For those who crave fast food menu items but rarely have the money to spend on them, here are five recipes that will taste just like your favorites from the drive-thru. 

1. Starbucks pumpkin spice latte

What you need:

1 ½ cups of water

1 ½ cups of sugar

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 tablespoons ground pumpkin

To make your syrup, whisk together the sugar and water on low heat and stir in the remaining ingredients over the next five minutes. Do not boil. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a bottle and keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.  

To make the latte, combine espresso and warm milk, and stir in the syrup for that pumpkin taste. Top with whipped cream or foam!

2. CrunchWrap Supreme

What you need:

1 pound ground beef (makes about four wraps)

1 large flour tortilla 

1 packet taco seasoning

Bite-size tortilla chips

Sour cream

Jarred queso 

Shredded cheese

Shredded lettuce

Diced tomatoes

Start by browning your beef and adding the seasoning, and microwave your tortilla for about 15 seconds. Working quickly to keep things from cooling off, start by spreading sour cream in the middle of tortilla, ground beef and shredded cheese. Then, add your tortilla chips to the center and top with the queso, tomatoes and lettuce. 

Start warming a pan with a little butter on medium-low heat. Fold in the ends of the tortilla like a crunch wrap is folded and placed with the open side down on the pan. Let cook for at least 3 minutes before flipping and repeat on the other side.

3. Burger King french toast sticks

What you need:

2 slices of white whole wheat bread

½ cup egg beaters

2 tablespoons Splenda or other sugar substitute

1 teaspoon fat-free french vanilla coffee creamer (powder)

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon butter extract 

Pinch of salt

Non-stick cooking spray

Start by toasting your bread in the toaster and cutting the bread into strips. Combine the remaining ingredients by whisking in a shallow bowl until all is combined and dissolved. Soak the bread slices in the mixture for about 15 seconds each.

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat and a spray it with cooking spray. Place the strips to cook in the pan for about three to five minutes on each side.

4. Pizza Hut cheese sticks

What you need:

1 packet of pizza crust mix

1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Pizza sauce

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the pizza dough according to the directions, and add garlic powder to the dry mix. Cover and let sit for five minutes.

Knead the dough four to five times and spread it on a greased baking sheet into an 8-inch square. Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle it with cheese and Italian seasoning. Bake it for six to eight minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

5. Wendy’s Frosty

What you need:

12 ounces (or one tub) of whipped topping, frozen (makes about three Frostys)

¼ cup sweetened and condensed milk

2 tablespoons sweet and natural cocoa powder

1 cup chocolate milk

Blend all the ingredients in a blender and pour it into two cups. Let chill in the freezer for about 30 minutes or until thick before serving.

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Try any of these five recipes to curb your fast food cravings and have a little fun in the kitchen.