Homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Latte season is right around the corner. My favorite fall latte is, you guessed it, the pumpkin spice latte. It’s so rich, creamy, and full of warm fall spices–I can’t get enough of them during the cooler months.
Why spend close to five dollars for a latte at your local coffee shop when you can make your own at home for pennies? This homemade pumpkin spice syrup will provide you with cup after cup of homemade coffee goodness.
This syrup takes a total of 12 minutes to make from start to finish, and you can find most–if not all–the ingredients in your pantry.
I used a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar to make the syrup. I love the caramel notes the brown sugar adds.
Just about every fall spice you can think of goes into this syrup: cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg. The smell that fills your kitchen as the syrup simmers is amazing.
Straining tips:
- Do not boil the syrup once you add the pumpkin puree.
- Strain the mixture while it’s still hot.
- It is crucial that you use a very thin, clean tea towel or a cheesecloth to strain the syrup–paper towels and coffee filters will not work for this recipe. If you’re using a tea towel, you can help the mixture along by gently twisting and squeezing the towel to force the mixture through.
- This syrup requires a bit of surface area in order to strain properly. I use a 7-inch in diameter coarse mesh strainer for this recipe. If you use anything smaller, you’ll risk the pumpkin clogging your strainer because it’s too small.
- The mixture will remain thin after straining–that’s normal. Simple syrup is not meant to be thick like maple syrup.
Let’s not forget about the star of the show here: the pumpkin! It’s what we all want, love, and crave this time of year. A 1/4 cup gets swirled in, adding a rich, creamy texture to the syrup…not to mention the vibrant burnt orange hue.
This syrup can be used for more than just coffee. Add it to maple syrup to jazz up your pancakes. Swirl it in tea. Drizzle it over vanilla ice cream. Stir it in your morning oatmeal. Spoon it over some roasted figs. The possibilities are endless.
Instant fall with every spoonful.
Rich, warm spices and pumpkin puree get combined to create a sweet, fall-inspired simple syrup. The syrup will remain thin after cooking and straining. If you’re using a tea towel to strain the syrup, it is crucial that the tea towel be very thin.
Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Ingredients:
Directions:
122 Comments on “Homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup”
Jennie, you’re a genius! Everyone goes mad for the pumpkin spice lattes. This would be an awesome gift. And are you gonna share how you made/where you got that cute mason jar pump?
I’m going to put together a DIY mason jar tutorial soon. Everyone is asking about them. Thanks, Kim!
I’d be careful about those; the ones they use for soap aren’t always foodsafe plastic. A curet (the kind you’d use for olive oil) might work better, or just dish it out with a spoon.
This is just THE CUTEST! OMG it would make suuuch a good gift!
I’m thinking about giving these away as gifts for Christmas. Thanks!
Fabulous recipe, Jennie! I’m weird…I enjoy both coffee and tea so I think this would be most excellent in tea as well. Love your photos here, too…so inviting with that gorgeous orange-y autumnal glow in the mason jar with that stinkin’ cute pump! Thanks for sharing, girl. Pinning!
Not weird. I swirled this in the the day I made it, and it was fabulous. Thanks, Stacy!
I CAN PRACTICALLY SMELL IT!!
It smells like a cozy log cabin in the middle of the woods. So good!
LOVE this. It would be such a perfect gift to give (that is, if I can stop myself from using it all up ;)).
Thanks, Stephanie! You’re right, you won’t want to share.
Forget standing in line at the coffee shop now!! Wahhoooo!
That’s what I’m talkin’ about!
LOOOOVE this! Girl you are going to save so many people so much money! I also wouldn’t mind this over some pancakes/waffles! PS Where did you get that lovely mason jar dispenser? This would be a great housewarming/hostess gift!
Thanks, Stef! Saving money is always a good thing. I used to spend close to $30 a week on coffee before I started making it at home a few months ago. Now, I buy shoes :) Squirrel helped me make the mason jar. I’ll be putting together a DIY post soon.
This syrup quite literally looks perfect :)
I want to try it!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thanks, Uru!
Wow — what a GREAT idea! I can’t wait to whip up some of this for myself so I can save the time and expense of all my trips to Starbucks. I can see this being delicious at breakfast, over a steaming bowl of oatmeal. Yum!
Thanks, Jamie! I stopped going out for coffee a few months ago. It has saved me so much money.
Yum!! I can’t wait to make this – dittoing the question re: the mason jar pump!
Thanks, Sarah! I’ll have to put together a DIY mason jar post.
This is awesome, Jennie! I’m imagining it in my oatmeal right now!
Thanks, Laura! It would be so good drizzled over oats.
I love how easy this is! I just might have to make this ASAP. Pumpkin is totally appropriate for any time of the year, in my opinion. :)
Thanks, Erin. It takes no time to whip up.
Love this Jennie! Pinning! This is definitely a teacher gift idea!
Oh, wish I had some for my morning coffee!
Looks so scrumptious! Can’t wait to make, but was wondering where I could find cheesecloth? I’m in Virginia, so we mostly have Walmart and Krogers. Let me know where to look! :) so giving these out for gifts! Thank you!!!
Look at Wal Mart’s paint department. They usually have cheesecloth by the painting accessories and wood stains.
Jennie, my coffee thanks you. Like, a LOT.
What an amazing idea this is! I HAVE to try this ASAP!
I love PSLs but certainly not the price tag they come with. Tried to make my coffees more fall-y with sprinkling cinnamon and all spice on top but this syrup will do a much better job at bringing on the fall mood, I am sure :)
What a great idea! I like the idea of making your own, rather than enjoying processed food! :-). This is a pretty delicious time of year…..I love pumpkin anything! What a fun, delicious recipe:-) Hugs, Terra
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I.love.this.so.much. Pumpkin spice lattes are like, almost five bucks for just the tall. I’m totally making this so that I can have delicious cheap coffee at home!
Yeah, let’s boycott the expensive coffee stores. Thanks, Nancy!
This will be made!!!! Pumpkin Spice Lattes are my absolute FAVORITE. Thank you so much for this recipe. Oh, am I ready! :)
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
Thank you so much, Lorelai!
I want to know where you got your mason jar pump…did you make it, or buy it?
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
Hi Lorelai! I made the mason jar pump. I’m going to post a tutorial soon. They were so easy to make. My husband cut a hole through the lid of a mason jar and I cut down a pump and placed it through the hole until it sat flush with the lid. Super easy and super cheap.
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Okay, I was dying to make some of this and gave it a try today. We didn’t have cheesecloth and just found something the best we could. Mine seems to taste pretty good, but seems a lot darker than yours. I love the color of yours. Wondering if the cheesecloth make a difference with the straining and color of the syrup. I would also love the tutorial on the pump. I’m even tempted to buy some on ebay, it’s the cutest idea.
Hi Heidi! I didn’t have any cheesecloth on hand when I made the syrup, so I just strained mine through a clean, thin tea towel. I’m not sure why yours turned out darker than mine. In my photos, my syrup appears lighter b/c it’s in front of the window, allowing the light to pass through the syrup and brighten it. I now have it sitting on my kitchen counter, and it appears darker in color. What did you use to strain the mixture? If too much pumpkin/spices got through, that could be contributing to the darker color. All that matters is that it tastes good. I made the pump and will do a tutorial soon. My husband cut a hole through the lid of a mason jar and I cut down a pump and placed it through the hole until it sat flush with the lid. Super easy and super cheap.
Ohhhh I could definitely use this! I buy too many lattes :/ Just read in the comments about your future DIY pump jar. Can’t wait to read that!
I’ve never had a pumpkin spice latte but I’ve heard a lot about them. Now that I see this syrup I can see what the big deal is. I would love one! Thanks for sharing this awesome syrup!!
I gave this a shot over the weekend. The flavor is AMAZING! However, my color is darker than your beautiful rusty glow.
ALSO and this is where I need some major help… I strained my syrup with a tea towel lined mesh strainer, but it would not strain but a tiny drip at a time. I proceeded to twist the towel over the mesh strainer to make it go faster. I still got a LOT of the pumpkin etc. in the syrup. So, I tried a different thin towel and had it sitting all day yesterday straining… What am I doing wrong? Is it possible that my syrup did not get hot enough because I was so worried about it coming to a boil?
I’m at a loss…please help.
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
Hi Lorelai! I emailed you your response. Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Jennie,
I would love your response to this as well. I made some today and am anxious to try it. I did not have a lot get through the strainer but had the same problem of it straining extremely slow. One drip at a time. Thanks
Hi Susan,
Thanks for stopping by. It’s very crucial that you use a very thin tea towel. I’ve made this syrup several times using a very thin cotton tea towel and haven’t had any trouble getting it to strain. If you still struggle to get the syrup to strain using a tea towel, I would switch to using cheese cloth. It’s also important not to bring the syrup to a boil. If it boils, you run the chance of the syrup becoming too thick to strain. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi Jennie, Thanks so much for the tips. I used a 4 inch fine mesh strainer lined with cheese cloth. The syrup was thin I was careful not to let it boil as in the instructions. I am thinking maybe a larger strainer over a bowl instead of the smaller one directly into the mason jar might help too. The cheesecloth was doubled so maybe it was too much with the fine mesh strainer as well. I did try it in a latte last night and it tasted Great! Thanks for the recipe!
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HI! This looks amazing, but what really grabbed my attention was your zekes’s coffee bag! I work at a farmer’s market that sells zeke’s coffee. I let them know that they were in a food blog. I am sure they would love to know about your product usage!
Thank you so much, Elisheva! Zeke’s Coffee is one of my favorite.
This is a great recipe and thank you for sharing it! So good and easy enough.
Thanks, Cathy!
I just made this and it is absolutely perfect! I plan to mix it into some Swiss buttercream to frost a white chocolate cake. Good thing there is more than necessary for the recipe, so there’s some for my morning coffee :)
Hi Baby June! I’m so happy to hear that you love the syrup. Mixing into buttercream sounds absolutely amazing. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.
Oh my goodness! That’s exactly what I planned to do with it. Did it work out well? I am actually putting it over a pumpkin cake, so double pumpkin for me.
Jennie Thank you. I gonna make this for sure. specially for the pancakes. The kids will love it. I have 2 questions :Can I use cane sugar to make this syrup. how much calorie does the syrup contain. thank you very much.
greetings from Curacao.
Hi Rolenia. I haven’t tried this recipe with cane syrup, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. It might take a little longer for the sugar to dissolve, that’s all. As far as calories, I’m not quite sure. Wow, Curacao. The name alone sounds amazing. Thank you so much for stopping by. Let me know how you like the syrup.
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Awesome recipe! I’m trying it right now. I am wondering though why you stir in the vanilla after as opposed to simmering it with the rest of the ingredients. Any specific reason? Also, did you use whole cloves or ground cloves for the recipe? Thanks!!
Thank you for stopping by. You’re going to love the syrup! I just made a batch yesterday. If you stir in the extract when the mixture is too hot, the vanilla flavor cooks out since extract has a high alcohol content. Stirring it in at the end guarantees a bold vanilla flavor.
Thanks for this great recipe! I made this last year and it tasted great. I am making this again, but I realized I am running into the same problem I had last year. For some reason, it has a thin watery consistency, instead of having the thick syrup texture. Any idea why this is happening? I would appreciate any input. Thanks again for the amazing recipe!
Hi Reagan! Thanks for stopping by and giving my recipes a try. This syrup naturally has a thinner consistency. Since this recipe doesn’t get boiled, it doesn’t thicken like a normal simple syrup would. If the syrup comes to a rolling boil, it would cause the pumpkin purée to curdle.
I hope this answers your concern.
This sounds amazing. i’m doing a iced Coffee bar for a brunch and was wondering how this would work with iced coffee.
Hi Gwen! Yes, most definitely this would taste amazing in iced coffee. Iced coffee is my coffee of choice no matter how hot or cold it is outside. I always add a few squirts to mine in the morning.
Have you considered making this with Honey and Maple instead of the granulated sugars?
I haven’t, Erik, but that’s a good idea. I’ll have to give it a try. Thanks for stopping by!
Just made this! So much better than the weird puree versions that result in a disgusting thick slurry of a coffee. But I have a question. I find the flavour is VERY mild. I was hoping for more of a concentrated pumpkin spice flavour. I have to use A LOT of syrup to get a pumpkin spice flavour, and then the latte is incredibly sweet.
I used cinnamon sticks and whole cloves, could that be the difference?
And I am also curious as to why you add the vanilla after simmering.
Thank you!
Hi Elly! Thank you so much for stopping by. I’m happy to hear you like the syrup. I’m not a fan of chunks in my coffee, so with you. As far as the pumpkin flavor goes, I think it’s lacking because you used whole cloves and cinnamon sticks. I use ground cinnamon and ground cloves for my syrup, and it results in a much more intense flavor. The reason I add the vanilla extract at the end as oppose to simmering it is because extracts are naturally made with alcohol. Adding it at the end ensures a bold vanilla flavor. Simmering it with the rest of the ingredients would cause the flavor dull. I hope this helps!
When you made this did you use light or dark brown sugar? The batch I tried to make this morning has dark in it, I think I may have left it on the heat too long….in step 2 I kept it on low heat for 8 minutes but I didn’t notice it thicken at all so I turned it up a little and left it on for a few more minutes, it got so thick I couldn’t strain it :( it came out very strong, I’ll have to try again.
Hi Dean,
Thanks for stopping by. I have used both dark and light brown sugar. My last batch is made with dark brown. I don’t think it’s the sugar causing the problem. I think it’s because you boiled the syrup. This particular syrup shouldn’t thicken too much. It’s naturally a thinner syrup. The reason I don’t boil the syrup is to prevent the pumpkin purée from curdling and the syrup getting too thick to strain. Try not to boil the mixture next time. A gentle simmer is encouraged.
Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!
Help??
I tried this recipe tonight. I wanted to use most of a 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree so I multiplied the recipe by 6 (I’ve gotten lots of requests for this from hubby and friends). I did not boil the mixture but I am having a HECK of a time trying to strain it…. I am using a coffee filter, but it quickly gets clogged up and stops dripping (Same with paper towels). I have not been able to strain more than a tablespoon.
Did I maybe not cook it long enough? The mixture got hot, but did not actually simmer. I left it on for 8-10 mins, but I did not want to overdo it.
I also tried using a small mesh tea strainer, but it got clogged up so quickly. I feel like there is no efficient way to strain this, and there is about 2 liters of syrup :( I am not giving up, yet. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Should I warm up the mixture before attempting to strain it? Should I use cloth to strain it? I am not willing to go out and buy special equipment…
Hi Alexandra,
Thanks for stopping by. With that much syrup, it’s going to require a large coarse mesh strainer lined with cheese cloth or a thin tea towel. The pumpkin purée is what’s preventing the mixture from straining. A coffee filter or small tea strainer will not work with this syrup. Since you used so much pumpkin, try lining a colander with a thin tea towel or cheesecloth if you don’t have a large mesh strainer. I usually help my syrup along if I’m using a tea towel by gently twisting and squeezing the towel. I’ve made this syrup at least 2 dozen times and I’ve never had an issue straining it. I’m so sorry you’re experiencing problems.
Let me know if any of my suggestions help.
I appreciate you taking the time to reply back- thank you. I like the idea of working with a cheese cloth or tea towel, as I know it won’t burst. That happened a couple times when I was trying to use paper towels.. so frustrating!! I guess I have to just go out and get a cloth. I don’t have any around here for some reason. I will let you know if I have more problems/ to tell you that it worked. Thanks again!
Update: So after trying a few methods, I found that if I just let the mixture sit for a bit, that all the spices and pumpkin settle to the bottom, and I can just (carefully) pour out a nice, clear, lovely syrup!! Yay!
Do you find that you are getting a lot of “pulp” left over after you’ve strained with a tea towel?
I get about a 1/3 cup of pulp leftover in the tea towel after straining. I’m so happy you were able to get your syrup to strain. Yay! Enjoy your coffee.
Hi Jennie – This sounds delicious…I’ll definitely be trying it this weekend! I just have 1 question, how does the flavor change when using the light brown sugar vs the dark brown sugar?
Thanks!
Amanda
Hi, I have a question.
We don’t have readymade pumpkin puree in my country, so could someone tell me what that puree has in it. Is it just pumpkin and nothing else?
I will definitely try to make this once I’m on the clear about the pumpkin puree ingredient(s). Making the puree will be no problem. (:
Hi Johanna! Thanks for stopping by. The pumpkin puree is just pumpkin, nothing else. I’m sure you could bake a pumpkin and make your own puree. Or, you could try the syrup without of the pumpkin puree and just the spices. It’s the spices that give the syrup that classic pumpkin pie flavor. Let me know if you have any other questions. Happy baking!
Thank you for your reply! I appreciate all the advice!
I quadrupled the recipe and had the same problem with straining. I have tried cheese cloth, to no avail. My jelly bag isn’t even doing it. I guess this is a small batch recipe!
Hi Sabine,
I’m so sorry to hear that you had trouble straining the syrup. I haven’t tried quadrupling the recipe. I can only assume that you would need a larger surface area (a large strainer) when straining the syrup since there would be a lot more pulp. If you want to continue with a larger batch next time, I would try lining a colander with cheesecloth or a thin tea towel to accommodate the pulp.
I used a large strainer, it still didn’t get the pumpkin out. In the end I just used it with the pumpkin still in it. It was still delicious, just very thick.
I just made this recipe for the first time. I halved the water and sugar, but not the spices and vanilla extract. I wanted more flavour but less sugar. It worked just fine. That way if someone wants more sugar they can add it myself. It was sweet enough for me.
I too used dark brown sugar and it turned out quite dark. If I were to give it away I’d use light brown sugar. But it’s oh so good.
I used cheesecloth and it worked out just fine. At the end of the straining process, I brought up the corners of the cheesecloth and squeezed it a bit. I think I’ll use the leftover puree in pumpkin muffins or pancakes. Hate throwing food away.
*They can add it themselves.
Hi Jen B,
I’m so happy to hear that you like the syrup and that it turned out perfectly for you, even with the changes. This syrup makes great gifts for the holidays. Enjoy your coffee! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Thanks again for the recipe. I brought syrup to our small group from church, about 10 people, and it was a hit!!! The syrup is a much better choice to make than a creamer, because one can add their own style of creamer. Besides it lasts longer in the fridge.
Oh and I used the leftover pumpkin puree in pumpkin bread and it too turned out fine.
Can’t wait to try this recipe. I can have my pmpkin spice coffee all winter. Thank you. Can this recipe be posted on fb
Thanks for the recipe! I actually multiplied it by 6 to make 10 1/2 pint jars as baby shower favors. I had a little left over for myself and it’s AMAZING!
Hi Jessica! Look at you go. What lucky baby shower guests. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment. Happy sipping!
Thanks! They were very well received and I have a feeling they’ll be visiting your blog for the recipe soon!
http://www.jessicafrost.com/blog/2014/11/baby-shower-festivities/
why do you put actual pumpkin in this??? It has no flavor and you strain the texture out…am i missing something?
Hi, I’m back with another question. Thanks for your great answers so far!
I’m about to make the syrup (finally got myself a pumpkin last weekend), but unfortunately I only have vanilla aroma and not vanilla extract. Since it’s not the Real Thing, I wonder if I can use the same amount? Will it ruin everything?
I did find out that I could make my own vanilla extract, but that would take another month, and I kind of need this syrup made now. Wow, I was so sure I could easily get some vanilla extract over here, but I was wrong. :\
No problem, Johanna. It’s my pleasure. I just did a bit of research, and it looks like vanilla extract and vanilla aroma are one in the same. Some say vanilla extract is a bit stronger, maybe use a little less and give it a taste before adding more. Happy syrup making! Let me know if you have any other questions.
I made this today, kept the simmer very low (few bubbles and steady whisps of steam) and when I went to strain it (used double layer cheesecloth in colander) the syrup just ran through the cheesecloth with very little (~2 tsp) being strained out! Kind of the opposite problem most have had:) … Do you think this will be a problem? Did I not cook it on a high enough temp? Will it be gritty? Anyway, the flavor of the little bit in the strainer was wonderful mixed in yogurt! Thanks for all the great recipes.
Thanks for this wonderful Articles and to let you know that’s my first time posting here,but definitely i coming back for more.
great stuff
Great recipe and great to see baltimore represented with some Zekes!!!
What kind of pump top is that? Would love to use this for a shower on Saturday?
Looks yummy! Wondering how long of a shelf life you think this would have?
It will keep on the counter for at least 1 month.
How many jars and size does it make? I think those are 8oz jars in your pictures. Thank you!
Hi Terina! One batch makes a little over 8 ounces. Thanks for stopping by!
This recipe is so yummy and so pumpkin-y! Five stars! I made a few changes though to work with what I had in my house:
I used 25% less sugar and water, let the sugar-water mixture boil a bit to make a thicker syrup, used 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, and didn’t bother straining it. I used it for a homemade latte this morning and it was perfect!
I just made this and it is amazing! Better than Starbucks. This will be my go to pumpkin spice syrup!
Thank you!
I don’t have Instagram or Twitter (fb for life ?) but I made this tonight for my lattes at home, and it’s seriously the best. Way better than my usual Starbucks. Thanks so much!!
Hi there! What is the shelf life for this syrup? Does it need to be refrigerated? Thanks!
Hi there! What is the shelf life for this? Does it need to be refrigerated? Thanks!!
I have question – do you think I can do this with honey? I might bake the pumpkin and make a puree out of it, and then simply mix it with honey and spices, without heating up in order not to lose the nutritional value. Do you think this would work? And that the syrup will last?
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Hi there Jenny,
You’re a godsend! I, like so many, love Pumpkin Spice Lattes, but can’t afford the major dent they leave in my bankaccount. I have been looking for a good PS creamer recipe for years but never found one with a decent shelf life. This syrup is exactly what I needed! Where I live you can’t just buy your own PS syrup, nor can you buy canned pumpkin. So I roasted a small sugar pumpkin yesterday and got to work.
I made sure to puree the pumpkin really fine to avoid strings etc. Though I kept to your times and made sure there was absolutely no boiling, my syrup ended up quite thick – syrupy, if you will ;). As such, I had a little trouble straining but I solved that by putting it back into a pan and adding a little really hot water, mixing well over low heat to dilute the thicker syrup. After that the straining went easier, especially when squeezing the syrup through the towel.
I ended up with a lovely, rich, thick syrup with a gorgeous dark brown color. I am drinking my first latte as we speak and I couldn’t be happier to have my favorite drink right here at home for a fraction of the price!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am going to make my friends so freaking happy by surprising them with a bottle of this liquid gold!
LOVE this recipe! Subtle pumpkin flavor with all the spices of fall! I used a fine mesh strainer because I don’t have a coarse one, and it worked perfectly still! Thank you!
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