Don't waste money ordering expensive pumpkin spice lattes and coffees—make Pumpkin Spice Syrup at home instead! It's quick, easy, and so dang good.
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One fine autumn day my friend Natalie asked if I could come up with a pumpkin syrup recipe that she could use for her morning coffee.
She had tried an online version made with pumpkin purée—the result was a thick concoction that quickly plunged to the bottom of the cup when she added it to her coffee. The pumpkin spice flavor was weak for most of her coffee and then WAY too sweet and sludgy at the end.
The solution? This simple Pumpkin Spice Syrup. It has all that delicious pumpkin pie spice flavor, plus it blends smoothly into drinks with no sludge.
As August fades into September and we all start dreaming of cool, crisp fall days, you'll be so happy to have a bottle of the sweetened syrup waiting for you in the fridge!
Jump to:
What are Dunkin' and Starbucks pumpkin spice syrups made with?
The pumpkin spice syrups at both Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts are made with "pumpkin spice flavoring", along with plenty of sugar, artificial colors, and preservatives. You may be surprised to learn that both brands' syrups also contain milk, as either sweetened or unsweetened condensed milk. Dunkin's syrup also contains a small amount of real pumpkin.
This homemade pumpkin spice coffee flavoring is the best because you know exactly what goes into it. There's no dairy and no artificial ingredients—just sugar and natural flavor from fall spices. And no heavy pumpkin purée means that the syrup blends cleanly into both hot and cold drinks.
New Englanders love their Dunkin' but when it comes to pumpkin syrup, we should all feel totally okay going with a homemade version instead! (You can still head there for a Boston Kreme Donut, though.)
Why you'll love this recipe
Homemade pumpkin spice-flavored syrup comes together quickly and easily on the stovetop. Because the syrup has no pumpkin purée, it blends smoothly into your drinks. This means you get that delectable flavor in every sip of your coffee, latte, hot tea, cocoa, and even cold drinks, without unpleasant sludge in the bottom of your cup.
Worried that you'll miss that purée? Trust me, you won't! It's the blend of sugar and spices that gives you a beautiful autumn flavor.
So what did my friend Natalie think? "So good and reminds me of fall. I'm so excited I can have pumpkin spice coffee without going bankrupt at Dunkin' Donuts!" Yessss!
Get those cozy October vibes into all your drinks. And maybe make a batch of Easy Iced Pumpkin Spice Cookies to have with your pumpkin spice coffee!
🔪 How to make homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Ingredients:
- Sugar: This is a sweet syrup and that sweetness comes from granulated sugar. It's simmered in water until dissolved.
- Spices: Pumpkin pie spice syrup has a blend of spices that give it that classic pumpkin pie flavor—cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.
Step 1: Combine the sugar and water.
Whisk together sugar and water in a saucepan on the stove. Bring to a boil.
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Step 2: Add the spices.
Whisk in the four spices, reduce the heat, and simmer the mixture for a few minutes.
Step 3: Strain the syrup.
Pour the syrup through a cheesecloth-lined funnel into a mason jar. Allow the syrup to cool completely, then cover and store it in the fridge.
What to do with Pumpkin Spice Syrup
- Add this spiced syrup to your coffee, of course! It's delicious in all kinds of coffee drinks: make a pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin spice cappuccino, pumpkin spice cold brew, or pumpkin spice iced coffee.
- Use pumpkin pie spice syrup in other drinks like hot or cold tea. (I think Mary from "Hurry, Hurry, Mary Dear" would like little pumpkin in her tea!) It's very yummy in hot chocolate and milkshakes, too.
- Add a spicy twist to your favorite cocktails—make a pumpkin spice-infused Old Fashioned, mudslide, or white Russian. Or create your own pumpkin spice cocktail concoction.
Other uses for this syrup
- Add a drizzle of pumpkin syrup to desserts like ice cream, a slice of pie, a piece of cheesecake, or over fresh fruit.
- You can also use pumpkin spice sauce on breakfast treats like pancakes, waffles, and French toast—with plenty of whipped cream, please! Love overnight oats? With this syrup you can have pumpkin spice overnight oats.
FAQs
As with other simple syrups, storing it in the fridge is best. The cold helps prevent mold growth, so your pumpkin pie spice syrup stays fresh and lasts longer.
This homemade pumpkin spice coffee syrup will last for two to four weeks when tightly covered and stored in the fridge.
While some recipes do call for pumpkin puree, my recipe for pumpkin spice coffee syrup is made with no puree. This means this syrup will blend smoothly into hot and cold drinks with no sludge sinking to the bottom of the cup. And it still has lots of pumpkin pie spice flavor.
A grande-sized drink gets three pumps of pumpkin syrup, and each pump is about a ½-tablespoon. Since this recipe makes 1-¼ cups, that means you'll have around 40 pumps!
Play around with the amount to find what you like best in your drinks. (At home, there's no upcharge for extra pumps!)
This homemade pumpkin syrup is made with just sugar, water, and spices, so yes—it is vegan. If you're concerned about white sugars that are potentially made using bone char, look for organic brands that are labeled as vegan-friendly.
Yes, this homemade pumpkin spice coffee syrup is gluten-free—it's made with just sugar, water, and spices.
Tips:
- Straining the syrup removes the spice solids so that they won't muddy your drinks. But don't worry: the warm, pumpkin spice flavor is still there and it's vibrant!
- Add just enough DIY pumpkin spice coffee syrup to your drinks to suit your sweet tooth.
Start saving money: learn how to make your own Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup and be a barista at home!
The recipe for Pumpkin Spice Syrup is below. Here are a few more fall-inspired treats for you, too!
💬 Have you tried Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Syrup
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Ingredients
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1½ cups water
- 1¾ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
- ¾ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg - freshly grated is best if you have it
Instructions
- Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to dissolve sugar.
- Whisk in the spices. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer the mixture for 3 minutes. Remove the pan from heat.
- Strain the syrup by pouring it through a cheesecloth-lined funnel into a glass mason jar. Allow the syrup to cool completely.
- Keep the syrup covered and refrigerated for up to 2 ro 4 weeks.
- Makes about 1¼ cups of syrup. (A typical pump of syrup at Starbucks is a ½-tablespoon, which means this recipe gives you about 40 pumps!)
Notes
- Straining the syrup removes the spice solids so that they don't muddy your drinks. But don't worry: the pumpkin spice flavor stays in the syrup and it is vibrant!
- Use this syrup in your favorite hot drinks, like coffee, tea, lattes, and cocoa. Add just enough Pumpkin Pie Spice Syrup to suit your sweet tooth.
Nutrition
Medina
Maybe this is a website hosting feature and not within your control, but thought it best to make you aware, in case you can raise a bug report. The 'metric' conversion button doesn't seem to be working right.
US ingredient is 1.5 cups sugar (I read 1 1/2 cups as 1.5 cups, please let me know if that's wrong) and the metric conversion says 100 grams. Thought this was odd so checked separately (on bakingcalculators.com) and 1.5 cups sugar comes out to 300 grams.
Guessing the metric converter on this site stays consistent so it wouldn't affect the final taste, but it would affect how much final product results from the recipe.
Going to try this today, thank you so much for the recipe. Can't wait to taste it. All the best.
Nancy Mock
Hi Medina, Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. I will follow up with the company who manages the metric conversions to have them look into why this is happening. -Nancy
Olga
Mine turned out dark. Should it be dark in color? It tastes good though.
Nancy Mock
Hi Olga! The syrup could be on the darker side if the spices were left to steep a little longer, or if the material used to strain out the spices left more of them behind than the strainer I used. Despite the darker shade, the pumpkin spice syrup is still good to use. I hope you enjoy adding it to your drinks!
Charlene Berti
Can you strain it through a coffee filter if you don’t have cheesecloth?
Nancy Mock
Hi Charlene, Yes a coffee filter or even a paper towel should also work. It just may take a little longer for the liquid to strain through. Thanks for trying the recipe, I hope you love this syrup!!
Diane Tindell
Very tasty but 2 Tbsp per serving is a bit too sweet!
Nancy Mock
Hi Diane, I'm glad you like the taste and so happy that you gave my recipe a try. Great point: 2 tablespoons is the official serving size, but everyone's sweet tooth is different. Folks should definitely add the amount of Pumpkin Spice Syrup that suits their taste. I will make that more clear in the recipe. I appreciate hearing from you on this, I hope you'll make my recipe again!
Ashley Sheehan
How do you recommend storing this? I make lavender simple syrup for lemonades. I have left that out and sometimes it will get moldy from the moisture but if I put it in the fridge the sugar will crystalize.
Nancy Mock
Hi Ashley, This is a great question. This syrup, like other simple syrups, should be stored in the fridge. As you mentioned, to leave it at room temperature will only encourage mold. I don't usually have a problem with crystallization, but I did find this tip from Cooking Light: simmer the syrup for longer to invert more of the sugar and keep crystals from forming. They recommend simmering the syrup covered for about 10 minutes. Another tip I found is to add a little corn syrup to the mixture to help prevent the sugar from crystallizing. Its ability to prevent crystallization is why it's often used in candy and caramel recipes.
Here is the Cooking Light article link if you'd like to read it: https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/8617-preventing-sugar-crystals-in-simple-syrup. Thanks for this question Ashley, I hope these tips help your Pumpkin Spice Syrup last!
Ashley Lippincott
Can you substitute maple syrup for the sugar?
Nancy Mock
Hi Ashley, I think that sounds like a delicious idea! To do this, use 1-1/2 cups of maple syrup (Vermont maple, if you can get it!) instead of the granulated sugar. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe. Great suggestion - please let me know how it turns out!
Kathryn Jean Tooredman
Should the maple syrup substitute for just the sugar or for the sugar/water mixture?
Nancy Mock
Hi Kathryn, If you're hoping to replace the sugar with maple syrup, I would use an equal amount. I would keep the amount of water the same. Let me know how it goes!
Jamie @ anderson + grant
This sounds perfect! Everyone keeps leaving comments about enjoying a pumpkin spice latte this fall and I have no where in my town to get one. I love having special flavors at anytime during the year, but especially during the fall and Christmas season. I'm so excited to try this recipe Nancy!