23 Best DIY Syrups For Your Coffee
Enjoying your coffee without milk or sweetener allows you to appreciate the true taste of the beans. Yet, sometimes a decadent flavored coffee hits the spot.
The problem with these flavored coffees is the cost at your local cafe soon adds up. Making DIY coffee syrup is not only simple; it’s much cheaper and allows you to know exactly what’s going into your drinks.
1. Simple Syrup
A simple syrup is the starting point for most of the syrups on this list, and as the name suggests, it’s straightforward to make. It’s just a matter of combining equal amounts of sugar and water, then boiling until the sugar is dissolved. On its own, it won’t add flavor to your coffee but is handy in coffee recipes where you want to make sure the sugar is dissolved.
If you want to make a DIY sugar-free coffee syrup, you’ll need to make your ingredient substitutions at this step.
2. Vanilla Syrup
Achieving the ever-popular vanilla flavor is just a matter of adding a vanilla pod to your simple syrup as it cooks. Or, if your pantry supplies are limited, you can add a little vanilla extract once it’s cooled. (For a more intense flavor, some people even do both).
Once you have a bottle of your DIY vanilla syrup, you can use it to add a hint of flavor to your morning brew or deliver desert vibes with vanilla iced coffee.
3. Vanilla Maple Syrup
This is one recipe that doesn’t use the simple syrup as its base, thanks to the rich, natural sweetness of maple syrup. Real maple syrup will make it more expensive than your sugar-based flavored syrups, but the taste is hard to match.
Simply heat the scraped vanilla bean in the maple syrup to let the flavors infuse for a quick version. Alternatively, you can add vanilla pods to a bottle of maple syrup and let it sit for two weeks.
4. Brown Sugar Syrup
Try switching white sugar for brown sugar for a subtle change to the basic simple syrup recipe. As well as adding sweetness, this brown sugar syrup will also add a caramel flavor to your coffee—the darker the sugar, the stronger the flavor.
This syrup is great on its own, or you can use it as a base for other recipes on this list – you can even upgrade it to cinnamon brown sugar syrup.
5. Caramel Syrup
Along with vanilla, caramel has to be one of the most popular choices for coffee syrups. It’s the base for many of Starbucks’ most memorable drinks but easy to replicate at home.
The trick to DIY caramel syrup for coffee is to cook the sugar and water together until the mixture reaches a golden color. Once it cools, you add vanilla and a pinch of salt to bring out the caramel flavor.
6. Butterscotch Syrup
Butterscotch could be considered the creamier cousin of caramel, with the addition of butter and brown sugar taking the flavor to new, richer heights.
This recipe for butterscotch syrup requires a little more work, but believe us; it’s worth it. It’s a delicious addition to your regular coffee or makes an excellent base for Dalgona coffee with a twist.
7. Almond Syrup
You may be surprised to discover that almond syrup doesn’t taste much like the almonds you might be used to eating. This recipe uses almond extract, which comes from the bitter almond oil.
It’s a taste all of its own, which, while slightly nutty, is also sweet. If you’ve ever tried Amaretto, this is a good idea of what to expect.
8. Blackberry Syrup
Fruit and coffee don’t always make the best pairings, but when used in the right way, this blackberry syrup can complement some of the complex flavors of your beans. Try it in iced coffee for a fruity summer drink.
Just be aware that when you’re using fresh fruit rather than extracts, the shelf life of your syrup will be much shorter.
9. Cinnamon Syrup
Nothing says Christmas quite like flavors of cinnamon, reminiscent of fresh-baked cookies and nights around the fireplace. Swap your hot chocolate for a cinnamon latte and you’ll be in the festive spirit in no time.
This DIY cinnamon coffee syrup will give you warm and fuzzy feelings right through the winter months.
10. Cinnamon Dolce Syrup
For fans of the coffee giant, the Starbucks Cinnamond Dolce Latte is the drink to try and copy at home. You can of course buy their branded syrup in stores, but why would you when you can make your own at home?
Made with real cinnamon sticks, this DIY cinnamon dolce syrup recipe is the perfect base for cafe-style drinks at home.
11. Chocolate Syrup
Chocolate and coffee are a match made in heaven, so creating your chocolate syrup for coffee is your shortcut to celestial flavors. Try it with a brew made from dark roast beans to complement the nuttier flavor profile.
Unlike chocolate syrup for desserts, this recipe doesn’t use dairy, so it will keep refrigerated for extended periods.
12. Pumpkin Spice Syrup
When the leaves start to change color, coffee lovers everywhere know what season it is: the pumpkin spice latte season. This Insta-friendly drink is a cafe favorite but simple enough to make at home.
This pumpkin spice syrup recipe combines spices, pumpkin puree, and the all-important condensed milk for added creaminess.
13. Autumn Spice Syrup
If pumpkin spice syrup is too rich for you, but you want something more complex than just cinnamon, try your hand at making a batch of autumn spice syrup.
Cinnamon adds the hint of Christmas, but the allspice and coriander give it new depth and earthiness. With a brown sugar base, you’ll also get warm caramel notes.
14. Peppermint Syrup
Peppermint is a flair that’s more often paired with chocolate, but don’t overlook its compatibility with our favorite drink. In fact, a peppermint mocha combines the best of both worlds.
This simple peppermint syrup recipe uses just three ingredients and is suitable for freezing peppermint drinks throughout the year.
15. Rose Syrup
The rose latte is another Insta-famous drink, often colored pink and topped with rose petals for full effect.
We advise steering clear of using rose water in coffee, as the flavor can easily overpower your drink. Instead, try this recipe for rose syrup that uses dried rose petals for a more delicate taste.
16. Honey Syrup
Honey already comes in syrup form, so you might be wondering why you would need to make a syrup from it. Natural honey can vary in thickness and older jars of honey can become overly thick and difficult to use.
Creating a honey syrup is also a great way to keep honey ready to use, while at the same time reducing the sweetness.
17. Lemon Syrup
When life gives you lemons, your first task should be to make this simple lemon syrup, which will brighten your coffee and help to remove bitterness.
Lemon juice is, of course, very acidic, so adding this to your latte might result in curdling. Instead, try adding black coffee drinks such as cold brews for an uplifting and refreshing drink. Coffee lemonade, anyone?
18. Peach Syrup
Think peaches, and your first thought is probably a glass of peach iced tea on a hot summer’s day, but there’s no reason that coffee lovers can’t enjoy the same kind of refreshing drink.
This peach syrup recipe calls for ripe peaches, but if you want to reminisce about the warmer months at any other time of year, frozen will do fine.
19. Lavender Syrup
As with all floral tastes, lavender is a flavor best used sparingly. Too much, and your drink goes from fragrant to overwhelming in the blink of an eye.
Creating a lavender syrup allows you to easily add the right amount to your drinks and create sweet treats like a lavender latte.
20. Spiced Orange Syrup
While lemons bring out the bright acidity you find naturally in coffee, oranges tend to pair well with warmer, earthier notes.
A spiced orange syrup plays to the orange’s strengths, with the addition of warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, and a hint of cracked black pepper. Try adding it to a French press brew.
21. Coconut Syrup
The flavor and smell of coconut will instantly add a taste of the tropics to your day, and one that goes surprisingly well with coffee.
Making a coconut syrup with coconut extract, rather than coconut cream, will give you the most flexibility with the flavor, as well as extend its shelf life. For an added dose of paradise, you can use coconut milk to make your iced coffee.
22. Coffee Flavored Syrup
Coffee syrup isn’t so much syrup for use in coffee, rather one that will add a rich coffee flavor to other drinks. You can also use it as a shortcut to making iced coffee milk.
It’s essentially strong brewed coffee boiled together with sugar to create a rich and concentrated syrup. For something a little different, try making your syrup with flavored beans.
23. Mocha Syrup
Mocha syrup is essentially the love child of chocolate syrup and coffee-flavored syrup. You can add it to milk and ice for an instant mocha frappucino or use it to add extra depth to your favorite coffee.
Just be aware that this syrup packs a punch when it comes to caffeine with both cocoa and brewed coffee.
Wrapping Up
We hope this post has inspired you with the different homemade coffee syrups. The different flavors that you find in coffee pair with a wide range of other flavors, so get in the kitchen and start experimenting!
Is there an excellent coffee syrup recipe that we’ve missed? Just let us know in the comments below.
