Paleo Pumpkin Spice Latte

Happy first day of fall! Actually, it was yesterday but I was under the weather so I'm celebrating today. Autumn is my absolute favorite time of year - rosy cheeks, crisp evenings, comfy sweaters - and I always treat myself to a pumpkin spice latte from Starbuck's to celebrate the first day of this fantastic season. But, our 30-day paleo challenge doesn't allow for the...wait for it... 49 GRAMS of SUGAR (yikes!) in a grande pumpkin spice latte. [Um, that is more than double the amount of sugar that you should have in a day, according to Dr. Oz. Kind of horrifying, no?] So I did a little recipe research and made my own paleo version in my slow cooker.

I'm not gonna lie - it was a creamy afternoon treat but definitely not the same. I guess it had to do with the fact that it was missing 49 grams of sugar.  However, pure pumpkin, coconut milk, and spices are all good for us, so I was happy to be welcoming autumn with this much healthier, more natural, and still very comforting version. Plus, it was really easy to whip up and made the house smell like pumpkin pie.

Here's how I did it.

Paleo Pumpkin Spice Lattes in the Slow Cooker
Adapted from here
Makes about 4

1 can Trader Joe's Coconut Cream (Extra Thick and Rich version)
1/3 cup canned pumpkin (no added sugar)
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 cup brewed Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice Coffee
If you are not strict paleo-ing, you might add a little raw honey or agave nectar to taste
Heavy cream for whipping

Pour all ingredients (except heavy cream) into slow cooker.  Whisk everything together well. Cook on high in slow cooker for an hour. Stir. Cook on high for another hour, for 2 hours total. Ladle into mugs. Whip heavy cream with a dash of vanilla and top lattes with whipped cream and spices. Enjoy!