Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Make this quick & easy pumpkin spice syrup for your coffee! With all the best warm fall flavors, it will last you all season long!
Ok confession time: last year I was in need of some retail therapy, and I spent $23 on a 2-ounce bottle of pumpkin spice syrup at a chi-chi gift shop.
Oh for shame!
I knew better, the whole time I was doing it, but I was taken in by the pretty packaging. It was a moment of weakness!
The fact is, you can make your own for PENNIES! Literally.
And it will probably taste miles better than anything store-bought.
I love to tailor my drinks according to the season. Homemade lemonade in the summer, hot buttered rum in the winter, frosé in the spring… and of course pumpkin lattes in the fall!
But to make those you need a good pumpkin spice syrup recipe. So that’s what I’m giving you today!
Table of Contents
- What is pumpkin spice syrup?
- What’s great about this pumpkin spice syrup recipe
- What does pumpkin spice coffee syrup taste like?
- Ingredients
- Special equipment
- How to make pumpkin spice syrup
- How to use it
- Expert tips
- Frequently asked questions
- A few more of my favorite fall-spiced recipes
What is pumpkin spice syrup?
So this recipe packs all the best fall flavors into a liquid that can be stirred into drinks.
Because it is in liquid form, it will work for both cold drinks as well as hot, and it mixes in beautifully without sinking to the bottom or leaving any grit.
It’s called “pumpkin spice” because it contains all the spices you’d put in pumpkin pie: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice.
And if you didn’t already know, these flavors are especially good in coffee!
What’s great about this pumpkin spice syrup recipe
- The taste: It’s chock-full of cozy fall spices!
- Few ingredients: If you’re into food, you probably already have everything you need to make it in your cupboards already.
- Quick to make: It legit takes seconds.
- Economical: As noted above, it will save you getting ripped off!
What does pumpkin spice coffee syrup taste like?
Pumpkin spice syrup is very sweet, since it’s mostly sugar. It’s meant to be used primarily as a sweetener.
But it’s also infused with the loveliest blend of spices. Think pumpkin pie! It’s very cinnamon-y, with a few other flavors like ginger and cloves. It’s got fall and holiday written all over it!
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this.
Sugar
Regular white sugar is fine, or sub for another type of sweetener if you like. As long as it swaps 1:1 for granulated sugar it should work.
Water
To dissolve the sugar in.
Cinnamon
You’ll want to use whole spices here, so you don’t just have a pile of grit at the bottom of the bottle. So, a few cinnamon sticks.
Nutmeg
One whole nutmeg, <–order here.
Ginger
Use a knob of fresh ginger (no need to peel it first), or a few coins of candied ginger. I didn’t have any fresh on hand so I used candied ginger, aka: crystallized ginger.
Cloves
Again, whole cloves, not ground.
Allspice
And a pinch of whole allspice berries.
Special equipment
Nothing too crazy needed here, just the following:
- Measuring cups and spoons: To measure out the ingredients.
- Small pot: In which to cook the syrup.
- Slotted spoon: To fish out the spices.
- Funnel: This will make pouring into the bottle easier.
- Bottle: Here’s a link to the one I’ve used: syrup dispenser.
How to make pumpkin spice syrup
This easy recipe comes together lightning quick, in just 4 steps.
Step 1: Put everything in a pot
Dump the sugar, water, and spices in a pot.
Step 2: Cook until dissolved
Place the pot over medium-low heat and cook the mixture until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup no longer looks cloudy or feels gritty.
Step 3: Steep
Cut the heat and allow everything to just sit and “meld.”
Once the syrup has cooled to room temperature, fish out the spices with a slotted spoon.
Step 4: Transfer
Funnel the mixture into a serving vessel.
For what you see here, I chose a pump bottle.
But a squeeze bottle would work really well too!
Or a cruet-style bottle, like a bartender would use.
How to use it
Add a pump or two to your favorite coffee drink!
This works great in any style of coffee you like:
- Drip coffee
- Cold brew
- Pour-over coffee
- Cappuccino
- Cafe Latte
- Cafe Americano
- Espresso
- Frappucino
- Iced coffee
The sky’s the limit!
And you can also add it to cocktails, like this pumpkin spice latte martini. Or in a hot toddy!
You could also use it as a soak for cakes. Brush or drizzle it on, to add moisture and flavor.
Expert tips
Use whole spices
Ground spices don’t really work as well in this recipe. The powder tends to just sink to the bottom of the syrup, without really infusing the flavors in.
The longer it sits…
The better it gets! Allow those spices to steep in the syrup for a looooong time, to really get it well-flavored.
Heat can speed this process along, so if you like, simmer the syrup over very low heat to really extract the taste of the spices.
Frequently asked questions
How long will this keep?
This should keep for a couple of weeks at room temperature, in the fridge for a month or so, or you can freeze it for several months. Thaw it in the fridge.
What is the serving size?
I figured on a serving size of 1 teaspoon.
The whole recipe makes about 2 cups, so you should get around 96 servings from the batch.
The nutritional info noted in the recipe card below is for 1/96th the entire batch.
A few more of my favorite fall-spiced recipes
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Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400 g) sugar*
- 1 cup (236.59 g) water
- 5 (1 g) cloves
- 4 (0.4 g) allspice berries
- 3 (10.5 g) cinnamon sticks
- 2 pieces (2 g) ginger
- 1 (2 g) whole nutmeg
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a small pot and set it over low heat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup looks clear (approx. 5 minutes).
- Allow the mixture to steep until completely cooled (approx. 2 hours).
- Fish out the whole spices with a slotted spoon.
- Funnel the mixture to a bottle.
