Fall means pumpkin spice everything, but I’ve got a simple way to add fall flavors to a pumpkin spice syrup you can use for cocktails and mocktails at home. Some people like to make their own pumpkin pie spice, but if you’re like me, you’ve got some pie spice in the spice rack that needs to be used up. This is a great way to make fast and easy simple syrup to use in delicious fall cocktails.
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What’s in Pumpkin Spice, Anyway?
Pumpkin itself isn’t brimming with flavor, so many people add baking spices to their pumpkin to add flavor and interest to it when they use it in pies. This combination of spices uses added, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, bolster the flavor of the pumpkin.
That spice combination is known now for its use in pumpkin spice lattes. Now you can find everything from pumpkin spice lattes, to cookies to liqueurs.
But adding the flavors of pumpkin spice to a cocktail isn’t hard. All you’ll need is sugar and pumpkin pie spice to make the syrup.
Pumpkin Spice Syrup Uses
Pumpkin spice syrup is easy to make and easy to use in all sorts of ways.
My favorite way to use the pumpkin spice syrup so far is in this gorgeous and delicious Pumpkin Spice Old Fashioned. It’s easily my favorite cocktail for the holidays.
Of course, in cocktails, this is used as the sweet element, so any classic cocktail with a sweet element can use pumpkin spice syrup:
- Old Fashioneds
- Whiskey Sours
- Daiquiris
- Margaritas
- Mojitos
- Boozy Hot Chocolates
- Any cocktail that calls for simple syrup!
In addition, this syrup has plenty of uses in mocktails, both hot and cold as well. Any hot chocolate or hot coffee drink. Even tea can benefit from a little splash of pumpkins spice syrup
It’s also great drizzled on pancakes, waffles, hot biscuits, yeast rolls, sweet potatoes, squash, pork, cooked apples, and more.
Ingredients in a Pumpkin Spice Syrup
While you can choose to create your pumpkin spice syrup by gathering all of the ingredients for the pumpkin spice blend, I find it faster to get the spice blend already mixed.
For this recipe you just need three things:
- Brown sugar: You can use any kind of sugar for this syrup, but brown sugar imparts more of the flavor notes I get with an actual pumpkin pie. White sugar lets the individual spices sing through a bit more, the molasses and slight sugarcane notes from brown sugar pair exceedingly well with the ground cinnamon, clove, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg of the pie spice.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: The exact formula of your pie spice will determine the flavor you’ll taste in your syrup. Store-bought pie spices are perfectly acceptable, and they’re a fast way to make the syrup. But if you prefer a consistent flavor every time, creating your own pie spice will work best for you.
- Water: While you could add even more layers of flavor with chai tea or apple juice, in this case, I use filtered water, not tea or juice.
How to Make a Pumpkin Spice Syrup
I took the easy way out to make this syrup and heated the water in the microwave. You absolutely can make this on the stove. The only difference is that you’ll spend more time heating the water than it takes to heat, mix and let cool.
- Heat the water in the microwave for about 2 minutes, or until lightly bubbling.
- Add the brown sugar and the pumpkin pie spice.
- Whisk briskly and stir until everything has dissolved.
- Run the syrup through a fine metal seive.
- Let cool completely and store in the fridge. Note: I did not need to strain mine because my spice mix was very fine).
Tips and Tricks to Make Pumpkin Spice Syrup
If you want a thicker, more concentrated syrup, put the pumpkin pie spice syrup on the stove on medium-low heat until it cooks down to the consistency you are looking for.
You can choose different sugars as the base for the syrup. Just as you can choose white sugar, demerara sugar, or brown sugar, you could choose to use maple syrup, sorghum, honey or caramel as a base for the pumpkin pie spice.
If you are picky about the exact flavors included in your pumpkin spice blend, make your own.
Other Cocktails and Recipes You Might Enjoy
Recommended Bar Tools
You don’t need every slick, beautiful bar tool out there, but there are several I’ll recommend. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. However, that does not affect the cost of the items below.) My favorite pieces usually come from the Cocktail Kingdom section of Amazon:
You may already have these bar essentials, but just in case:
Pumpkin Spice Syrup for Cocktails and Drinks
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1.5 Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
Instructions
- Heat water in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until bubbling slightly.
- Add brown sugar and pumpkin spice and whisk until sugar is dissolved and spices are integrated.
- Let cool to room temperature. Strain through a metal sieve if clumps are still present in the syrup.
- Store in the fridge.
