Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini

Why We Love This Recipe

• Fun fall cocktail: This cocktail is a great way to spice up the classic espresso martini for all of your fall entertaining occasions. Perfect for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or any other fall event!
• Vegan friendly: We made this pumpkin spice espresso martini vegan-friendly so everyone can enjoy! It can also be made with regular dairy, but we can confirm it's delicious either way.
• Pumpkin spice everything: Yes, we know it's basic, but let's be honest, you can't beat pumpkin spice. This is a great way to add that warming fall flavor to your favorite drink!
• Easy recipe: This cocktail requires only 5 ingredients, and if you have our pumpkin spice simple syrup stored in the fridge, it'll only take about 5 minutes.
• Strong, but not too strong: We'll admit, this pumpkin spice espresso martini packs a punch. With coffee liqueur, freshly brewed espresso and vanilla vodka, it's not for the faint-hearted. But that said, creamy coconut milk and pumpkin spice simple syrup really balance out the strong flavors!

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make these pumpkin spice espresso martinis:

Ingredient Notes

• Vanilla vodka: We're using vanilla-flavored vodka for this recipe to add a bit of extra sweetness. If you don't have this on hand, feel free to sub with regular vodka.
• Espresso: We used freshly brewed espresso in this recipe, and we made sure to let it cool down to room temperature. You can also use cold brew or regular old coffee, but pure espresso will deliver the strongest coffee flavor.
• Coffee liqueur: This ingredient adds to the rich coffee flavor that we get from the fresh espresso. We love using Kahlúa but any coffee liqueur will work just fine!
• Coconut milk: Coconut milk adds a rich creaminess to the cocktail. If you're not dairy free/vegan, you can substitute with heavy cream. We use full fat canned coconut milk in this recipe, not the stuff that comes in a carton.
• Pumpkin spice simple syrup: This homemade syrup is perfect in cocktails or in your morning coffee, and it's critical to getting this cocktail to taste just right. Check out how to make it here. You can also sub with store-bought if preferred.

Instructions

(1) Brew espresso and let it cool to room temperature, then add all of the ingredients to a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice. Shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds.

(2) Strain the chilled mixture into a martini glass and dust with a touch of pumpkin pie spice blend or cinnamon. Cheers!

Tips and FAQs

• Letting the espresso cool is essential for two reasons: It prevents the ice in the cocktail shaker from melting, which would water down your cocktail. It also ensures that the finished cocktail will actually be cold. To speed up the cooling process, pop it in the freezer directly after brewing. You can also use cold brew or cold brew concentrate as an alternative.
• For an extra cold martini, chill your martini glasses in the freezer 10-15 minutes prior to making these.
• If you don't have the time to make our pumpkin spice simple syrup, you can sub with store-bought. From late summer-winter, you should be able to easily find this in most grocery stores. It's may be located near the baking aisle, the coffee aisle, the alcoholic beverages section, or the condiment section.
• If you're not dairy free: use regular heavy cream in place of coconut milk.
• For an extra fall flourish, garnish with cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and/or a few coffee beans for that classic espresso martini look.
• Uses for leftover pumpkin spice simple syrup: If you're making our syrup from scratch, here are a few ways to use up the rest!
  • Topping for waffles, pancakes, french toast, etc
  • Stir into oatmeal, chia pudding, yogurt, overnights oats, etc
  • Add to your morning coffee (hello, homemade pumpkin spice latte!)
  • Add to other fall cocktails, like a white russian, cranberry orange mimosa, or pumpkin spice margarita
• Make ahead: It's super easy to make the simple syrup ahead of time, as it last for several weeks in the fridge. If you're making this pumpkin spice espresso martini for entertaining, you can actually make a big batch ahead of time by multiplying the quantities below. Store (without ice) in a pitcher in the refrigerator, but be sure to stir/whisk well before serving to make sure all of the ingredients are well incorporated.

More Fall Cocktail Recipes

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