Make your own pumpkin spice latte at home with this easy pumpkin spice syrup recipe. Satisfy your craving with this delicious flavoring to your coffee or espresso!
Through the many years, we've enjoyed this pumpkin spice syrup recipe for hot coffee, cold brew and pumpkin spice lattes. We keep this syrup next to our coffee machine through the fall and winter seasons and have made countless delicious coffee drinks with it!
Why Homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Yes, pumpkin syrup is readily available to buy at most grocery stores, but we prefer to make it homemade because it's so simple! Homemade tastes better, too. Once you learn how easy this recipe is, you'll be so glad because when you run out, you can quickly make more!
Ingredients and Instructions
Our pumpkin syrup includes pumpkin puree as an ingredient, unlike Starbucks' original recipe. (I've learned they reinvented their recipe years ago, however, to include actual pumpkin at the suggestion of many customers.)
Here's What You Need:
- Water and sugar -- This is the base for any simple syrup recipe. We use granulated sugar, but you can use brown sugar for a deeper molasses taste.
- Cinnamon sticks -- Do not use ground cinnamon as it will overpower the syrup and make it too spicy. If you feel like cinnamon sticks are too expensive, think again! We reuse the same ones over and over again!
- Pumpkin puree -- Make sure you use pure pumpkin puree and not the already spiced version.
- Pumpkin pie spice -- Ground nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
You can add a splash of vanilla extract, but I don't think it's necessary.
Here's How To Make It:
- Heat the water and sugar in a small saucepan until sugar is dissolved.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 6 minutes.
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve lined with one paper towel.
- Let cool before transferring to storage bottle.
How to Store Pumpkin Spice Syrup
You can store the pumpkin syrup on the countertop in a glass jar (as photographed) or mason jar, but I keep ours in a plastic squeeze bottle. This makes it easy for anyone, kids included, to flip the bottle over and squeeze their desired amount without feeling like they'll break it.
Serving Suggestions
See the recipe notes below for how to make various coffee drinks with this syrup. The first time I made this homemade pumpkin spice syrup, I added it to my homemade cold brew coffee. Served over ice cubes, it was the perfect kick-start to my morning! The next day, at the advice of a friend, I mixed the same concoction in my blender for a frozen version.
This pumpkin spice syrup is not reserved solely for coffee and espresso. It's true! If you do not like lattes or coffee drinks - or you prefer cold drinks over hot, whatever your preference - you can probably find use for this syrup. Some readers told us they poured some in their hot cocoa and tea! You can even drizzle it onto your pancakes, french toast or ice cream!
Create your own copycat recipe of Starbucks' favorite treat, blend it into your iced coffee, stir it into a glass of milk or splash some into some hot chocolate. If you get even more creative, let me know how you end up putting this divine syrup to use! But, most of all...enjoy!!
Made this Recipe?
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This article was originally published September 2011 and updated November 2022 with new photos and recipe tips, but no changes to the recipe ingredients.
Photography by Lindsay Evers
Recipe Card
Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 4 cinnamon sticks
Instructions
- Heat the water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved. Use a whisk to stir in the pumpkin and spices. Add the cinnamon sticks. Turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Try not to let the mixture come to a boil.
- Line a fine mesh strainer with one paper towel and set over a large heat-proof measuring cup. Pour the syrup through the paper towel lined strainer and let strain completely.
- Let cool, then pour the strained syrup into a storage bottle. Store at room temperature for up to 1 month, or in the fridge for longer. Use at desired in coffee or non-coffee beverages.
Notes
To make a hot pumpkin spice latte:
Stir together 1 ½ tablespoons of syrup to each shot of espresso. Add frothed milk and stir to combine.To make an iced pumpkin spice latte:
Stir together 1 ½ tablespoons of syrup for each shot of espresso, then add desired amount of cold milk. Serve over ice cubes.To make a pumpkin spice iced coffee:
Stir together ½ cup of milk , ½ cup coffee, and ¼ cup syrup. Serve over ice.To make a pumpkin spice cold foam brew:
Froth together ¼ cup of half and half or desired cream with 3 to 4 tablespoons of pumpkin syrup. Fill glass with ice, add cold brew filling about ¾th of the glass. Pour pumpkin spice cold foam over top and allow it to drip down through the coffee and blend.To make a pumpkin spice frozen blended coffee:
Stir together ½ cup of milk to ½ cup toddy (cold brew coffee), and then mix in ¼ cup syrup. Pour into a blender, add 2 cups ice and mix until well blended. Optional: Add a teaspoon of white chocolate powder when blending.Other serving options:
Add a splash of syrup to hot coffee, hot cocoa, smoothie, etc. (Nutrition information is an estimate only and provided as a courtesy.)Nutrition
