Pumpkin spice gets its name from the spices used in pumpkin pie, not from pumpkin in the blend. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice can make up the mix, with no pumpkin required.
This syrup uses both pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree. Brown sugar, water, puree, and spices simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, creating a syrup for coffee, tea, pancakes, French toast, oatmeal, and cocktails.
Pumpkin Spice and Pumpkin Are Two Different Ingredients
Pumpkin pie spice combines spices associated with pumpkin pie. Cinnamon often forms the base, joined by nutmeg, cloves, ginger, or allspice depending on the blend.
Pumpkin puree supplies the ingredient missing from the spice jar. Leaving it out still produces a spiced sugar syrup, but the mixture no longer contains pumpkin. The recipe suggests increasing the spices when making that substitution.
Brown Sugar Builds the Syrup Base
Brown sugar replaces the white granulated sugar found in many simple syrups. Its molasses content adds a caramel note that works with pumpkin puree and baking spices.
Add brown sugar, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and water to a saucepan. Whisk the mixture, bring it to a boil, and stir until the sugar dissolves.
Simmer the Syrup for 8 to 10 Minutes
Reduce the heat after the sugar dissolves and simmer the mixture for 8 to 10 minutes. Water evaporates during this stage as the sugar, pumpkin, and spices form a thicker mixture.
Remove the saucepan from the heat once the syrup reaches a pourable consistency. Let it cool before transferring it to a clean jar for refrigerator storage.
Straining Changes What Stays in the Jar
Pumpkin puree leaves solids in the finished syrup, so some recipes strain the mixture before storage. Straining removes those particles and creates a smoother syrup with less sediment at the bottom of the container.
This version skips that step and keeps the puree in the syrup. Straining remains an option when a smoother texture is preferred or when sediment is unwanted in coffee and other drinks.
Pumpkin Puree Changes the Storage Window
Flavored syrup containing pumpkin puree does not have the same storage window as plain sugar-and-water simple syrup. Store this version in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use it within one to two weeks.
The syrup can also be frozen. Its sugar concentration and pumpkin content keep it from becoming a hard block, so expect a thick texture after freezing and let it loosen before use.
Use the Syrup Beyond Coffee
Stir the syrup into coffee or a homemade latte, pour it over pancakes or French toast, or mix it into oatmeal. It can also sweeten Greek yogurt, hot chocolate, or cocktails.
For pumpkin whipped cream, combine a small amount with heavy cream before whipping. The same four-ingredient syrup brings both pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices into recipes that would otherwise use a plain sweetener.
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