Butter Pecan Syrup for Coffee and Drinks
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The sweet and rich butter pecan syrup gets its flavor from freshly roasted pecans, brown sugar, and butter extract. This easy treat is delicious in your morning cup of coffee or to add an extra indulgent layer to your next cup of hot chocolate.
Homemade coffee syrups are one of the easiest ways to upgrade your daily cup, and this butter pecan coffee syrup is a cozy favorite. With its nutty, caramel-like flavor, it brings the taste of a pecan pie right into your mug. Use it to make a butter pecan latte at home, stir it into iced coffee, or even add it to dessert cocktails and mocktails for a rich, indulgent twist.
Unlike many store-bought flavored syrups, this homemade pecan syrup is made with simple, real ingredients. Toasted pecans add depth and warmth, while brown sugar and butter extract give it that signature bakery-style sweetness. It’s the perfect way to recreate your favorite café drinks, like a Starbucks Pecan Crunch Oat Milk Latte, in your own kitchen while also being versatile enough to spoon over desserts or stir into hot chocolate.
Ingredients
See recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Pecans – Use pecan halves or pieces – whatever you have in your pantry. Just make sure they’re fresh and haven’t been sitting around for years. The oils from the pecans will impart a lot of the flavor into this syrup and we don’t want nuts that have gone rancid.
- White Sugar and Brown Sugar – This combination of sugar will bring a pecan pie like sweetness to the syrup without overpowering the flavor of the pecans.
- Butter Extract – Look for this extract in the baking section of your local store. I love it for the rich, buttery flavor it gives while still allowing us to create a dairy free syrup.
How to Make Butter Pecan Syrup
In a small pot over medium heat, toast the pecans until they begin to brown and get fragrant.
Add in water and sugars and stir to combine. Heat the mixture, stirring frequently, until the water has come to a low simmer and the sugars have completely dissolved.
Remove from heat and stir in the butter extract. Allow the mixture to sit until it comes to room temperature, about 1 hour.
Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl. (Save the Pecans! See below for what to do with them.)
Store in the refrigerator in a glass airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
Butter Pecan Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans, halves or pieces
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp butter extract
Instructions
- In a small pot over medium heat, toast the pecans until they begin to brown and get fragrant.1 cup pecans
- Add in water and sugars. Stir to combine.1 cup water, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar
- Heat the mixture, stirring frequently, until the water has come to a low simmer and the sugars have completely dissolved.
- Remove from heat and stir in the butter extract.1 tsp butter extract
- Allow the mixture to sit until it comes to room temperature, about 1 hour.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl.
- Chill your syrup before using it in cold drinks.
- Store your butter pecan syrup in a glass airtight container, like a mason jar, in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Recipe Tips
- Stir the pecans frequently when toasting them on the stove. They will go from brown to burnt very quickly. Add the water as soon as they become fragrant and you can smell them so the pecans don’t burn.
- Don’t have butter extract? Swap it out for vanilla extract for more traditional pecan syrup or to make this recipe dairy-free.
- Storing your simple syrups in glass containers helps ensure they don’t accidentally absorb other flavors from plastic containers. I typically store mine in mason jars, or glass swing top bottles.
Don’t Toss the Leftover Pecans!
Once you’ve strained out the pecans, let them rest in the strainer for 5 minutes to make sure all the extra syrup has drained off. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the nuts onto the parchment, spreading them into a single layer.
Place them in a 300F degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove and toss the pecans around on the baking sheet. Place them back in the oven for 5 more minutes. Remove and allow to cool to room temperature. You now have delicious candied pecans, perfect for salads, snacking, or serving over ice cream. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place (like your pantry) for up to 3 months.
Note: Because we’re using the syrup these pecans were cooked in, these are not an overly sweet candied nut. If you’d like to up the sweetness, toss the nuts in 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar before spreading out into a single layer and placing in the oven.
How to use Butter Pecan Syrup
- Stir it into a cup of hot coffee.
- Brush some onto a slice of pound cake.
- Make an iced pecan oat milk latte. (Recipe below)
- Pour over vanilla ice cream or blend into a vanilla milkshake.
- Stir a couple teaspoons into a mug of hot cocoa. (Get my favorite mix here.)
Make a Homemade Iced Pecan Oat Milk Latte
The perfect syrup for creating a Starbucks pecan oat milk latte at home in the fall or anytime of year. Combine 4 ounces of cold espresso (or ½ cup cold brew coffee), 1 cup oat milk, and 2 ounces of butter pecan syrup into a tall glass. Add ice cubes to fill the glass. Stir, sip, and enjoy!
Looking for more Coffee Syrups?
Homemade simple syrups are a delicious and easy way to make your morning cup of coffee feel extra special. Try my Pumpkin Spice Syrup or Cinnamon Syrup in the fall. Want more classic flavors? Stir together a batch of my Brown Sugar Syrup or Vanilla Simple Syrup.
