This is a recreation of Bloom Bagels’ fall seasonal drink: injeolmi pumpkin cream matcha latte. It has this amazing roasted, slightly savory, and nutty cream that works perfectly with matcha! I tried it in person, and it was so good that I had to try and make it at home. And now, you can recreate it and try it for yourself!

Here’s how to make this injeolmi pumpkin cream matcha latte at home!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s such a fun combination of flavors in a drink.
• An easy, step-by-step recipe to make a cafe-quality drink at home.
• You’ll be surprised how the roasted soybean powder tastes with pumpkin!
• Get to try a drink from a cafe that you might not live near! Gastronomical travel, haha.

What is Injeolmi?

Injeolmi or 인절미 is a Korean rice cake coated in konggaru, or roasted soybean flour, which is made by roasting and grinding soybeans into a fine flour. In Japanese, it’s called kinako! While injeolmi is technically a flavored rice cake, people commonly understand that it means roasted soybean flavor.

While the name has “flour” in it, it’s most used as a topping on food for a flavor enhancer rather than a baking flour. The flour has a nutty and slightly sweet flavor, and you’ll find it on a ton of East asian sweets like mochi, tteok, bingsu, lattes, cakes, you name it.

While being delicious, it’s also nutritious! Soybeans are known healthy foods thanks to their high protein and fiber content. So, through association, it’s good for you!

Where to Buy Injeolmi Powder

Injeolmi (konggaru) is still a niche flavor, so you won’t find it in major American supermarkets. However, you’ll definitely find it in your local Japanese or Korean grocery store like HMART!

Look for a similar package with the words bokkeun konggaru 볶은 콩가루 on it, which is roasted soybean powder. Konggaru itself is just raw soybean powder and won’t have the delicious flavor we are looking for.

You can also find it at specialty Asian grocery stores, which usually carry local or indie brands.

If you can’t find konggaru, you can also make it at home! You just roast dried soybeans in the oven, then grind them into a flour with a flour mill machine or attachment. You could also use a mortar and pestle, but that would take much longer, and the flour might not be as fine.

Do Injeolmi and Pumpkin Go Together?

Incredibly well. Depends on the pumpkin, but the orange pumpkin most people are familiar with is savory, mild, sweet, and nutty. Since its flavor is quite palatable and mild, it can swing both sweet and savory (like pumpkin soup or pie).

Roasted soybean flour is super nutty, toasty, and slightly savory like sesame, which complements pumpkin really well. The roasted flavor brings out the nuttiness of the pumpkin and balances out its earthy flavor. You can add it to roasted pumpkin as a light topping, blend it together for a soup, or in a cream like in this recipe!

It’s such a cozy and comforting flavor, which makes it perfect for fall and winter!

How to Add Pumpkin Flavor

You can add pumpkin in 2 ways: pumpkin puree, sweetener, and spices, or with pumpkin spice syrup! I personally prefer the first, so you can control all the flavors individually. Often, pumpkin spice syrup doesn’t have much pumpkin flavor and a lot of sugar. Or, you could make pumpkin spice syrup with pumpkin puree for the best of both worlds!

Pumpkin spice syrup is just pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, sugar, and water, simmered down to a thicker consistency. You can easily make it at home by making a brown sugar simple syrup, then adding the pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree, stirring until well combined.

Injeolmi Pumpkin Cream Matcha Latte: What You’ll Need

Equipment:

• A handheld frother
• A matcha bowl
• Chasen
• Tea sifter

Ingredients:

• Injeolmi Pumpkin Cream
• 1 tsp roasted soybean powder, aka konggaru or kinako
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp pumpkin puree
• ½ tsp pumpkin spice
• 1 tsp sweetener
• Pumpkin Matcha Latte
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup ice
• 1½ tsp matcha powder
• ¼ cup water
• ½ tsp sweetener
• A dash of pumpkin spice

Injeolmi Pumpkin Cream Matcha Latte Recipe

1. Whisk Matcha. Soak the bamboo whisk in warm water for 2 minutes until the bristles soften. Sift matcha powder into a matcha bowl, then add water. Vigorously whisk the matcha powder and water in a zigzag motion for 20-30 seconds until a foam forms. It should resemble espresso crema.
2. Make Pumpkin Injeolmi Cream. Add the injeolmi powder, heavy cream, milk, pumpkin spice, sweetener, and pumpkin puree to a cup or small bowl. Whip for 10-15 seconds using a handheld frother until light and fluffy but still pourable.
3. Assemble Drink. Add ice, sweetener, a dash of pumpkin spice, and milk to a separate glass, then add whisked matcha and top with the pumpkin cream. Garnish with a dusting of pumpkin spice or injeomli powder.
4. Mix and Enjoy!

Note: You can swap the pumpkin puree, spices, and sugar for pumpkin spice syrup.

Tips for the Best Latte

• Add Less Soybean Powder: 2 teaspoons of soybean powder gives a strong roasted flavor. Use one teaspoon instead if you prefer a more balanced flavor of roasted soybean and pumpkin.
• Use Pumpkin Spice Syrup: No pumpkin puree? No problem. You can buy or make pumpkin spice syrup, which is sweeter and less pumpkin-forward. I recommend a homemade pumpkin spice syrup since store-bought versions are too sweet (for me) and don’t taste like pumpkin.
• Grainy Cream Top: If you use a coarser konggaru powder or a lot of spices, you might end up with a slightly grainy cream texture. You can use less of the spice or powder, or try finding a finely ground konggaru. The graininess is not too noticeable, though, so it’s only if you want a super smooth cream.

Substitutions

• No Pumpkin: Substitute for a different pumpkin, like kabocha or butternut squash, even. For convenience, canned sweet potatoes also work for a similar texture, but they will have a sweeter flavor. Make sure to use a puree or mash the pumpkin into a smooth texture.
• No Injeolmi Powder: The closest replacement is black sesame powder or misugaru, a Korean grain powder. You can find both at the Asian grocery store or online from specialty retailers!
• Vegan: Swap all the dairy products for your favorite vegan replacement. I recommend oat cream and milk for the best flavor and texture, or a vegan, non-dairy specific replacement.
• No Pumpkin Spice: You can make pumpkin spice by combining the individual spices. You’ll need: ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the injeolmi cream without heavy cream (like with milk or half-and-half)?

Yes, you can use half and half as the closest substitute for a creamy, semi-frothy top. Nothing will froth quite as well as heavy cream, but half and half has a similar flavor and enough fat to make the drink creamy, but it will taste thinner.

Can I make the pumpkin spice cream ahead of time and store it?

If you’re batching this, you can make a large quantity and store it in a pitcher, which you should leave in a refrigerated area or in an ice bath to keep it fresh. You can also keep it overnight, but it may deflate, so re-whip it before serving.

How do I stop the injeolmi powder from clumping in the cream?

The hack to mix any powder into liquid is by adding the powder to the liquid, versus vice versa. Powders like to stick to each other and are generally hydrophobic, so adding dry to wet makes it easier to combine.

Can I substitute injeolmi powder with something else if I can’t find it?

You can replace injeolmi powder with peanut powder, black sesame powder, or even misu garu, a Korean grain powder drink. You could even try mixing peanut and sesame powder together to see if it tastes similar to roasted soybean.

Other Creamy Matcha Recipes to Try

If you love creamy matcha lattes, then you need to try all these other amazing cream-top flavors! Matcha goes so well with so many flavors, so they’re all a hit in my book. Here are some matcha recipes you should try next:

• Banana Cream Matcha Latte
• Date Cream Matcha Latte
• Mango Cream Matcha Latte
• Pistachio Cream Matcha Latte
• Tres Leches Matcha Latte