Pumpkin Spice Syrup

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This Starbucks pumpkin spice syrup is an easy to make, homemade syrup that is perfect for mixing into coffee or cocktails. You can make a large batch in 20 minutes and have pumpkin spice lattes all fall season long!

This pumpkin spice syrup is the base syrup for any type of pumpkin flavored drink. It can be used as a simple syrup for pumpkin martinis, or as a coffee syrup for chai pumpkin lattes. You can even use it to make pumpkin cold foam.

For other copycat Starbucks recipes, try this chai tea latte recipe, this starbucks pistachio latte, this vanilla sweet cream cold foam or this starbucks iced oat milk latte.

For other holiday flavored syrups to make drinks with, try this peppermint syrup for coffee or this pistachio syrup.

Jump to:

• Recipe Highlights
• Ways to Use Pumpkin Syrup
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• Equipment
• Step By Step Instructions
• Storage
• Expert Tips
• FAQ
• 📖 Recipe

Recipe Highlights

• This pumpkin spice syrup tastes just like the one Starbucks uses, but making it at home is much cheaper.
• It can be used as a coffee syrup to make pumpkin spice lattes, or as a cocktail syrup for pumpkin-flavored cocktails.
• It tastes just like pumpkin pie and since it is made with real pumpkin purée, it has no artificial flavoring.
• Unlike other recipes, this recipe uses a cheesecloth to make the syrup smooth, and give it the same consistency as store bought syrups.
• It is a great recipe to use up any leftover pumpkin purée from making pumpkin pie or other pumpkin flavored baked goods.

Ways to Use Pumpkin Syrup

A couple tablespoons of this syrup can be mixed into any type of drink, but here are some recipes to try:

• Pumpkin Spice Latte: To make this fall favorite, combine 1 to 2 tablespoons of pumpkin syrup with a couple shots of espresso and top with frothed milk.
• Pumpkin Cold Brew: Mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons of syrup with cold brew coffee. Top with pumpkin cold foam or Starbucks vanilla cold foam.
• Chai Tea Latte With Pumpkin Cold Foam: This drink can be served as either a warm or iced chai tea pumpkin latte. Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of pumpkin spice syrup with ½ cup of chai concentrate. Use the syrup to make the pumpkin cold foam.

• Pumpkin Cold Foam: For the pumpkin cold foam, use an electric frother to froth 1 ½ tablespoons of pumpkin syrup with ⅓ cup milk. Pour on top of a chai tea latte, or a couple shots of espresso for a pumpkin spice latte.

• Pumpkin RumChata Martini: To make a pumpkin rumchata martini, shake 2 oz RumChata, 1 oz pumpkin syrup and ½ oz vanilla vodka in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain and serve in a chilled martini glass.

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.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can buy pumpkin pie spice pre-made or easily make your own batch by combining a few common spices.
• Cinnamon: A dash of cinnamon complements the other flavors well.
• Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds a rich caramel flavor to the 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 syrup a bit of sweetness with a hint of vanilla. 

Equipment

You will need the following equipment to make the pumpkin spice syrup:

• A small to medium sized saucepan to make the syrup in. 
• A whisk to whisk the ingredients together while the syrup is cooking.
• A cheesecloth to strain the syrup.
• A glass mason jar to store the syrup in.

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1: Add the pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie syrup, cinnamon, water, and brown sugar to a saucepan. Heat the ingredients, bringing them to a gentle simmer. Continue to simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat 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: Gently squeeze or press the cheesecloth to drain out all the syrup. You should be left with a liquid, smooth syrup with no pumpkin chunks.

Storage

This recipe makes about a ½ cup of syrup. Here are some options for how to store it to keep it freshest:

• Fridge: Store the syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 to 2 weeks.
• Freezer: Store in a freezer safe glass container for up to 2 to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using. Note that after it has been stored in the freezer, it may lose some of its strong pumpkin flavor.

Expert Tips

• Don’t boil the syrup. Only bring the syrup to a gentle simmer. Boiling the syrup for too long or at too high a temperature can cause too much water to evaporate, resulting in a thick syrup.
• Use a fine mesh sieve. The cheesecloth should remove all of the pumpkin purée. However, some of the spices may seep through. Use a very fine mesh strainer to remove the pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon.
• Make a large batch. If you plan to make a lot of pumpkin flavored drinks, make a large batch with a can of pumpkin pie filling and freeze it so you can make pumpkin spice lattes all fall season.
• Shake the syrup before serving. After the syrup has been sitting for a couple days, it may slightly separate. Shake the syrup well before using.

FAQ

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📖 Recipe