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This Homemade Winter Spice Syrup is the perfect way to make spiced lattes at home! This healthier homemade coffee syrup is refined sugar-free, sweetened with maple syrup, and flavored with cinnamon, cloves, and orange.
This year for Christmas, my partner got us an espresso machine. A fancy one. It’s sent me on a journey of learning an entirely new espresso lingo and becoming obsessed with making a perfect espresso. But in the meantime, they almost all taste good as a latte. Which means: it’s time for more homemade coffee syrups!
I love the flavors I’ve made before. This healthy pumpkin spice syrup started my love of homemade coffee syrups, and the apple syrup solidified it. This winter, I made a gingerbread spice syrup that’s now firmly in the rotation.
But one of my favorite local coffee shops makes a winter spice latte, and I was determined to recreate the syrup they use so I could make my own winter spice lattes at home. While I’m not sure of their exact ingredients, I do know that what I created is similar in taste, easy to make, and absolutely delicious.
With the warm, wintery flavors of maple syrup, cinnamon, cloves, and orange, this winter spice latte is going to be your new favorite way to sip on your coffee. It’s also great with milk or tea if you don’t drink coffee (or for the kids). Hope you love it!
Ingredients for winter spice syrup
- Water: I use filtered water to thin out the syrup.
- Maple Syrup: for sweetness! You can use another sugar if preferred (or another liquid sweetener) but I love the flavor of the maple syrup. If using a granulated sweetener, add 1/2 cup more of water.
- Orange Zest & Juice: the fresh orange flavor infused by the zest and juice add an extra dimension of citrus notes that make this syrup so delicious.
- Ground Cinnamon & Cloves: you can also use whole cinnamon sticks and cloves to infuse the flavors of the spices.
- Vanilla Extract: stir this in at the end for the most vanilla flavor.
How to make winter spice coffee syrup
Combine the water, maple syrup, spices, orange juice & zest in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer.
Let cook at a low boil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until very slightly thickened.
Remove from the heat and add vanilla extract. Let cool for a few minutes.
Use a strainer to remove any bits of spice & zest, and pour into a jar for storage.
How to store homemade syrups
Store this winter spice syrup in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
How to make a homemade winter spice latte
Making winter spice lattes is one of my favorite things to do with this homemade winter spice syrup! To make one:
- Warm milk of choice in the microwave, heat in a frother (this milk frother is the one I use), or use the steam wand of your espresso machine.
- If you’re using a milk frother or steam wand, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of spiced syrup to milk while it froths. If heating in the microwave, add the winter spice syrup after the milk is heated and use a handheld frother or whisk to mix it in.
- Pour the spiced milk over espresso or coffee and enjoy immediately!
Want more coffee syrups?
Healthy Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Make your own Healthy Pumpkin Spice Syrup, perfect for making your own vegan pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin chai lattes, or for drizzling on top of pancakes! It’s dairy-free, vegan, and refined sugar-free.
Homemade Gingerbread Syrup
This Homemade Gingerbread Syrup is the perfect way to make healthier gingerbread lattes at home! It’s refined sugar-free and sweetened with maple syrup and coconut sugar. So good drizzled on pancakes, waffles, and ice cream!
How To Make Homemade Apple Syrup
Follow these easy instructions to make delicious apple syrup at home. It’s perfect for mixing into drinks, drizzling on pancakes and waffles, or adding to oatmeal! Made with just 2 simple ingredients (with some options for extra flavor) it’s easy and quick to make on the stovetop in a saucepan.
Winter Spice Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup maple syrup, you can also use a granulated sweetener like brown sugar, coconut sugar, etc. If so, increase water to 1 cup
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, you can also infuse with whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- One orange, zested and juiced
Instructions
- Combine the water, maple syrup, spices, orange juice & zest in a saucepan. Stir to mix in the spices and bring to a simmer.1 cup maple syrup, ½ cup water, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, One orange
- Let cook at a simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until very slightly thickened. It will thicken up a little bit more as it cools.
- Remove from the heat and add vanilla extract. Let cool for a few minutes.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Use a strainer to remove any bits of spice & zest (I like to use a funnel strainer to do this all in one step), and pour it into a jar for storage.
- Use a tablespoon or two in all of your favorite lattes, add it to tea, or steam it with warm milk for a cozy drink!
- Store in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Oh my goodness, my favorite thing I’ve ever put in my coffee. This is going to be on repeat!!! The orange is sooo good.
I’m high-key OBSESSED with it!!
This is outstanding!
So glad you love it, Roberta!
Is this thick enough to have o pancakes?
Hi Tosha, this syrup is a bit thinner than some of my others but you could reduce it for longer or use less water to have a thicker syrup that would work well for pancakes. You could even just leave out the water to have a flavorful maple syrup.
Thank you!
I’ve now made this twice. First time, the flavors were good, but I really didn’t taste the maple. Second time, I used the brown sugar option added 1 tsp. Maple Flavoring at the end (with the vanilla). This was better IMO, even though it is delicious either way. My son called it a “Mulled Latte”.
Hi Mrs T, how odd you didn’t taste the maple with a full cup in there! Was the maple you were using more mild in flavor and color? The quality of the maple will definitely have an impact on there. Glad you enjoyed it regardless!
In your instructions for your Winter Spice Latte you said add the gingerbread syrup. Not a major problem but it stoppedthe flow ofreading
Whoops just a typo when writing the post, all fixed! Thanks for pointing that out :)
Can you link your cute glass bottles!? I want to store the syrup the same way! I love with with lids without the red gasket
Hi Morgan, these specific ones were from Target dollar spot a few years back, but here are similar ones on Amazon! (affiliate link)
Really nice coffee syrup. I used the brown sugar instead of maple as I prefer that taste. Makes my weekend coffee an extra special treat
So glad you’re loving it, Christine! This is one of my favorites as well.
Is there a breakdown of sugar a calories available per tablespoon of this syrup? I’ve been making it at home with the maple syrup, it’s one of my favorites!
Hi Christina, just added the nutritional info at the bottom of the recipe card for you!
I’ve made this with oranges, and blood oranges and it’s even better with blood oranges!! Highly recommend trying. Also I use the juice of 2 oranges instead of 1 for more orange taste. I’ve made this syrup so many times now it’s one of my faves.
So glad you’re loving it, sounds so fabulous with blood oranges! I’ll have to try that soon.