Pumpkin Spice Latte Mashed Potatoes
Pumpkin spice latte flavors in mashed potatoes?!?! It might seem crazy, but it works! It especially works when it is paired with a savory and spicy braised meat like beef birria. I understand that pumpkin spice can be controversial, but used correctly and sparingly, it’s so cozy and warm and really the perfect thing to eat this time of the year.
The inspiration for this recipe
Sometimes when I am thinking about where to use pumpkin and pumpkin spice, I forget about the latte aspect of it. The specific flavors of espresso and pumpkin spice combined are what makes pumpkin spice so ubiquitous in the fall. I wanted to use these flavors as a bed for some sort of shredded meat, and I realized it would be a perfect match for mashed potatoes
Roast the pumpkin first
I used half of a sugar pumpkin for this recipe. Cut it in half, then take the middle out, peel the skin, and roast it with some oil, salt, and pumpkin spice.
Mash the potato and pumpkin with brown butter
I boiled the potatoes like you normally would for mashed potatoes, then added them to a bowl with the roasted pumpkin and some brown butter. Mash it smooth.
Add the espresso and cream
Some fresh brewed espresso, more pumpkin spice, and cream finish the potatoes. Now get a hand blender out and whip them up.
After tasting the potatoes, they were a little bitter so I added some maple syrup to balance out the flavors.
What to serve pumpkin spice latte mashed potatoes with
I served mine with beef birria. I think any braised meat would work well with these pumpkin spice latte mashed potatoes. The key is something saucy, savory, and a little spicy.
Potatoes on the bottom, then the birria, then some crispy onions and a little chili flake.
These were so good! What you serve these with is very important in my opinion. They have a distinct taste and need something bold to go with them.
Adding the crispy onions added just enough texture to the dish.
Twists on pumpkin spice latte mashed potatoes
You could make this without the espresso or half the espresso and it would be a more balanced dish for most people. For me, the bitterness of the espresso is what makes these potatoes magical.
I mentioned what you serve this with is important. For me, umami rich braised meat is just the thing. I served mine with birria, but barbacoa, or carnitas would also be awesome. The flavor in the mexican chiles pairs unbelievably well with coffee.
For more awesome pumpkin recipes, check out my pumpkin polenta with shrimp, pumpkin salami lasagna, or this pumpkin stuffed crispy rigatoni!
Pumpkin Spice Latte Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 sugar or pie pumpkin about 3 cups chopped pumpkin
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice blend
- 3 russet potatoes peeled and chopped
- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup cream
- 1 double shot espresso
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice blend
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450
- Toss the pumpkin with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and pie spice. Toss to combine. Roast at 450 for about 25 minutes, flipping once during cooking. Remove from the oven when they are fork tender.
- Add the potatoes to a pot with salted water. bring to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes until fork tender.
- Meanwhile, add the butter to a pan at medium heat. melt and cook until it reaches a darker shade and looks golden brown in the pan. Remove from heat.
- Strain the potatoes and add them to a bowl with the cooked pumpkin and the butter. Mash until broken up.
- Add in the cream, espresso, additional pie spice, and maple syrup. Use a hand mixer to whip the potatoes until smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve.