Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew That Tastes Like a $9 Coffee Shop Order
Cold brew gets the full coffeehouse treatment with a four-minute pumpkin-brown sugar syrup, spiced cold foam, and a cinnamon-sugar rim. About 90 cents a glass, 15 minutes from pantry to pour.
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Mason Jar
- Tall Glass
- Small Plate
- Small Lidded Jar
- Measuring Spoons and Liquid Measuring Cup
Ingredients
Pumpkin Spice Syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
For One Glass
- 1 cup cold brew (or 1/3 cup concentrate plus 2/3 cup water)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin spice syrup
- 1/4 cup cold whole milk or barista oat milk, for the foam
- 1 splash milk for the drink (optional)
- Ice (preferably coffee ice cubes)
For the Cinnamon-Sugar Rim
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional, for stirring)
Instructions
- Make the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the water, brown sugar, pumpkin purée, and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk until the purée breaks apart. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for 4 minutes, whisking once or twice, until glossy. Pull it off the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.
- Cool the syrup: Pour it into a mason jar. Set the jar in a bowl of ice water for about 5 minutes, stirring once, until cool enough that it won't melt all the ice in your glass.
- Prep the rim: Stir the cinnamon-sugar together on a small plate. Brush a thin, even coat of the cooled syrup around the rim, then press the rim into the cinnamon-sugar and rotate. Tap off the excess.
- Build the drink: Fill the glass most of the way with ice. Pour in the cold brew, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the syrup, and stir once. Taste before committing — add the extra half tablespoon only if you want it sweeter.
- Make the foam: Pour the cold milk into a small lidded jar. Add 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin syrup to the milk. Shake hard for 25 to 30 seconds, or use a handheld frother for about 15 seconds.
- Spoon the foam on top: Gently spoon the foam over the surface so it sits on top of the coffee like a lid. Do not pour it — it will sink instead of resting on top.
- Finish it: Dust the foam with a pinch of cinnamon from close range, low and deliberate. Tuck a cinnamon stick against the glass and use it to stir. That's the move.
Notes
Syrup keeps up to 2 weeks in a sealed jar in the fridge, or freeze it in an ice cube tray for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a dairy-free version, use barista blend oat milk in the foam. For a hot pumpkin spice latte, warm 1 cup of milk and stir in 2 tablespoons of syrup. Don't stir the foam in immediately — the contrast between cold foam and coffee is the point. Start with 1 1/2 tablespoons of syrup and add more only after tasting.