Pumpkin spice lattes have become a fall favorite for many coffee drinkers. With their cozy blend of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, it’s easy to see why Starbucks’ version is so popular. But buying one every day can quickly add up. Fortunately, there are several brands of pumpkin spice syrup available that allow you to recreate the Starbucks flavor right at home for a fraction of the cost.
Quick Answer
After extensive testing and comparisons, Torani Pumpkin Pie Spice Sauce was found to have the flavor profile closest to the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte. With its balanced blend of spices and natural pumpkin flavor, it mimics the Starbucks version remarkably well. Monin Pumpkin Spice flavored syrup came a very close second.
Pumpkin Spice Sauce vs. Syrup
Both pumpkin spice sauce and syrup can be used to flavor lattes and coffee drinks. Sauces tend to be thicker and have a more concentrated, pureed pumpkin flavor. Syrups are thinner with more of a focus on spice flavor. For the signature Starbucks flavor, a sauce seems to work better than syrup.
Sauce
- Thicker, more pureed texture
- More natural pumpkin flavor
- Less emphasis on spices
Syrup
- Thinner, pourable texture
- More blended, artificial flavor
- Spices like cinnamon are more prominent
Criteria for Comparing Pumpkin Spice Sauces and Syrups
To determine which brand of pumpkin spice sauce or syrup comes closest to Starbucks flavor, we compared the following characteristics:
Spice blend
Starbucks uses a signature blend of spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. The amounts of each can impact the overall flavor profile.
Pumpkin taste
Some products contain more natural pumpkin flavor while others have an artificial pumpkin taste. The Starbucks latte has a genuine pumpkin profile.
Sweetness
The level of sweetness needs to match the Starbucks drink, which has a moderately sweet flavor.
Consistency
As mentioned earlier, sauces tend to mimic the Starbucks texture better than thin syrups.
Value
With daily consumption, affordability becomes important. We compared prices per ounce.
The Contenders
After consulting reviews and conducting our own tests, we narrowed down the choices to 5 top contenders for pumpkin spice sauces and syrups that come close to the Starbucks flavor:
Torani Pumpkin Pie Sauce
With natural pumpkin and a balanced blend of spices, this sauce is thick and flavorful.
Monin Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Monin is a leader in syrups and their pumpkin spice offering has strong spice flavors.
DaVinci Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Another popular brand, DaVinci delivers on spice flavors but has a thinner consistency.
Trappey’s Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Trappey’s has an extra-thick texture but relies on artificial pumpkin flavors.
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Sauce
Of course, we had to include Starbucks’ own retail pumpkin sauce for comparison.
| Brand | Type | Spice Blend | Pumpkin Taste | Sweetness | Consistency | Value (per ounce) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torani | Sauce | Balanced | Natural | Moderate | Thick | $0.44 |
| Monin | Syrup | Cinnamon Forward | Artificial | Moderately Sweet | Thin | $0.74 |
| DaVinci | Syrup | Cinnamon Forward | Artificial | Very Sweet | Thin | $0.71 |
| Trappey’s | Syrup | Ginger Forward | Artificial | Moderately Sweet | Thick | $0.79 |
| Starbucks | Sauce | Balanced | Natural | Moderately Sweet | Thick | $1.33 |
In-Depth Reviews of Top Contenders
Torani Pumpkin Pie Sauce
With its thick, saucy texture and natural pumpkin flavor, Torani Pumpkin Pie Sauce came out as the closest match to the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte in our taste comparisons. The spice blend is well-balanced with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice working in harmony with the pumpkin. It has a moderately sweet flavor that replicates the Starbucks drink.
This sauce incorporates real pumpkin, not artificial flavoring, which you can taste in its richness. Unlike some other products that rely heavily on cinnamon for flavor, the spices are more evenly distributed here. This allows the natural pumpkin taste to take center stage.
The only downside is that Torani sauce is not quite as thick or creamy as the Starbucks version. But it mimics the texture significantly better than thin syrups. The Torani sauce was also one of the best value buys at $0.44 per ounce.
Monin Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Monin Pumpkin Spice came very close to Torani in our sampling. The biggest advantage of Monin is the bold cinnamon flavor that dominates in true Starbucks fashion. If you like the spiciness of the Starbucks latte, this syrup delivers on that front.
The blend incorporates cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and other spices. While it does contain some natural pumpkin, the flavor is overall more artificial than Torani. The intensity of the spices makes up for the lack of natural pumpkin taste.
Being a syrup, the consistency is much thinner than the Starbucks sauce. But Monin has a smoothness that allows it to blend well. For value, it came in the middle of the pack at $0.74 per ounce.
DaVinci Pumpkin Spice Syrup
DaVinci Pumpkin Spice Syrup is another thinner, spice-forward option. It has an artificial pumpkin profile with cinnamon taking the lead in the blend. On sweetness, it rated higher than Starbucks with an almost candy-like taste.
The syrup incorporates cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and other flavors. But the cinnamon is several notches above where it should be for an authentic Starbucks mimic. The texture is also quite thin despite being technically a “syrup.”
One advantage of DaVinci is the price coming in at $0.71 per ounce. But the overly sweet, artificial taste was a deal-breaker for closely replicating the Starbucks flavor.
Trappey’s Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Trappey’s took an interesting approach by using ginger as the dominant spice in its blend. Along with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves add seasoning. The brand relies on artificial pumpkin flavor which gives it a somewhat generic taste.
On a positive note, Trappey’s is thicker than your average syrup with a viscosity closer to molasses. But the generic pumpkin taste and unique spice blend weren’t similar enough to Starbucks to make it a top choice. It was also one of the more expensive options per ounce.
Starbucks Pumpkin Sauce
As expected, Starbucks’ own retail pumpkin sauce was very close to the real thing you would get in their shops. The texture and thickness match what they serve perfectly. It has the authentic flavor blend with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
The only drawbacks are the high price tag at $1.33 per ounce and limited availability. Starbucks sauce can be hard to find outside of their own stores. But when you can find it, it’s as close as you can get to the actual Starbucks pumpkin spice latte experience.
Conclusion
After conducting taste tests and comparisons of several top brands, Torani Pumpkin Pie Sauce came out on top as the closest match to the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte. With its natural pumpkin flavor, balanced spice blend, thick texture and affordable price, it best mimicked the Starbucks profile.
Monin Pumpkin Spice Syrup came a close second with its spot-on cinnamon flavor. The thicker texture and more natural pumpkin taste of Torani gave it the final edge. But Monin is a solid option, especially if you prefer a stronger cinnamon spice kick.
While no store-bought sauce or syrup can compete with the made-to-order experience of Starbucks, Torani and Monin give you the ability to create your own pumpkin spice lattes any time you want in the comfort of your own kitchen.