Dog Pumpkin Spice Latte

This pup is ready for pumpkin “pupkin” spice lattes . Plus tomorrow is National Pumpkin Day! Here is a recipe in collab with Open Farm Pet!

In 2002, Peter Dukes and his coworkers in the Starbucks research and development lab were tasked with the mission of developing a seasonal beverage that screamed “fall” but still complemented espresso. They came up with chocolate-caramel, orange, cinnamon, and pumpkin for the short list of flavors.

“Unsurprisingly, the beverages with chocolate and caramel naturally surfaced to the top,” Dukes said. The untitled pumpkin beverage didn’t elicit much interest. It did, however, score high in terms of uniqueness.”

They continued to work on pumpkin and initially, there was a request to name it something representative of the season, like ‘Fall Harvest Latte.’” But eventually they wanted a “clear picture and expectation of what the drink would taste like” – hence the Pumpkin Spice Latte. And it was a hit. (source)

Pumpkin spice lattes have become ubiquitous and synonymous with fall (as well as your “basic” leggings and Ugg-wearing white girls).  The PSL was criticized initially and now is the top selling seasonal beverage of all time – it’s become a cultural phenomenon.

There’s interesting theories on why it’s so popular. People love the limited fall availability, the symbol of the pumpkin (a romantic and rustic association of the hearth and home), and of course the nostalgia for Thanksgiving. (source, source)

It’s weird because pumpkin pie never breaks tops five in favorite desserts and 95% of pumpkin spice is sold only between August and November. Plus there is no reason to put pumpkin in a cup of coffee…but the flavor works somehow. (source)

In 2015, Starbucks changed its decade-old formula to finally include real pumpkin for the first time. (source)

Of course I wanted to share the pumpkin spice latte with my dog since she loves pumpkin so much. This recipe does not contain any coffee (sorry Nike), but it’s full of ingredients that are delicious and healthy for dogs.

Plus I garnished the whipped cream with Nike’s favorite Open Farm dog treats as a cookie crumble.

I had some green straws from Starbucks and totally forgot to put it in for photos, but I don’t think Nike cared anyway. She was whining impatiently the whole time I was photographing this (and she never makes noises, so she really wanted to drink it badly!).

This recipe is also people friendly too (minus the dog treat topping!). In mine I added a dash of honey to sweeten it. So you both can enjoy it together. Happy fall!

Ingredients
DOG PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE
1 cup goat or coconut milk
1 cup pure pumpkin puree*
1/2 cup plain yogurt
dash ground cinnamon*
whipped cream (homemade recipe below or store bought*)
Open Farm dog treats, to garnish

WHIPPED CREAM
1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
2 tablespoons sugar

Directions
Blend milk, pumpkin, and yogurt into a blender. Add more milk or pumpkin/yogurt for desired thickness.

Optional: If making homemade whipped cream, mix the heavy whipping cream and sugar in a bowl. With an electric beater, beat until stiff peaks form.

Pour pumpkin spice latte into a small cup and top with whipped cream. Crumble Open Farm dog treats to garnish.

* Notes: Nutmeg is toxic to dogs, so make sure you use ground cinnamon (NOT pumpkin spice mix) and pure pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix). If you’re using store bought whipped cream, make sure there’s no xylitol, which is toxic to dogs.