Yerba mate, made from the dried leaves of the rainforest holly tree, is a delicious drink sort of between tea and coffee. In terms of caffeine, it has in between the levels of green tea to coffee. But it is also full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
Coffee can make me jittery & shaky (which I learned the hard way when trying to draw on eyeliner), but mate, made from the dried leaves of the mate plant, is much smoother and not as acidic, so it’s gentler on the stomach.
As every other human since the dawn to time, I absolutely love Pumpkin Spice everything, so I came up with a recipe to get my PSL and my mate fix at the same time!
What You’ll Need
Latte Ingredients:
- 2 T canned pumpkin – I like Farmer’s Market Brand Organic which is usually hidden near the piecrust section.
- 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
- 2 T sugar or honey, or use equal amounts of each
- 1 T pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups milk of choice – Silk vanilla coconut is a nice non – dairy option. Whole milk will result in a richer latte & if you can get your hands on raw milk – do it!!
- 2 teabags or 1-2 T loose leaf Yerba Mate – Guayaki brand is my favorite available in many grocery stores
- 4 oz water
Top with:
- Whipped cream
- Fresh grated nutmeg for an amazingly scented topping
Next Up…
- Boil your water and allow it to cool for a a few minutes. Pour over your mate tea bags or loose leaf mate in a French press.
- While this is steeping (for 10 minutes), add your pumpkin & spices to a saucepan over medium heat, stirring for 1-1 1/2 – 2 minutes.
- Add the sugar &/or honey, vanilla, & milk to your saucepan on low-medium heat and stir until it is all dissolved.
- Add the strong yerba mate to the saucepan and blend
- Pour into a mug & top with whipped cream & freshly grated nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice 🙂
If you prefer yours iced, simply make ahead and chill. Note that the pumpkin and spices will fall to the bottom, so give the mixture a good blending or shake before adding your ice & straw.
In Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Southern Brazil, people drink mate 6 to 1 over coffee!
What’s your favorite way to drink mate? Will you be adding this to your pumpkin spice repertoire this fall? Tag us on Instagram (@craftseeker)