With fall in full swing, pumpkin flavored everything is back on the shelves. Two popular pumpkin flavored syrups from Torani are their pumpkin pie and pumpkin spice varieties. But what exactly is the difference between the two? Let’s take a closer look.
What is Torani?
Torani is an American company that makes flavor syrups, sauces, and beverage bases. Founded in 1925, they are best known for their extensive line of flavored syrups used to customize coffee drinks and other beverages. In addition to their original flavors, Torani also makes seasonal and limited edition syrups for holidays like fall and winter.
Some of Torani’s most popular syrups include:
- Vanilla
- Caramel
- Hazelnut
- Raspberry
- Pumpkin spice
- Pumpkin pie
Torani syrups are made with natural flavors and cane sugar. Their syrups are versatile and can be used to flavor everything from coffee and tea to milkshakes and cocktails. Torani’s pumpkin flavored syrups are especially popular during fall and winter.
Pumpkin Pie Syrup
Torani’s pumpkin pie syrup aims to capture all the flavors of a classic slice of pumpkin pie. It contains flavors like:
- Pumpkin
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Allspice
- Ginger
- Clove
These spices evoke the taste of a flaky, freshly baked pumpkin pie. Torani’s pumpkin pie syrup has a rich, creamy pumpkin taste with notes of brown sugar. It’s like liquid pumpkin pie you can add to your favorite fall beverages or baked goods. The cinnamon and spice flavors are noticeable, but more subdued than Torani’s pumpkin spice syrup.
Uses for pumpkin pie syrup
Here are some ways to use Torani pumpkin pie syrup:
- Add to coffee, lattes, and other espresso drinks
- Mix into chai tea or steamers
- Make pumpkin spice lattes at home
- Flavor milkshakes and smoothies
- Top pancakes, waffles, and French toast
- Mix into oatmeal or yogurt
- Add to cocktails like pumpkin martinis
- Fold into whipped cream or frosting
- Bake into cookies, cakes, and other desserts
Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Torani pumpkin spice syrup focuses more on the traditional “pumpkin spice” flavors. It contains:
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Ginger
- Allspice
- Cloves
These spices are blended with natural flavors to create a syrup that is heavy on the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. The pumpkin flavor is more subtle than the spice blend. Torani’s pumpkin spice syrup has a bold, aromatic pumpkin spice taste. It will make any drink taste just like a pumpkin spice latte.
Uses for pumpkin spice syrup
Here are some ways to use Torani’s pumpkin spice syrup:
- Add to lattes and coffee drinks
- Mix into steamers and chai tea
- Make DIY pumpkin spice lattes
- Flavor milk, milkshakes, hot chocolate
- Add to oatmeal, yogurt, or cereal
- Blend into smoothies
- Bake into sugar cookies, muffins, and quick breads
- Mix into frosting and whipped cream
- Drizzle over ice cream
Pumpkin Pie vs. Pumpkin Spice: Flavor Comparison
So what’s the main difference between Torani’s pumpkin pie and pumpkin spice syrups? Here’s a quick flavor breakdown:
| Pumpkin Pie | Pumpkin Spice |
|---|---|
| Rich, creamy pumpkin flavor | Subtle pumpkin flavor |
| Notes of brown sugar | No brown sugar tones |
| Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger are more subdued | Bolder spice flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger |
| Tastes like pumpkin pie filling | Tastes like a pumpkin spice latte |
As you can see, pumpkin pie syrup really focuses on that velvety pumpkin taste while letting the supporting spice flavors shine through subtly. Pumpkin spice syrup is all about the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and other spices that embody the “pumpkin spice” flavor profile. Pumpkin takes more of a backseat.
Which should you choose?
So which Torani syrup should you choose for your fall drinks and treats? Here are some tips:
- If you love the flavor of pumpkin pie filling and want creamy pumpkin taste up front, choose pumpkin pie syrup.
- If you prefer bolder, more aromatic pumpkin spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, go for pumpkin spice syrup.
- Use pumpkin pie syrup in baked goods where you want pronounced pumpkin flavor like cakes, cookies, muffins.
- Use pumpkin spice syrup to flavor beverages when you want a true pumpkin spice latte taste.
- Mix the two together for the best of both worlds!
You really can’t go wrong with either Torani syrup. It just depends on whether your pumpkin cravings skew more towards spice or actual pumpkin flavor. Why not pick up a bottle of each and do your own taste test?
Other Torani Fall Flavors
In addition to pumpkin spice and pumpkin pie, Torani makes other flavored syrups perfect for fall:
Salted Caramel
This syrup combines the sweet taste of caramel with a hint of salt, evoking the flavor of gourmet salted caramel candies and sauces. It’s delicious in coffee, baked goods, milkshakes, and more.
Toasted Marshmallow
Just like an ooey, gooey roasted marshmallow straight off the campfire. This syrup is tasty blended into coffee drinks, steamers, hot chocolate, milkshakes, and desserts.
Butter Toffee
With flavors similar to English toffee candy, this syrup has notes of brown butter and sweet toffee. Delicious drizzled over ice cream sundaes too.
Amaretto
Capture the flavor of the classic almond liqueur in syrup form. Try using amaretto syrup to make grown-up coffee drinks and cocktails.
Caramel Apple
A sweet and tart syrup that tastes just like a fresh caramel apple on a stick. Great for both hot and cold beverages as well as fall baked treats.
Crème Brûlée
All the flavors of the classic French dessert – rich vanilla custard with a crispy caramelized sugar topping. Yum in coffee drinks, drizzled over ice cream, or in milkshakes.
Other Brands of Pumpkin Syrup
In addition to Torani, some other brands that make pumpkin flavored syrups include:
- Monin
- DaVinci
- Skinny Syrups
- Jordan’s Skinny Mixes
- Sonoma Syrup Co.
- Solstice Sugar Free Syrups
- Walden Farms
Each brand offers their own take on pumpkin flavor syrups. Like Torani, most brands have both a pumpkin pie and pumpkin spice variety. When using other brands, keep in mind that the flavor and sweetness levels may differ from Torani’s syrups. The best advice is to try out a few different brands of pumpkin syrups to discover your favorites.
Adding Pumpkin Syrups to Drinks
It’s easy to mix up delicious pumpkin flavored drinks at home using Torani or other brands of pumpkin pie and pumpkin spice syrups. Here are a few tips for adding them to beverages:
- Start with 1-2 pumps or teaspoons of syrup per 8 oz of the beverage
- Adjust the amount of syrup to taste based on your sweetness preference
- Add syrup to hot coffee, tea, steamers, and chocolate
- Mix into cold milk or non-dairy milk like almond, oat, soy
- Blend into smoothies, shakes, and frappes
- Flavor cocktails like pumpkin martinis and pumpkin beer
- Top foamy milk drinks with a drizzle of syrup
- For extra spice, add a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg on top
Pumpkin syrups mix well with coffee, chocolate, and fall spice flavors like cinnamon and nutmeg. Feel free to get creative with combinations in hot and cold seasonal drinks.
Baking with Pumpkin Syrup
Pumpkin syrup is a handy secret ingredient to use in baked goods:
- Add to cake, cupcake, muffin, quick bread, pancake, or waffle batter
- Mix into cookie doughs and bars
- Brush syrup over doughs before baking for extra flavor and sheen
- Use in pie fillings like pumpkin, pecan, or chocolate
- Fold into whipped cream or buttercream frosting
- Drizzle over the top of finished desserts
Start by substituting 1-4 tablespoons of pumpkin syrup in place of extracts like vanilla or almond. Add more or less to achieve your ideal pumpkin flavor. The syrup helps keep baked goods extra moist too.
DIY Pumpkin Syrup Recipe
You can easily whip up your own homemade pumpkin syrup using this easy recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently
- Once simmering, reduce heat and let mixture thicken for 5-10 minutes
- Remove from heat and let cool completely
- Transfer to an airtight container or bottle
- Store refrigerated for up to 2 weeks
This easy homemade version uses real pumpkin for an authentic flavor. Customize it by playing around with the spices.
Conclusion
Pumpkin pie and pumpkin spice syrups from Torani deliciously elevate all kinds of fall drinks and baked goods. Pumpkin pie syrup spotlights creamy pumpkin flavor while pumpkin spice syrup focuses on that signature blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Which one you choose comes down to whether you want more actual pumpkin taste or bolder spices. Or go ahead and enjoy both! With endless ways to use them, these syrups make it easy to get your pumpkin fix all season long.
