbs are non-impact and not included in the nutrition estimate.

(9) Nutrition Comparison. If you order a Starbucks’ Cinnamon Dolce Latte tall (12-fluid-ounce)

NUTRITION

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