Marry Warm Flavors With Miso In Your Fall Coffee Drinks

You know it's fall when you stop craving iced coffee and start looking forward to warm pumpkin-spiced lattes, which Starbucks should be bringing back soon. But, as crazy as it sounds, they're not everybody's cup of tea (or coffee, in this case) — particularly not for people who prefer deep, savory flavors over something sweet. If only they knew you didn't have to choose one or the other, and that with just a touch of white miso, you can marry the warm, fall flavors of the season's beloved coffee drinks with the rich, multi-dimensional, and mouthwatering essence of umami.

Not to be confused with red or yellow miso — other types of miso that are significantly stronger in flavor — white miso has a light, slightly sweet, and nutty flavor that not only compliments the flavor of coffee but enriches it. Miso has been popping up at third-wave cafes for that reason, with Chicago's Wormhole Coffee featuring a seasonal miso black sesame latte and Austin's Desnudo Coffee's signature miso brown sugar latte. But, you're not going to find them at Starbucks or Dunkin', that's for sure. This is one treat that's worth making yourself.

With miso being a frequent addition to your baked goods this fall, there's no reason why it can't also make an appearance in your fall coffee drinks. Be it a spicy mocha miso, a caramel miso, a brown sugar miso, or a miso pumpkin spice — all you need is syrup to marry the flavors in your fall lattes.

A miso-infused coffee syrup is the easiest way to add this rich flavor to your favorite fall beverages. Flavored coffee syrups are essentially just a mixture of sugar and water at a 1:1 ratio, simmered until dissolved. Depending on the flavor of syrup you're going for, you'll add different types and amounts of spices and seasonings along with a tablespoon or so of the miso paste to create the flavor and consistency that you like. There really isn't any hard and fast rule as far as the ingredients go, as long as you remember the 1:1 water and sugar ratio. It's really more about the technique itself.

For example, a miso caramel syrup would take equal amounts of water and granulated sugar, white miso paste, and a bit of caramel extract at the end. A miso brown sugar paste would simply interchange the granulated sugar for brown and omit the extract, while a vanilla miso syrup would simply substitute the caramel extract for vanilla. For a miso pumpkin spice syrup, you can add in your pumpkin spice blend and a bit of pumpkin purée. You could even do the same with chai using a chai spice blend. 

Whisked until smooth and low boiled until it reaches a golden brown, amber color, all you need to do is remove the mixture from the heat, add some more warm water to the pot along with any extracts, and then mix it some more. Once completely cool, it'll be ready to marry the flavors of any fall coffee drink you like.