Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini

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This pumpkin spice espresso martini is a delicious and indulgent cocktail that is perfect for the fall season. Made with a homemade pumpkin syrup, espresso, Kahlua, vodka and a dash of cream.

Fall season is the best time for pumpkin flavored everything, such as this pumpkin rumchata martini or this iced chai tea pumpkin latte. 

For other holiday cocktails, try this peppermint espresso martini, this Baileys hot chocolate or this Baileys espresso martini.

For fruitier martinis, try this raspberry martini or this limoncello martini.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• Equipment
• Step By Step Instructions
• Expert Tips
• Recipe FAQs
• 📖 Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• This creamy pumpkin espresso martini is the perfect drink to make during the fall. It’s festive and absolutely delicious – it tastes like a pumpkin latte!
• The creamy, rich flavors make this the best dessert drink for after dinner.
• All the pumpkin flavor comes from this homemade pumpkin syrup, so there are no artificial or chemically pumpkin flavors.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Pumpkin Purée: Pumpkin purée gives the pumpkin syrup most of its flavor. Make sure to use pumpkin purée, and not pumpkin pie filling, which already has spices mixed into it.
• Spices: The pumpkin syrup is infused with a combination of pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. You can buy pumpkin pie spice pre-made or easily make your own batch by combining a few common spices.
• Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is used to sweeten the pumpkin pie syrup. You can substitute this with granulated sugar if needed.
• Water: Water gives the syrup the proper consistency.
• Vanilla Extract: A tad of vanilla extract gives the pumpkin syrup a bit of sweetness with a hint of vanilla.
• Kahlua: Kahlua is a coffee flavored liqueur that gives this drink its strong espresso flavor. You can use another coffee liqueur, such as Tia Maria, as a substitution.
• Vodka: Use a medium quality brand of vodka, such as Tito’s, Absolut or Smirnoff. If you have it, vanilla-flavored vodka works very well with this martini.
• Espresso: Use high quality, freshly brewed espresso. As a substitution, use strongly brewed coffee or a good quality instant espresso.
• Cream: Heavy cream makes this martini creamy and dessert-like. For a vegan option, replace this with coconut milk. If you prefer a stronger, non-creamy espresso martini, you can replace the cream with extra espresso.

Equipment

• A saucepan to make the pumpkin simple syrup in.
• A cocktail shaker to make the espresso martini in.
• Coupe glasses or martini glasses to serve the cocktail in.

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1: Add the pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie syrup, cinnamon, water, and brown sugar to a saucepan. Heat on medium-high, bringing to a gentle simmer. Continue to simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the syrup from the stove and stir in the vanilla extract.

Step 2: Let the syrup cool for a few minutes, then strain the mixture through a cheesecloth.

Step 3: Add the Kahlua, vodka, pumpkin syrup, heavy cream and espresso to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well for 10 seconds. Strain and pour into a chilled martini glass.

Expert Tips

• Rim the glasses. Optionally, dip the rim of your martini glass in a small amount of pumpkin syrup and then roll it in a 1:1 combination of pumpkin pie spice and brown sugar.
• Add some garnish. For garnish, add a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon, and top with 3 coffee beans.
• Chill the glasses. Freeze the martini glasses for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. This helps keep your drink ice cold.
• Make a large batch of pumpkin syrup. You can make a large batch of pumpkin spice syrup ahead of time by doubling or tripling the syrup ingredients. This will significantly reduce the amount of time it takes you to prepare the martinis.
• Store extra pumpkin syrup in the fridge. If you are prepping extra in advance, or just have leftovers, store the pumpkin simple syrup in an airtight, glass  container in the fridge for up to 1 to 2 weeks.
• Adjust the sweetness. This is quite a sweet dessert espresso martini. If you want a stronger tasting martini, double the amount of vodka and/or espresso.

Recipe FAQs

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📖 Recipe