DIY Pumpkin Spice Syrup, for Coffee, Lattes, and Tea

Add a splash of Fall to your coffee or tea with this DIY Pumpkin Spice Syrup!

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My friend Natalie asked me one recent autumn day if I had a good recipe for a pumpkin spice syrup to mix into coffee. (“Pumpkin’s back!” The seasonal commercials hound us at every turn.)

She had tried a recipe she found online that included pumpkin purée. The mixture she ended up with was tasty, but very thick and sweet. When she stirred it to her coffee the thick concoction quickly plunged to the bottom of her mug, making for a weak pumpkin-spice taste for most of the coffee and then WAY too much sweetness and sludge at the end.

Her dilemma brought to mind a favorite quote of mine from Garrison Keillor: “Pumpkin pie is just a vehicle for nutmeg.” To expand on that idea, I think that pumpkin spice love (pie, bars, bread, lattes, cereals, Oreos, everything), is really just about the spices. And so  I made a sweet syrup with just the pumpkin pie spice.  

Simple syrup syrup itself is pretty easy and requires only a few minutes of cooking time on the stove. The spices took some adjusting, as at first the cinnamon was the only thing I could taste. (It was scrumptious, and tasted like those fiery little cinnamon candies – but not like pumpkin spice.)

Boosting the allspice, and especially the nutmeg and ginger did the trick. Once cooled the spiced syrup is thin, which means it mixes into hot drinks very smoothly and doesn’t settle to the bottom.

Natalie tried it in her coffee and later in some hot Chai tea. She declared it to be perfect. Her precise declaration was this: 

“It was so good and reminds me of Fall. I’m so excited I can have pumpkin coffee with going bankrupt at Dunkin’ Donuts!”

Aww, she’s as sweet as this syrup.

And while you have Pumpkin Spice on the brain and in your heart, give these recipes a try:

DIY Pumpkin Spice Syrup, for Coffees, Lattes and Teas

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Fall, Sweet

Keyword: Pumpkin Spice Syrup

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 40 kcal

Author: Nancy Mock

This sweet, spiced syrup is an easy way to add tantalizing fall flavor to your drinks.

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Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1-3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg - freshly grated

Instructions

1. Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to dissolve sugar.

2. Whisk in the spices. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer the mixture for 3 minutes. Remove the pan from heat.

3. Strain the syrup by pouring it through a cheesecloth-lined funnel into a glass mason jar. Allow the syrup to cool completely.

4. Keep the syrup covered and refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.

5. Makes about 1-1/4 cups of simple syrup.

Recipe Notes

Create, Be Curious, Celebrate... with Food!

 

Nutrition Facts

DIY Pumpkin Spice Syrup, for Coffees, Lattes and Teas

Amount Per Serving (2 tablespoons)

Calories 40

% Daily Value*

Total Carbohydrates 10g 3%

Sugars 10g

Iron 0.1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

After you give this syrup a try, click on the stars at the top of the recipe to give it a rating!

Originally published in September 2014