Homemade Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup Recipe

This pumpkin spice syrup is a coffee-shop style flavoring made from a plain sugar syrup simmered with real pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, then finished with vanilla. It takes about 15 minutes on the stove and makes roughly 1 1/4 cups, enough for 10 to 20 drinks, so the flavor is available at any time of year.

The base is equal parts sugar and water, with a little brown sugar for a deeper, caramel-like note. A gentle simmer is all it needs: the sugar dissolves, the spices bloom and the pumpkin cooks into the syrup. Straining through a cloth-lined sieve removes most of the pumpkin fiber and spice sediment, which gives a smoother syrup that mixes cleanly into drinks.

Use 1/2 to 1 ounce (1 to 2 tablespoons) in a homemade pumpkin spice latte, or stir 2 to 3 teaspoons into a mug of drip coffee. Plain canned pumpkin works in the syrup, and so does homemade pumpkin puree.

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup

A spiced sugar syrup simmered with real pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla, for flavoring lattes, cappuccinos and drip coffee.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Cooling time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings: 10 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups)

Course: Condiment, Pantry Staple

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup granulated cane sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• a pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

 

1. Combine the water, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Set over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is clear, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Whisk in the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt until no lumps of pumpkin remain.
3. Bring to a gentle simmer, then turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, whisking now and then, until the syrup has thickened slightly. Keep it below a hard boil so it does not reduce too far or scorch.
4. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let the syrup cool for about 10 minutes.
5. Line a fine mesh strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth or a clean thin cotton cloth and set it over a bowl or measuring jug. Pour the syrup through and let it drip; stir gently with a spoon to help it along, but do not force the solids through.
6. Pour the strained syrup into a clean glass jar or bottle, close it tightly and refrigerate. Shake before each use.

Notes

Storage: keep the syrup refrigerated in a clean, airtight glass container and use it within 1 week. Because it contains real pumpkin it does not keep as long as plain sugar syrup; discard it if it smells off or shows any mold. For longer keeping, freeze it in an ice cube tray and thaw cubes as needed.

Straining is optional. Unstrained syrup is thicker, cloudier and has more pumpkin flavor, but leaves some sediment in the bottom of the cup. Some settling is normal either way.

The four spices can be replaced with 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.

Homemade pumpkin puree is often wetter than canned. If it looks watery, drain it in a cloth-lined strainer for a few minutes before measuring.

How much to use: 1/2 to 1 ounce (1 to 2 tablespoons) for a 16-ounce latte, 2 to 3 teaspoons for an 8-ounce cup of drip coffee, or to taste. It can also sweeten steamed milk, hot chocolate, oatmeal or plain yogurt.