Penny Pinching? Save Money and Make your Favourite Fall Drinks at Home

Leaving the house these days requires a little more effort and a lot more layers. The temperatures are dropping, the days are shorter, the colors are changing and the rain is closing in. Do you know what this means? Fall is just around the corner.

I don’t know about you, but I drink way too many sweet and spicy warm drinks during fall (and spend way too much money doing so). This fall I’ve come up with a money saving solution and am determined to make them at home! In order to save you some time, I’ve scoured the web and tested a number of my favourite fall drink recipes to find the best. So, with that in mind, enjoy learning, creating and drinking.

Masala Chai Latte

For me, chai is a quintessential fall drink. The warmth and sweetness of the drink initially drew me in, but the flavour of subtle spices between every sip kept me coming back to it day after day. The recipe below is my improved version of the famous (horribly sweet and expensive) Starbucks latte and serves approximately 4 drinks.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of water
• 2 black tea bags
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• Splash of pepper
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• ¾ cup of milk

Photo from Lauren Volo

Method:

1. To create the chai mix, combine the spices and water in a pot and bring to boil.
2. Turn the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for five minutes (or as long as you can stand waiting, the longer the better).
3. Throw in the tea bags and maple syrup and allow to simmer on low for another five minutes or so.
4. If needed, strain the mixture to remove any clumps of spices.
5. This mixture can be stored in your fridge for around a week.
6. To warm the milk, bring it to a simmer on the stove with a splash of maple syrup and pinch of cinnamon. Make sure to stir regularly.
7. If you like your milk a little froth either whisk it vigorously while heating or used an immersion blender to ‘froth’ after heating.
8. Combine the chai mix and milk to enjoy your warm and spicy chai latte.

Image via Crazy Vegan Kitchen

Note: Add a little splash of pumpkin to this chai recipe by including 2-3 tablespoons of pumpkin puree into the milk as you warm it.

This recipe is inspired by the cooler fall afternoons and the Live Simply blog. Since I’m a Chai connoisseur, I’ve made a number of edits or recommendations based on my experience.

Apple Cinnamon Tea Latte

Image via CraftBerry Bush

Does this drink even need an explanation? It’s warm, it’s sweet and it’s easy to customize. Add some caffeinated tea, change up the milk and decide on some different sweeteners?

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of brewed chamomile tea
• 1 sweet apple
• ½ tsp honey
• Cup of milk (or any other alternative milk)
• 1 tbsp cinnamon

Image via CraftBerry Bush

Method:

1. In a pan, bring the cinnamon, milk and honey to a simmer.
2. Chop the apple and combine with the brewed tea in a blender.
3. Blend this until it’s a very smooth and creamy consistency.
4. Pour this mixture into two cups and top with the warm and milky tea from the pan.

This recipe was inspired by the cold weather, the plentiful number of sweet BC apples and the Craftberry Bush blog.