I never truly wake up in the morning until I have my cup of coffee.

Up until that moment when I can press the ON button on the coffee machine, I practically sleepwalk through my morning routine: lazily brushing my teeth and only half putting on makeup. It’s only when I finally pour that steaming Cup O’ Joe that I truly awaken.

And yet, even though I’m lost in the morning without a cup of coffee, I’m not a huge fan of plain coffee itself. Instead, I would much rather enjoy a warm latte, frothy with milk and sprinkled with my favorite spices. A few years ago, this meant that I would have to make a trip to Starbucks in order to sate my latte desire. However, this year I discovered how to make homemade lattes.

And boy, let me tell you: they rival even Starbucks’s famous Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Not to mention, my homemade lattes don’t require any fancy ingredients you wouldn’t already have in your home!

Why make a whole trip to the store to pick up highly processed caramel sauce when you could make your own in just a few minutes, resulting in something far more divine and tempting? Or spend $5+ on a medium latte when you could actually save money by making one homemade?

Especially when making said latte leaves the aroma of caramel floating around your home for the rest of the morning!

This latte may seem a bit daunting to make at first, considering you’re making homemade caramel, but trust me- it’s actually not. All you do is heat the sugar until it melts and begins to brown, then add milk and salt and stir again until the caramel melds completely with the milk. Simply add the rest of the ingredients and behold:

A delectable salted caramel latte perfect to start your day with!

And for only 92 calories

Salted Caramel Latte

• 2 c milk of choice (I used unsweetened coconut milk)
• 1 c coffee
• 1/4 c coconut sugar (or brown sugar, white sugar)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp whipped butter (if desired)

Heat milk in the microwave for about a minute, or until warm. Add coconut sugar to a small saucepan and heat on medium. Begin stirring. The coconut sugar will begin to melt, becoming clumpy at first then smooth. Once smooth, allow it to cook for another 15 seconds, continuing to stir, then add milk and salt. The sugar will harden – just continue to stir it, heating on medium-high, until it dissolves. Add coffee, vanilla, and butter (if desired). Stir until combined. Remove from heat and give it one last good stir. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream and sea salt. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information (from myfitnesspal.com)

Calories: 92

Fat: 3g

Carbs: 17g

Protein: 0g

(Yields 3 servings)

Nutrition information the same including whipped butter, as it provides an insignificant amount of calories/fat/etc.