Bright citrus balances cozy, rich pumpkin and zesty fall spices in the best pumpkin cocktail! This pumpkin spice margarita tastes like pumpkin pie with a spiked, fresh twist.
A Smooth & Delicious Pumpkin Cocktail
- Two Secret Ingredients – Fresh lime juice and bottled orange juice add bright and citrusy flavor that balance out the fall vibes.
- Spiked Pumpkin Pie in a Glass – Enjoy your favorite pumpkin spice flavor in the glass and on the pumpkin spice rim!
- Easy to Make – After adding the rim, shake all ingredients together and strain into a glass. It’s that easy.
Zesty Pumpkin Spice Margarita Goodness Is On Its Way!
Some people hear the word “tequila” and immediately cringe. That used to be me (blame my college partying days). That is, until today’s pumpkin cocktail! Trust me, this pumpkin spice tequila cocktail goes down smooth and tastes like spiked pumpkin pie. It’s a delicious balance between creamy, spiced pumpkin flavors and bright citrus notes complemented with warm maple sweetness.
The secret ingredient to this pumpkin spice margarita comes in two forms: orange juice and lime juice. Orange juice offers deep sweetness with bright orange flavor while lime juice is zesty and fresh. The result is a pumpkin cocktail that celebrates the cozy flavors of fall while keeping it light and fresh.
How to Make a Pumpkin Cocktail
- Prep the pumpkin spice sugar! Add pumpkin pie spice and sugar into a shallow plate that’s large enough to fit the rim of your cocktail glass. Stir until mixed.
- Prep the orange juice. Pour orange juice into a similar dish for rimming.
- Grabbing your cocktail glass by the stem or body, turn the glass upside down and dip the rim into the orange juice plate to coat. Then, repeat with the pumpkin sugar. Twist gently until you get a nice coating of sugar.
- Make your pumpkin cocktail! Add tequila, Cointreau, orange juice, lime juice, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin purée, and maple syrup to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake thoroughly, until well mixed.
- Strain this pumpkin spice margarita mixture into the sugar-rimmed glass. Serve and enjoy!
Make this incredible Gingerbread Martini to complete your holiday drinks menu!
Pumpkin Spice Margarita Cocktail Ingredient Notes
Just a few notes on how to make the best pumpkin spice margarita:
- Lime Juice: fresh-squeezed lime juice is best for this pumpkin cocktail recipe because it has a bright, vibrant flavor. However, if you only have bottled lime juice, that’ll do as well.
- Orange Juice: this one is a bit different—I personally think it’s yummy both ways: bottled or fresh. Go with your personal preference!
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, no worries, I have included the recipe to make your own in the recipe card.
- Pumpkin Puree: although I haven’t tried it, I’d imagine that you can substitute this with pumpkin pie mix or pumpkin pie filling (as long as it doesn’t need to be baked).
Demeter’s Tips!
For the best possible pumpkin cocktail, follow my tips below. And when in doubt, follow the recipe exactly, then make adjustments as you become more familiar with the steps & ingredients.
- Move quickly when dipping the rim—the slower you go, the higher the chance that you’ll dissolve the pumpkin sugar and be left with a soggy, sticky rim.
- Give yourself time to get better at making a sugar rim. The more you practice, the easier and more enjoyable it’ll get. And let loose—this is supposed to be fun, not perfect. 😉
- Use fresh lime juice. If you had to use one kind of bottled citrus juice, make it the orange juice. Fresh-squeezed lime juice is zesty and fresh while bottled is bitter.
- Use your favorite tequila. Yes, this totally makes a difference! I’ve used a tequila that brought back bad college memories and it spoiled the entire pumpkin cocktail. Use your favorite tequila for the best flavor—to you. 🙂
- If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, then make homemade pumpkin pie spice.
More Cocktail Recipes
More Pumpkin Recipes
If you try my pumpkin cocktail recipe, it would mean the world to me if I could see it! Take a pic and share it in Instagram using the tags #beamingbaker and @beamingbaker. You can also comment below to let me know what you think! Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️
Pumpkin Spice Tequila Cocktail
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For the Pumpkin Spice Sugar Rim:
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Fill a shallow, rimmed plate large enough to dip the rim of your cocktail glass with pumpkin spice and sugar. Stir until well mixed.
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Fill a second similar plate with orange juice.
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Turn your glass upside down, holding it by the base or stem over the orange juice plate. Gently twist the rim of the glass in the orange juice until coated.
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Set the rim into the plate of pumpkin spiced sugar, twisting and dipping until coated. Set aside.
For the Pumpkin Spice Tequila Cocktail:
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Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice: tequila, Cointreau, orange juice, lime juice, pumpkin spice, pumpkin puree, maple syrup. Shake until chilled.
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Strain into prepared glass(es). Garnish with cinnamon. Enjoy!
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