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Sweetly spiced homemade gingerbread syrup is perfect for making into a gingerbread latte, holiday cocktail, or keeping stashed in your fridge the entire month of December for when you feel like adding a little festive flair to your morning coffee. And it’s easy to make in just 20 minutes!
I am so looking forward to the next three days.
We’re a little early this year, but today Mike and I are doing our annual Christmas Godfather tradition. (And yes, I know that’s weird and that The Godfather has nothing to do with Christmas. Try telling that to my husband, lol.)
We’ll be making roasted chestnuts, and spaghetti marinara is on the menu.
Tomorrow we’re having our Christmas Eve appetizer party at my parents’ house.
We’re having Christmas brunch at my parents’ house. And in the evening my husband and I are hosting an intimate dinner party with friends, which I’m excited about!
I’m thinking of either making beef pot roast dinner with a few sides, or instead making a French beef stew like Carbonade à la Flamande or Daube de Boeuf. And then for dessert, perhaps Crème Brûlée. Or maybe I’ll just make it a little easier and pick up a few treats from a local pastry shop ahead of time (I won’t tell if you won’t, lol!). (Side Note: If I had time, I’d make homemade Profiteroles or Karpatka!)
I’m getting ahead of myself though; back to this syrup!
This festive gingerbread simple syrup is going to be my Christmas morning treat for my family. We’re skipping Starbucks and making homemade gingerbread lattes. We made homemade eggnog lattes on Thanksgiving and they were a huge hit, so why not make festive lattes a tradition, right?!
What is Gingerbread Spice?
Gingerbread spice is a blend of warm spices that’s essential to making gingerbread syrup! You probably already have all the necessary spices on hand.
Here’s what goes into gingerbread spice:
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Cloves
- Salt
- Black pepper
PRO TIP: Black pepper sounds like a weird ingredient, but it’s classic in gingerbread; don’t skip it!
Paired with rich molasses, this warm spice mix creates traditional gingerbread flavor. Once you have your gingerbread spice mix ready to go, this Christmas-y simple syrup is very easy to make.
Gingerbread Simple Syrup Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Water – This gingerbread syrup recipe is essentially a simple syrup infused with warm spices with a touch of molasses added. In its most basic form, simple syrup is just a 1:1 ratio of water:sugar that’s heated to dissolve the sugar. Here we use a touch more water, and then cook the syrup a little longer than normal to allow it to evaporate off. This gives the spices a little bit more time for their flavors to blend. Follow the recipe and you’ll end up with gingerbread syrup that rivals your favorite coffee shop.
- Sugar – Use granulated white sugar here.
- Molasses – Molasses and warm spices come together for festive gingerbread flavor.
- Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, sea salt, and black pepper – These aromatic spices are full of holiday flavor. I know salt and pepper might seem like odd ingredients here, but trust the process and don’t skip them. Salt enhances the flavors of everything else, and black pepper is a classic ingredient in traditional gingerbread.
- Pure vanilla extract – For flavor and aroma.
Instructions: How to Make Gingerbread Simple Syrup
- Cook. Add all ingredients except the vanilla to a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring to help the sugar dissolve. (PRO TIP: Stop stirring once the sugar is dissolved to avoid re-crystallization.) Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down slightly so it doesn’t boil over, and cook until thickened (to about the consistency of maple syrup), about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add the vanilla. Once thickened, turn off heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Enjoy. Use it now to make flavored coffee, lattes, or holiday cocktails. If there’s any leftover, let it cool to room temperature, and then transfer it to a lidded glass jar for storage.
Storage Tips
After cooling to room temperature, you can store this syrup in a covered glass jar at cool room temperature for up to 1 week or in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Tips For the Best Homemade Gingerbread Syrup
- Stir with caution. Of course be cautious because it’s hot, but also, avoid stirring after the sugar is dissolved to prevent re-crystallization. No one likes a grainy simple syrup! Once the sugar is dissolved, you can swirl the saucepan as necessary, but don’t stir it.
- This syrup is great for adding a little Christmas flavor to tea, coffee, lattes, cocktails (try it drizzled on top of this gingerbread cocktail for an extra special adult beverage), etc., but its uses don’t end there! Try it as a topping for oatmeal, yogurt, pudding, ice cream, waffles, pancakes, crepes, French toast, etc. It has about the same consistency as maple syrup or runny honey, so feel free to get creative with how you use it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If you want to omit the granulated white sugar and molasses, you can use 1 1/3 cups of packed brown sugar instead. Use dark brown sugar if you have that on hand (because of its higher molasses content); otherwise, light brown sugar will work but its flavor won’t be as rich.
Yes, and it’s perfect if you want to make low carb and keto friendly gingerbread lattes. To do so, swap out the regular sugar for your favorite granulated keto sweetener (I like monk fruit/allulose blend). And instead of molasses, add 2 tablespoons of packed keto brown sugar.
More Unique Hot Latte Recipes to Try
- Spiced Chamomile Tea Latte
- Bulletproof Matcha Latte
- Eggnog Latte
- Skinny Peppermint Vanilla Mocha Lattes
- Rose Tea Latte with Vanilla Rooibos
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Gingerbread Syrup Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/4 cups granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Cook. Add all ingredients except the vanilla to a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring to help the sugar dissolve. (PRO TIP: Stop stirring once the sugar is dissolved to avoid re-crystallization.) Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down slightly so it doesn't boil over, and cook until thickened (to about the consistency of maple syrup), about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add the vanilla. Once thickened, turn off heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Enjoy. Use it now to make flavored coffee, lattes, or holiday cocktails. If there's any leftover, let it cool to room temperature, and then transfer it to a lidded glass jar for storage (see Notes).
Video
Notes
- Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe yields about 1 1/2 cups total, which is about 12 (2-tablespoon) servings.
- Storage: After cooling to room temperature, you can store this syrup in a covered glass jar at cool room temperature for up to 1 week or in the fridge for up to 1 month.
- Serving Ideas: This syrup is great for adding a little Christmas flavor to tea, coffee, lattes, cocktails (try it drizzled on top of this gingerbread cocktail for an extra special adult beverage), etc., but its uses don’t end there! Try it as a topping for oatmeal, yogurt, pudding, ice cream, waffles, pancakes, crepes, French toast, etc. It has about the same consistency as maple syrup or runny honey, so feel free to get creative with how you use it!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on December 23, 2012 and updated on December 5, 2025. As a point of comparison to show how much my photography has evolved, I kept one of my original photos (below). But I have to admit, this photo has a special place in my heart. I love how the whipped cream on top melted into a shape that resembles a Christmas tree!
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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This recipe is AMAZING! Searched for months this year for gingerbread coffee and could never find it. Then tried out someone else’s recipe and threw away the entire batch, a bunch of $ went down the drain bc it was horrible. This is a recipe I will use forever! Thank you!!!
Delicious! Made a batch to try and will now be making more to give as Christmas presents. Thanks for the great recipe!
Just made the syrup this morning! So good! Love all the spices and how easily it comes together.
I love all those warm wintry spices. I could use a jar of this syrup for gingerbread spiced hot chocolates.
love that red mug. It seems like you had a great plans for christmas and all the recipes sounds so goood. Esp Creme Brulee. I love little traditions like the syrup because it makes you and your family look forward to that and it makes it even more special.
oh wow, this sounds soooo delicious Faith! YUM!
Beautiful recipe, and one that I’ve just bookmarked :) Hope you had an awesome Christmas, and have a Happy New Year!
Hi Faith ~ I would not have been able to guess how to make this syrup. Sounds so good. Love the tree image in the whipped cream!
Wishing you and your family a dazzling Christmas and a fabulous 2013!
LL
Oh I might actually do this too on Christmas morning. It seems perfect. Looking forward to hearing what you do make for Christmas night. Sounds fun and delicious.
Faith,
This sounds sooooo good! I’m going to try to make it tomorrow morning to add to our coffee! Wishing you a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends. I’m so thankful to have found you!
Caroline
Caroline, You are so sweet, thank you so much for the kind comment. I’m so happy to have found you as well.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Hugs,
Faith
P.S. Hope you enjoy the gingerbread syrup! :)
This syrup sounds delicious! and I have to tell you that your last year’s profiteroles post somehow gave me comfort and got me hooked to your blog. Happy Christmas!
Valynn, You totally made my day! I’m so happy you enjoyed last year’s post and have been following since. Thank you so much!
Wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas.
Faith
This syrup sounds wonderful, perfect for my afternoon coffee! Merry Christmas, Faith! xo
The syrup sounds wonderful and perfect for any treats this holiday!
Happy Holidays my friend!
Moms are great and so are you Faith for hosting friends over the busy Holiday period.
BTW…crème brûlée is one of my top 5 favs…thus, a spirtual setting shall be placed for me too at your table…n’est-ce-pas? LOL
Faith…Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones…and the very best for the upcoming year.
Ciao for now,
Claudia
This syrup sounds amazing Faith. All of your upcoming holiday events sound like a lot of fun – enjoy them! Merry Christmas :) xoxo
Adore your homemade syrups!! I want one of these right now
I definitely need this! I make all sorts of lattes at home… this syrup will come in handy plenty of times. Thanks for sharing, Faith!! Happy Holidays! xo
This reminds me of your pumpkin syrup recipe! Love it!
This syrup sounds so delightful for a Christmas morning latte! Gingerbread and the related spices are my favorite holiday flavors. Merry Christmas, Faith!