It’s November, which means pumpkin spice everything has been around for 2 months now. As someone who grew up loving pumpkin anything, long before pumpkin spice was a thing, I really don’t mind the craze. For me though, pumpkin is a food that should be celebrated in November, when Thanksgiving and pumpkin pie are most prominent, hence the reason for sharing this recipe now (It’s definitely not because moving halfway around the world, being new homeowners and filling the important role of Matron of Honor in your sister’s wedding pushes back all of your blogging timelines. Definitely not because of that.) Living in Japan for the past three years meant that we missed out on most of the pumpkin spice things, as their version of the pumpkin craze is much different than America’s (you can read about it here). For the most part, I was totally ok with that, but the thing I missed most was pumpkin spice in my latte (or Americano, if you really know me). I’ve always loved putting cinnamon in my coffee so adding pumpkin spice syrup is even better for this pumpkin loving girl. The only thing that really bothers me about the syrup from coffee shops is, what the heck is in it? Why does it turn my coffee orange?!? As someone who prefers a more natural approach to food and loves to try out recipes, I decided to develop my own pumpkin spice syrup. It’s been in the works for the past few years, so I wasn’t totally deprived in Japan, but I finally hit on my perfect version this year.
There are a lot of recipes for homemade syrup out there on Google already, but all of them were underwhelming to me. I love A LOT of spice when it comes to warm drinks, so I added fresh ginger to give it that extra punch. You’ll probably notice that my version has a higher spice to syrup ratio in general. That’s mostly because I don’t like my drinks super sweet, so I want to get as much flavor out of as little syrup as I can. I also replaced some of the regular sugar with brown sugar to give it a little more of a caramel taste (because pumpkin and caramel are better together). The best part is, you’ll recognize all of the ingredients in this recipe and it only takes about 20 minutes to make! Mix this deliciously spicy syrup into your morning coffee or tea or bring a little along to add to your favorite coffee shop drink (plus, you’ll save yourself some money too). You’re definitely not going to want to go through the rest of November without this pumpkin spice syrup in your life!
Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely minced or grated
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 tablespoons fresh pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine water and sugars in a medium saucepan.
- Heat over medium-high heat until sugar has completely dissolved.
- Add cinnamon sticks, ginger, remaining spices and pumpkin puree, whisking to combine.
- Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, without letting the mixture come to a boil.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before straining the syrup through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into the container of your choice.
- Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Add a tablespoon or two (to taste) to your favorite drink, top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and enjoy!
Notes
1. The pictures show a double recipe so don't be concerned if your final version looks like much less!
2. The last couple of times I've made this, I didn't follow my own directions and just threw everything in the saucepan at the same time, except for the vanilla. Luckily, the recipe still turned out great! If you do this, just watch for the mixture to go from very cloudy to somewhat clear (this is when the sugar melts). Cook for 5 minutes after that and follow the recipe from there.
Nutrition for Syrup Only
Serving Size: 2 tablespoons syrup Calories: 100kcal Carbohydrate: 26g Fat: 0g Protein: 0g
Nutrition for Latte with Syrup
Serving Size: 12oz 2% milk latte with 2 tablespoons syrup Calories: 240kcal Carbohydrate: 40g Fat: 5g Protein: 9g
Recipe adapted from Everyday Annie