Pecan Crunch Oat Latte

Ingredients

• ¼ cup Brown Sugar
• 3 tbsp Maple Syrup
• ¼ cup Raw Pecans
• ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 3 cups Barista Oat Milk
• 8 tbsp Espresso

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup water, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 3 tablespoons maple syrup, the chopped pecans, and cinnamon. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla extract, then strain through a fine mesh sieve into a jar, reserving the cooked pecans. Let the syrup cool, then refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Preheat oven to 300°F and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Finely chop the reserved pecans until crumb-like, then toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar on the baking sheet.
4. Bake the pecan crunch topping for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring halfway through, until dry and lightly toasted. Watch closely so they don't burn. Let cool completely — they will crisp as they cool.
5. For each latte, brew 2 tablespoons espresso (or an equivalent shot) into a mug. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the pecan syrup.
6. Heat and froth ¾ cup oat milk per serving, then pour over the espresso. Sprinkle with pecan crunch topping and serve immediately. For an iced version, pour espresso and syrup over ice, add cold oat milk, stir well, and top with pecan crunch.