6 Must-Try Healthy Fall Drink Recipes

Many of us associate fall with colorful autumn leaves, a pleasant chill in the air, and the family togetherness that accompanies holidays like Thanksgiving. But this time of year can also trigger seasonal depression and cravings for unhealthy foods, while fewer daylight hours and colder temperatures can impact our outdoor and physical activity routines. At the same time, we must be vigilant about boosting and protecting our immune system, since autumn ushers in cold and flu season.

In other words, it’s the perfect time of year to choose true comfort foods and drinks. Rather than crashing your energy levels with macaroni and cheese or sugar-packed pies, I recommend reaching for ingredients that will actually make you feel good. And it’s not just about what you put on your plate—you can enjoy a lot of comfort, as well as enhanced energy, from delicious beverages. From brain-healthy hot chocolate to green tea spiked with warming spices, here are some of my favorite drink recipes that are perfect for fall.

Tana Amen’s Favorite Fall Drink Recipes

Day Break Green Tea Latte

Need a morning boost to counteract those colder, darker mornings? The base for this energizing beverage is green chai tea, which provides a smaller dose of caffeine than coffee, plus powerful antioxidants and fall-friendly spices. This recipe makes 2 servings.

Ingredients:

20-24 ounces plain unsweetened almond milk

2 green chai tea bags

10 drops vanilla or cinnamon flavored stevia

Directions:

1. Heat almond milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until milk begins to boil. Turn off heat immediately or milk will boil over.
2. Pour heated milk into a teapot and add tea bags, or divide milk evenly between 2 mugs and put 1 tea bag in each. Steep for a few minutes.
3. Add 5 drops of stevia to each cup (or to taste). Serve hot.

Morning Mocha Drink

If you crave a coffee to start your day, I recommend making a half-caf blend—using half regular and half decaf. Choose organic varieties to prevent harmful chemicals like pesticides from sneaking into your morning Joe, and add an extra energy and flavor boost with delicious chocolate protein powder. This recipe serves 1.

Ingredients:

½ pot organic half-caf coffee (50% regular and 50% decaffeinated coffee)

1-2 scoops sugar-free chocolate protein powder, such as BrainMD’s OMNI Chocolate Protein Powder

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 dropper full chocolate stevia (or other flavor of your choice)

Optional:

¼ cup full fat coconut milk

Sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients into a blender.
2. Blend on low to start.
3. Pour into a large coffee mug and sprinkle cinnamon on top, if desired. Drink immediately.

Pumpkin Spice-Up Cappuccino

Throughout the fall season, pumpkin spice flavors are everywhere. But a lot of mass-produced pumpkin spice products out there are heavily processed and full of sugar. This is my answer to pumpkin spice season: a healthy alternative that’s still rich-tasting, thanks to the addition of coconut oil and ghee, which provide short- and medium-chain fatty acids and support gut health. If you’re aiming for less calories, simply eliminate these oils. Serves 2.

Ingredients:

1 pot organic half-caf coffee (50% regular and 50% decaffeinated coffee)

2 cups plain unsweetened almond milk

8 drops pumpkin flavored stevia

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Optional:

1-2 teaspoons ghee

Cinnamon

Directions: 

1. Brew a pot of half-caffeinated coffee, using equal parts caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. If you prefer, you may use only decaffeinated coffee.
2. While coffee is brewing, heat 2 cups almond milk on stovetop or in microwave. If heating on stove top, watch closely, because almond milk boils over quickly. If heating in the microwave, place in microwave-safe cup and heat for 2-3 minutes.
3. Pour 2 cups of coffee, warm milk, and all other ingredients in a blender and cover. Blend for 10-15 seconds until froth begins to form.
4. Divide between two large mugs and dust each with cinnamon, as desired.

World’s Best Brain-Healthy Hot Chocolate

 Who doesn’t love a warming hot chocolate in cold weather? The good news is, you don’t have to ingest a ton of sugar and saturated fat to enjoy it. Just make your own blend with cocoa powder, an unsweetened non-dairy milk, and stevia for a sweet treat that’s also beneficial for your brain. You can even increase the indulgence with a small amount of non-dairy whipped cream topping.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon organic raw cocoa powder

16 ounces organic, unsweetened, vanilla-flavored almond milk

3 drops chocolate-flavored stevia

Non-dairy whipped cream

Directions:

1. Heat almond milk to desired temperature.
2. Stir in cocoa powder until it is fully dissolved.
3. Add chocolate-flavored stevia.
4. Top with a swirl of non-dairy whipped cream.

Cinnamon-Spice Stabilizer

This recipe, which makes 2 servings, provides plenty of nutrients thanks to its fruits, greens, and seeds. But it also packs protein and delicious flavor with a trio of fall-favorite spices that have real health benefits. Cinnamon, for example, can bolster your working memory and attention span and help regulate blood-sugar levels. And nutmeg contains pain-relieving eugenol as well as myristicin, which has been studied¹ for its role in the management of Alzheimer’s disease and memory loss.

Ingredients:

1 large, unpeeled apple, chopped

2 tablespoons avocado (about ¼ of an avocado)

½ cup baby spinach

2 tablespoons shelled hemp seeds

2 scoops protein powder, such as OMNI Protein Powder

1 teaspoon cardamom powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

2 cups unsweetened almond milk

1 cup purified water

handful ice cubes

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in blender bowl.
2. Mix for about 30 seconds. Do not over-blend.
3. Pour into 2 large glasses and serve.

Mindful Mint Cacao Smoothie

For this recipe, which serves 2, prepare iced green tea in advance. I love this smoothie for its green goodness, courtesy of spinach, mint, and chard or kale, but you can also customize it to fit your health needs. To help inspire you, I’ve included a list of optional ingredients—try adding 1 or several of them for extra nutritional power.

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to blender bowl (preferably high-powered blender).
2. Turn blender on low at first, then increase speed for about 30 seconds.
3. Add additional water or ice as needed to achieve desired consistency.
4. Pour into two large glasses and serve cold.

Give Your Fall Beverages a Boost 

To further boost beverages with a clean and fast-acting energy source for peak brain and body performance, I like to add the Brain MCT Energy supplement. This liquid—which you can easily add to coffees, smoothies, and shakes—can assist with maintaining a stable weight, enhancing satiety, curbing unhealthy eating, and stabilizing body weight.

When fall hits, we all love enjoying cozy times with loved ones. Make them a little bit more memorable (and healthier) by adding some of these recipes to your rotation. Or simply enjoy them during some quiet time alone, any time of the day.

’Tis the season for comfort—and self-care!

References:

¹ Effects of medicinal plants on Alzheimer’s disease and memory deficits

Akram, Muhammad M.D., Ph.D.; Nawaz, Allah. Neural Regeneration Research 12(4):p 660-670, April 2017. | DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.205108

Meet the Author

Tana Amen, BSN, RN, Writer

Tana Amen, BSN, RN is a New York Times bestselling-author, health and fitness expert, Vice-President of Amen Clinics—the world’s leader in brain health, mentor, motivational speaker, and former neurosurgical ICU trauma nurse. By providing science-based guidance along with her authentic, no-holds-barred approach, Tana has won the hearts of millions with her simple, yet effective, strategies to help people win the fight for a strong mind, body, and spirit.