Fall kicks off the season for spiced drinks! Whether it’s an infamous pumpkin spice latte or plain old coffee with a dash of cinnamon, we’re all looking for some sort of boost of warmth on cooler days. 

I typically am not the greatest fan of any sort of coffee with spices (sorry PSL fans!). I have always associated spices to be used in food rather than in a drink. It felt weird to drink spices! So, it took me a very long time to embrace it. 

I got over my aversion of spiced coffee when I tried the salted honey cardamom latte at Prospect Coffee Roasters in Ventura. My friend and I were exploring the downtown Ventura area looking for a cup of coffee before driving home. We stumbled upon Prospect Coffee and ordered the salted honey cardamom latte since it was the most interesting drink on their menu at the time. As soon as I took my first sip, I finally understood the hype! Even though I ordered a cold drink, the flavors brought so much warmth and evoked happiness with each sip. I knew I had to add it to my rotation of coffee drinks!

After I got home, I started looking up recipes to replicate it. I quickly realized a lot of recipes were very generous with the amount of spice used. One-quarter (¼) teaspoon of ground cardamom for a single serving of coffee is too spice-heavy for me! The amount of spice used is a personal preference, but I recommend adding a dash of ground cardamom and tasting along the way until you find the amount you like in your coffee.

Milk (or any non-dairy alternatives) is totally optional. I like milk in my coffee, but sometimes I do not have any on hand, so I skip it.

For sweetener, I’ve tried making this with different kinds of sweetener (agave, maple, honey, stevia, even regular sugar!) and they all come out great, so use what you like!

Ingredients:

• Cup of coffee, prepared your favorite way 
• Milk, amount is however you take it with your coffee 
• Sweetener (your favorite sweetener), to taste 
• Dash of ground cardamom, to taste 
• A tiny pinch of kosher salt 

Recipe: 

Mix all the ingredients above and enjoy a cup of happiness!