Welcome gourd vibes into your day with my deliciously simple Pumpkin Spice Syrup recipe! You only need 8 basic pantry staples to whip up a batch of this Starbucks copycat—enough for a week’s worth of pumpkin-spiced coffee bliss. 🎃
I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling pretty pumped for pumpkin season. From now until November, you can count on either a pumpkin spice latte, iced pumpkin cream chai latte, or a pumpkin cream cold brew topped with pumpkin spice cold foam being in my hand at any given time. I just can’t get enough sweet n’ spicy pumpkin flavor goodness!
And, while I love designing my Starbucks dupes so you can make them as one-offs, this pumpkin spice syrup is ideal for my fellow pumpkin fanatics. Rather than bust out 6 different simple ingredients to make a single iced pumpkin spice latte, you can mix up a bottle luscious liquid sweetener that holds all the autumnal flavor you crave.
So, for all my busy bees and Type A planners out there, this one’s for you. All you need is a can of pumpkin, a handful of ground spices, brown and white sugar, and some water to make this DIY Starbucks pumpkin spice syrup recipe. Make it once, then enjoy pumpkin-flavored coffee all week long! Ready to get spicy? Let’s do this!
Jump to:
- What is pumpkin spice coffee syrup?
- What does it taste like?
- Why You’ll Love This Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Syrup Recipe
- Ingredients Needed
- Substitutions
- How To Make Pumpkin Spice Syrup
- Optional Variations & Dietary Adjustments
- Serving Suggestions
- Recipe Success Tips
- FAQs
- Homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup Nutrition
- Other Pumpkin Drink Recipes
- Homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup
What is pumpkin spice coffee syrup?
If you’ve ever had a flavored latte, you’re familiar with coffee syrups. Broadly speaking, these are infused simple syrups, and can be used to simultaneously sweeten and flavor coffee or tea drinks, cocktails, or for breakfast or dessert.
This Starbucks-style pumpkin spice simple syrup follows the mold, starting with a simple syrup crafted from both granulated and brown sugar. It’s then mixed with real pumpkin and a bevy of spices that are commonly used in pumpkin pie. The result is a delightfully spiced sweetener that adds autumnal pizzazz to anything it touches.
What does it taste like?
Not to sound redundant, but this homemade pumpkin spice syrup recipe tastes a lot like pumpkin pie. It has the earthy sweetness of real pumpkin, caramelly undertones of brown sugar, and flavors of warm fall spices from cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. In other words, it’s the perfect addition to your fall barista station!
Why You’ll Love This Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Syrup Recipe
- Quick & Simple - Mix up some simple syrup, whisk in pumpkin and spices, then go to town adding pumpkin-spiced magic to all your favorite drinks and desserts. Your total time investment will be just 10 minutes or less, but the flavor dividends are huge.
- One & Done - With kids heading back to school, I needed to streamline my mornings. By making this pumpkin spice latte syrup on the weekend, I can set myself up for a week of flavorful coffee goodness with no fuss.
- Budget-Friendly - Considering a batch of this pumpkin spiced simple syrup costs about a buck or two to make and the average Starbucks drink costs $5+, you’re looking at some seriously significant cost savings. And it’s so easy!
Ingredients Needed
As promised, this pumpkin spice Starbucks syrup recipe is made with just a handful of pantry staples. Here’s what to grab:
- Pumpkin Purée - Using real pumpkin is the secret to harnessing pumpkin pie vibes. Make sure you grab 100% real pumpkin puree, not canned pumpkin pie filling.
- Cinnamon, Ground Ginger, Nutmeg & Cloves - The 4 basic ingredients for pumpkin pie spice!
- Water - If possible, start with filtered water for the cleanest taste.
- Brown Sugar - For a caramelly molasses undertone. Feel free to use either light or dark brown sugar depending on how intense you want that undertone to be.
- Granulated Sugar - Plain white sugar is the basis for basic simple syrup, adding neutral sweetness. Caster sugar or superfine sugar are also acceptable; they’re both just smaller granules of white sugar.
Substitutions
Need to edit this recipe for pumpkin spice syrup to accommodate your pantry provisions? Here are a few easy ingredient alternatives to try:
- Pumpkin Purée - Unsweetened sweet potato purée or butternut squash purée will both work!
- Cinnamon, Ground Ginger, Nutmeg, & Cloves - Feel free to use pre-mixed pumpkin spice for all 4, or swap in a similarly warmly spiced blend like chai masala. You can also mix and match other warming spices (e.g. allspice, star anise, and cardamom) as needed.
- Brown Sugar - Other adjacent sweeteners like grated jaggery or piloncillo, or light or dark muscovado sugar are great 1-to-1 swaps. You can also make your own brown sugar by adding 1-2 tablespoons of molasses to a cup of white sugar.
- Granulated Sugar - You’re welcome to use similar sweeteners like cane sugar, coconut sugar, or turbinado sugar if needed.
How To Make Pumpkin Spice Syrup
This easy homemade coffee flavoring comes together in just a few simple steps:
Step 1: Toast. In a small saucepan, stir together the pumpkin puree and spices over medium-low heat. Stirring continuously, cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant and slightly golden.
Step 2: Whisk in the water and sugars and continue to whisk until the sugars have dissolved and everything is smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes at room temperature.
Step 3: Use or Store. Transfer the syrup to a syrup bottle or an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Optional Variations & Dietary Adjustments
- Sugar-Free Pumpkin Spice Syrup - Use your favorite cup-for-cup white and brown sugar alternatives (e.g. stevia, Swerve, or monkfruit) to make a diabetic-friendly pumpkin syrup.
- AIP Syrup - If you’re on an autoimmune diet, opt for monkfruit (without erythritol) as your sweetener and don’t use ground nutmeg or allspice for your pumpkin spice blend.
- Rich Syrup Ratio - Using a 2-to-1 sugar-to-water ratio creates what is known as “rich simple syrup.” The syrup is more viscous and sweeter, but is also able to remain shelf stable for up to 6 months. Since we’re adding pumpkin, the shelf life might be shorter, but it’ll still last longer than regular pumpkin spice syrup. To make rich pumpkin syrup, double the amount of both sugars but keep the water the same, then adjust the spice and pumpkin levels if needed.
- Pumpkin Spice Creamer - If you’d rather add your flavor, cream, and sugar in one go, try making my homemade pumpkin coffee creamer instead.
Serving Suggestions
As with all simple syrup infusions, this DIY pumpkin spice syrup can play multiple roles in the kitchen. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Coffee Companion. Use this pumpkin spice syrup for coffee or tea to add a splash of autumnal charm.
- Delicious Desserts. Try soaking layer cakes (especially spice cake, pumpkin cake, or carrot cake) before frosting them to hold in moisture. You can also use it as a glaze for bundt cakes or donuts, to sweeten whipped cream, or as a sauce for ice cream sundaes.
- Breakfast Booster. Drizzle this pumpkin syrup over pancakes or waffles, swirl it into oatmeal or yogurt, or add a splash to a basic smoothie.
- Cozy Cocktails. Pumpkin spice syrup can be used as a 1-to-1 swap for simple syrup in classic cocktail recipes for a fun twist. It pairs especially well with whiskey, like in a pumpkin spice Old Fashioned. 😋
Recipe Success Tips
- Don’t skip the toasting step! This adds a layer of complexity and helps to amplify the flavor of the spices. It also makes the pumpkin puree less bitter.
- Invest in smart storage. A funnel and a syrup bottle or squeeze bottle will save your sanity. No more sticky surfaces!
- Shake it up. While the sugars will dissolve into the water, the pumpkin and spices will not. To ensure you’re getting the full flavor potential from every drink, give your syrup a quick shake before using.
- Strain it. If you hate the texture of this syrup and want it to be more liquidy, allow it to separate in the fridge, then use a fine mesh strainer to strain out the solids!
FAQs
Of my current coffee syrup recipes, the gingerbread syrup, cinnamon dolce syrup, or toasted cinnamon syrup are probably the closest matches.
Starbucks has their own line of coffee syrups, including their pumpkin spice syrup. If it’s in season and the store is well-stocked, they’ll often be willing to sell you a bottle, but be warned: it’ll cost you a pretty penny. But since this pumpkin spice syrup is a Starbucks recipe copycat, now you can make your own whenever you want at a fraction of the price!
Starbucks pumpkin spice latte syrup is made with sugar, sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin purée, fruit & vegetable juices for color, natural flavors, annatto, salt, and potassium sorbate. My homemade version is quite a bit simpler: just pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spices, brown and white sugar, and water.
If you order from Starbucks, the pumpkin spice syrup has sweetened condensed milk, so, it’s not vegan. My homemade version is. Also, while the syrup itself should be gluten-free, Starbucks uses shared equipment, so they can’t guarantee any of the drinks prepared in-store will be gluten-free. Again, my homemade pumpkin syrup solves that problem so long as your kitchen is free of cross-contamination!
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup Nutrition
Each serving of this DIY pumpkin spice syrup comes in at a light 61 calories, which is pretty reasonable for adding a bit of joy to your beverages. This syrup is totally fat-free and protein-free, so it’s all about the flavor rather than the fuel. Sodium is barely a blip at just 3 milligrams per serving, so no worries on that front.
Now, the carbs are on the higher side—16 grams per serving, with 15 of those coming directly from sugar. You can always make it sugar-free if you’re concerned. Overall, it’s a lovely treat to add to your morning coffee or cozy tea, giving you that beloved pumpkin spice sweetness without a huge caloric price tag.
Total nutritional content per serving is:
- Calories: 61 calories
- Total Fat: 0 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
- Sodium: 3 mg
- Carbohydrates: 16 grams
- Sugar: 15 grams
*This nutritional information is an estimate and calculated based on the ingredients used to create the recipe. The nutritional value of your ingredients may differ slightly. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
Other Pumpkin Drink Recipes
Homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, stir together the pumpkin puree and spices over medium-low heat. Stirring continuously, cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant and slightly golden.
- Whisk in the water and sugars and continue to whisk until the sugars have dissolved and everything is smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes at room temperature.
- Transfer the syrup to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- **Optional: Allow the syrup to cool in the fridge until it separates, then strain the pumpkin solids out with a fine mesh strainer.
Nutrition
xoxo Megan
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