Homemade Pumpkin Coffee Creamer

You can make flavorful homemade pumpkin coffee creamer in less than 15 minutes and enjoy it all week long. Made with real pumpkin puree and no artificial flavorings or preservatives, you can feel good about adding a splash to your coffee!

I originally published this recipe in 2015 and have since added new photos and a few more success tips.

glass mug of pumpkin coffee creamer in coffee with whipped cream.

Nothing compares to a steaming-hot cup of coffee on cool mornings. Add some pumpkin coffee creamer and maybe some apple cider donuts, and you have a sweater-weather dream come true.

While there are plenty of pumpkin spice coffee creamers at the grocery store these days, and the pre-made packaged stuff is certainly convenient, homemade pumpkin coffee creamer is surprisingly quick and easy to make. Plus, it keeps for a week in the refrigerator, so one batch will last for multiple mornings of that mmm-moment worth getting out of bed for!

Readers are raving about this homemade coffee creamer:

One reader, Grace, commented: “So easy! And sooo good!! I love how the amounts of maple syrup in this recipe is not too sweet at all! And more importantly I love that we control the wholesome ingredients. Perfect flavor and wonderful smell!! ★★★★★”

One reader, Argie, commented: “Well I just made this and it’s delicious! Goals, avoid paying $6 for a pumpkin spice latte when I can make one at home that’s richer, cheaper, and easier. Sweetness is great, not nearly as sweet as those commercial PSLs… ★★★★★”

homemade pumpkin spice coffee creamer in glass jar.

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Pumpkin Coffee Creamer

  • Outstanding pumpkin flavor from pure pumpkin puree
  • Cozy, warming spices
  • Real, natural, recognizable ingredients—no preservatives or mystery ingredients
  • Takes only 15 minutes to make
  • Feel free to freeze in an ice cube tray to add to hot coffee
  • Keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week
  • Can be made dairy free

You Need Just 5 Ingredients

  1. Half-and-half, Whole Milk, or Heavy Cream: For extra rich flavor and the creamiest texture, use heavy cream. It’s delicious that way! But I usually use half-and-half for something a little lighter. You can also use whole milk. See below for best nondairy alternatives.
  2. Pumpkin Puree: You don’t need a whole can, so you’ll have some left over. Here are recipes to make with leftover pumpkin puree.
  3. Pure Maple Syrup: You’ll appreciate that we’re using a natural sweetener in this creamer. Make sure it’s the real deal, not the bottle labeled “pancake syrup.”
  4. Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can use either store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice blend.
  5. Cinnamon Sticks: Two cinnamon sticks infuse this creamer with so much warming flavor. I always keep some on hand in the fall, for making homemade apple cider and honeycrisp apple sangria, too!
cinnamon sticks, maple syrup, spices, and cream on peach surface.

How to Make It

You just need a saucepan and a whisk, and in less than 15 minutes of cooking, you have the perfect blend of fall flavors for your morning coffee.

That’s all you do!

cream mixture in pot with cinnamon sticks on beige-patterned linen.
pouring pumpkin spice creamer into coffee.

Dairy-Free Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

The base of coffee creamer is, obviously, dairy cream or half-and-half. For a dairy-free alternative, try using coconut milk, cashew milk, oat milk, or almond milk. Full-fat coconut milk will give you the thickest, creamiest result; other nondairy milks may be on the thinner side.

coffee drink in glass mug.

One favorite way to enjoy coffee in the fall? Add a splash of homemade pumpkin creamer, then top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. Talk about dreamy.

Print
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pumpkin coffee with whipped cream and cinnamon stick.

Homemade Pumpkin Coffee Creamer

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.4 from 29 reviews
  • Author: Sally McKenney
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 1 and 3/4 cups
  • Category: Beverages
  • Method: Cooking
  • Cuisine: American
Save Recipe

Description

Make homemade pumpkin spice coffee creamer in less than 15 minutes! It has incredible flavor thanks to real pumpkin puree. 


Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) heavy cream, half-and-half, or whole milk*
  • 2 heaping Tablespoons (about 35g) pumpkin puree
  • 2 Tablespoons (30ml) pure maple syrup (or more, if you prefer sweeter creamer)
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice*
  • 2 cinnamon sticks


Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together heavy cream, pumpkin, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice. Add cinnamon sticks and increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil, whisking occasionally, for 1 minute, then remove from heat and let creamer cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve if the creamer looks separated.
  2. You can use the creamer in your coffee right away, and keep in mind that it’s not super sweet as is, so you can add sugar to your coffee if you take it that way. You can also top your coffee with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, too.
  3. Store leftover creamer, without cinnamon sticks, in a tightly sealing jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Shake well before using.

Notes

  1. Special Tools (affiliate links): Saucepan | Whisk 
  2. Dairy-Free Creamer: Try using coconut, cashew, oat, or almond milk. The creamer won’t be as thick.
  3. Pumpkin Pie Spice: I add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of spice, so you can really taste it. Feel free to start with less, and then add more to taste. You can buy pumpkin pie spice from the store or use homemade pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have either and wish to use the individual spices in this recipe, use 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/8 ground nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves.
sally mckenney headshot purple shirt.
About the Author

Sally McKenney

Sally McKenney is a baker, food photographer, and New York Times best-selling author. Her kitchen-tested recipes and step-by-step tutorials have given millions of readers the knowledge and confidence to bake from scratch. Sally’s work has been featured on TODAY, Good Morning America, Taste of Home, People, and more.

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Reader Comments and Reviews

  1. Anne says:
    October 20, 2017

    I made a very low sugar version of this recipe with maple flavoring and a little stevia. It still tastes amazing! Thank you for a customizable recipe for a delicious creamer!!

    Reply
  2. Krystina says:
    September 24, 2017

    Hey Sally! Wanted to thank you for the recipe, it is absolutely delicious, but I was wondering if you had plans for a Christmas themse coffee creamer otherwise I think this may become my new permanent.

    Reply
  3. Jasmin says:
    September 17, 2017

    Hi Sally!
    Could I use honey in place of maple syrup? Equal amount? This recipe sounds delicious. I have honey on hand and want to make it asap.

    Reply
    1. Sally @ Sally's Baking says:
      September 18, 2017

      You can use honey instead– and use as much as your taste preferences prefer. Enjoy!

      Reply
  4. Joanne says:
    September 14, 2017

    I love pumpkin season. Especially for coffee. Can I freeze the leftover pumpkin?  Or I’ll make enough creamer to use up the can.  Can I freeze the creamer for later?   

    Reply
    1. Sally @ Sally's Baking says:
      September 15, 2017

      You could freeze both, yes!

      Reply
  5. Laura says:
    September 14, 2017

    Can you freeze them into ice cube trays then pop em into your coffee?

    Reply
    1. Sally @ Sally's Baking says:
      September 14, 2017

      Sure can!

      Reply
  6. Deanna Ebmeier says:
    September 6, 2017

    Going to make this and try and freeze it in ice cube trays so it doesn’t get lost and go bad in my fridge.

    Reply
  7. darlene says:
    November 8, 2016

    I made this recipe and I find the taste with the coffee is a little bitter.. any suggestions ? 

    Reply
  8. Alisha says:
    November 6, 2016

    Hi Sally, I was wondering if you had issue with excess grittiness? If so, how did you deal with it? Delicious recipe though!

    Reply
  9. Sarah says:
    October 19, 2016

    Sally, thank you so much for posting this recipe – I am OBSESSED. I make it every year for all of September and October. I can’t get enough of it!

    Now that we’re approaching November, I was wondering if you’ve ever considered making a Christmas-themed version of this recipe – maybe an eggnog or gingerbread version?

    Reply
    1. Sally @ Sally's Baking says:
      October 19, 2016

      I LOVE the idea of a gingerbread version! I would drink that in my coffee nonstop. I’m not sure I can get to it this year, but if you ever test anything out– please report back!

      Reply
  10. Amy Randell says:
    October 11, 2016

    I made this last night and I thought it tasted delicious, but this morning when I put it in my coffee it had a slightly sour/scalded taste. I didn’t boil it long. Do you think my heat was too high? I’m attempting it again today, cause I know it was something with my technique. Any advice? I love ALL your recipes.

    Reply
    1. Sally @ Sally's Baking says:
      October 12, 2016

      A super high heat could be the issue, I’d lower it down next time. Did you try it again?

      Reply
  11. Kylie says:
    September 28, 2016

    Hi Sally,

    I made this recipe recently and I had a weird issue with it getting lumpy, almost like it’s curdled in the coffee The heavy cream was brand new and not expired, but I did halve the recipe. Any ideas what might have caused this? Full disclosure, I kind of eye balled it with the spices, but I doubt that’s the cause of the problem. Any insight would be appreciated!

    Kylie

    Reply
    1. Sally @ Sally's Baking says:
      September 29, 2016

      The spices shouldn’t be it, but maybe the halving is part of it. Though I’ve found that if I’m drinking super acidic coffee, this can happen.

      Reply
  12. Janet says:
    September 25, 2016

    Winner, winner this is a winner, so delicious. Thanks for another incredible, tasty recipe. I didn’t have pumpkin spice so I just tweaked it by finding a “recipe” for pumpkin spice. Maybe, next time I will buy the real thing.

    Reply
  13. Jill says:
    January 25, 2016

    Sally,

    How long does the creamer last(if it does lol)? What do you do with the leftover pumpkin?

    Thanks for sharing!

    Jill

    Reply
    1. Sally @ Sally's Baking says:
      January 25, 2016

      Hi Jill! You can bake some pumpkin recipes with any leftover pumpkin. The creamer lasts about a week in the fridge.

      Reply
    2. Kathy Kaiser says:
      March 18, 2020

      You can freeze it. (I measure mine out for the next time)

      Reply
  14. Maya says:
    December 26, 2015

    Thank you for this recipe, I LOVE IT ♥♥

    Reply
  15. kaitlyn says:
    December 19, 2015

    Absolutely loooooove this! Can you make more coffee creamer recipes please??

    Reply
  16. Shan says:
    December 18, 2015

    Made it with molasses instead of maple syrup and added a bit more ginger and suddenly, it’s like pumpkin gingersnap coffee. Such a fun recipe. Thank you! I never even thought to make my own creamer before and now I think I’ll be making tons more! Maybe a few varieties for holiday parties… Fun!

    Reply
    1. Kate says:
      October 21, 2024

      Love this idea! I was looking for a way to take this recipe beyond fall and into the winter.
      I like this recipe better with half and half (I thought the heavy cream came out too thick) and running it through a fine-mesh strainer improves the texture. I freeze these in 2-oz cubes and take one to work for an afternoon PSL. Never even liked them until this recipe!

      Reply
  17. Janet says:
    December 8, 2015

    Yummmmmy.  I didn’t have heavy cream so I used my plain coffee creamer and left out the syrup.  So good.  Thx sally

    Reply
  18. Linda says:
    November 26, 2015

    Omg made this morning!! I omitted the maple syrup I don’t like sugar in my coffee. Misread & added 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice so I added another Tablespoon of pumpkin. This is so  easy I can’t believe! Make more flavored creamers please Sally! I’m having a Sallygiving this year for sure! 

    Reply
    1. Krystina says:
      November 27, 2015

      Sallysgiving! I love that. Most of my thanksgiving recipes came from here, so I should have called that too!

      Reply
  19. Christine Hamilton says:
    September 28, 2015

    Sally,
    I LOVE this recipe! I’ve made it too many times to count, its a staple in my refrigerator and makes every morning feel like vacation.  I even made this as a gift and it was VERY well received! Thanks for posting these genius recipes, we are all grateful.  🙂

    Reply
  20. Liz says:
    September 26, 2015

    Just wanted to chime in and confirm this is indeed delicious!  I made it this morning with almond milk, and my kitchen smelled so good!  Had to force myself not to drink it straight. 

    Reply
  21. Judy says:
    September 22, 2015

    Hi Sally, A silly question from an Aussie. How much pumpkin coffee creamer do you add to your coffee? It’s not something I have ever seen over here, but it sounds intriguing. I do love just about everything with pumpkin and spice. I often bake for my daughter’s colleagues and their favourites so far are your mini pumpkin cinnamon donuts and pumpkin cream cheese muffins. I have made lots of other recipes too. Many thanks in advance.

    Reply
    1. Sally @ Sally's Baking says:
      September 22, 2015

      For me, usually a Tablespoon or two. It depends on how you take your coffee and how much flavored creamer you prefer.

      I love those mini pumpkin donuts! Like, so so so much. Thanks Judy. Enjoy.

      Reply
  22. Jen says:
    September 21, 2015

    Sally, how much cinnamon should I use in place of the cinnamon sticks?

    Thanks so much for sharing this! 

    Reply
    1. Sally @ Sally's Baking says:
      September 21, 2015

      I’d say 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon. Really, just go by your taste preference. I like a lot of cinnamon spice.

      Reply
  23. Jesse says:
    September 21, 2015

    Hi Sally,

    I made the coffee creamer this weekend and it is AMAZING! Absolutely delicious.  The only issue I have is that it is VERY thick.  I followed your directions exactly how you said and cooled it completely before putting it in the fridge.  I shook it well the next morning after taking it out of the fridge, but it was still really thick.  Is it supposed to be like that? Do you think I did something wrong?  It did dissolve fine into my coffee so that was not an issue. The thickness just makes it a little difficult to add to my coffee.  ANYWAY, please let me know if you can think of any tips.  Thanks so much for this recipe! I am thinking of all the other things I can do with it (french toast!).  

    Jesse

    Reply
    1. Sally @ Sally's Baking says:
      September 21, 2015

      Nope not at all- supposed to be thick and creamy. So happy you love it! Thanks for reporting back Jesse.

      Reply
  24. Barbara Ann says:
    September 19, 2015

    I made this today, even thought it is a cool 99 degrees today. I added 1/2 TBLS more of pumpkin and maple syrup. I really LIKE pumpkin. And I use a lot of cinnamon, supposed to help with diabetes, I add it to my coffee allotment every morning anyway. I upped the sticks to 4 and added a few shakes of nutmeg.  Fall time to me is a time for spices!!
    I put it in a glass jar I decorated for fall.  Too fancy for the frige but oh well.
    I posted a collage to my Instagram account with reference back to your site. I told everyone your is the best site for recipes and pictures. I’ll try with tomorrows morning coffee.
    Barbara Ann 
    BarbaraAnnsCreations on IG

    Reply
  25. Jessica says:
    September 19, 2015

    This is fantastic and I’m so happy to start my pumpkin season off with this! I used fat free half & half and close to 1t of pumpkin pie spice and it was the perfect amount. It thickened nicely in the fridge, thanks Sally!

    Reply
  26. Lindsay says:
    September 19, 2015

    I made this yesterday it was so incredibly good!!! It tastes so much better than the store bought ones!!!

    Reply
  27. Elizabeth says:
    September 17, 2015

    This looks amazing – perfect way to greet fall!! Do you think it would freeze okay if I put single servings in an ice cube tray? I don’t think I could finish 1.5 cups in a week 🙂

    Reply
    1. Sally @ Sally's Baking says:
      September 17, 2015

      I don’t see why not. Enjoy!

      Reply
  28. Annie says:
    September 16, 2015

    Yum!!! I made this this morning and it was so good! I’ve been searching for a pumpkin spice latte type recipe I could make at home that wasn’t too sweet and this was perfect! Thanks for the great recipe!! 

    Reply
  29. Lorraine says:
    September 16, 2015

    Do you think this would work with pumpkin pie filling? I think the difference is that the instead of just the pumpkin..the filling has all the spices in it already (I might be so wrong!) I have some leftover I need to use up..

    Reply
    1. Sally @ Sally's Baking says:
      September 16, 2015

      Yes, I’m sure. Taste and add more spices if you’d like.

      Reply
  30. Amy Falco says:
    September 15, 2015

    I made it with coconut cream and it’s very, very good. I didn’t have pumpkin spice coffee (but will pick some up) so did find I had to use quite a bit more than your 1-2T suggested to get the flavor, but I know that’s all a personal preference. Thanks for the recipe! 

    Reply