How to Make Coffee Syrups at Home

Have you been missing your vanilla or hazelnut lattes over lockdown, or do you want to create the flavours of Christmas all year round? Coffee Syrups are for you. 

Well, you can actually make your own coffee flavourings at home with simple sugar coffee syrups!

So, here's a couple of very easy ways to make these at home.

While at t, you can check out Balance Coffee speciality coffee if you are a coffee fanatic.

Vanilla bean syrup

If you're just dipping your toes into making your own coffee syrups, we would recommend starting with vanilla.

Not only is it the easiest, any extra syrup can also be added to cocktails or brushed onto cakes.

Vanilla coffee syrup

Ingredients:

• 600ml water
• 600g cup sugar
• 1 vanilla bean pod
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Combine the sugar, water and vanilla bean pod in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Once brought to a boil, bring the heat down. Simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract.
4. Let the syrup cool for at least 30 minutes.
5. Place a sieve over a container and drain the syrup. The sieve will catch any pieces you may not want in your syrup. If you aren’t using ingredients with excess pieces, you can just pour the syrup into a jar.
6. Pour the syrup over coffee and enjoy.

Hazelnut syrup

Hazelnut coffee syrup is a bit more involved than vanilla, but we think that being able to control the depth of the hazelnut flavour makes it absolutely worth making yourself!

Roasted hazelnuts are the basis of any hazelnut coffee syrup

Ingredients:

• 600g sugar
• 600ml water
• 250g raw hazelnuts

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180C
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
3. Place the hazelnuts on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes
4. Once they start to brown, remove from the oven and peel. Chop the nuts roughly and set aside
5. In a large saucepan heat the water and sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves
6. Turn down the temperature and add the hazelnuts
7. Cook for about 45 minutes as you stir occasionally. If you want an even stronger hazelnut flavour, you can cook it for a bit longer. This will also make the syrup thicker
8. Let the syrup cool for at least 30 minutes
9. Place a sieve over a container and drain the syrup
10. Pour it over coffee and enjoy!

Gingerbread syrup

Finally, here's our recipe for gingerbread syrup. This is perfect for anyone who loves warming holiday spices.

Recreate the holidays all year round with gingerbread coffee syrup

Ingredients:

• 600ml water
• 200g light brown sugar
• 400g caster sugar
• 4 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Put the sugars, spices and cold water in a pan. Heat and stir until the sugars have dissolved
2. Bring the mixture to the boil, then simmer for 15-20 mins until syrupy. Leave to cool completely, then stir in the vanilla extract
3. Pour into sterilised bottles and seal. Shake well before adding to coffee or hot chocolate

You should keep your syrups in sterilised glass bottles. To sterilise them, wash the bottles in hot, soapy water and rinse well.

Dry in the oven for 15-20 mins at gas 1, 140C, fan 120C until hot and completely dry. Boil metal lids and rubber seals for 10 mins, then leave to dry.

We also recommend refrigerating the syrups, and keeping them for no more than two weeks. Even if you don't typically add flavoured syrups to your coffee, adding some to your afternoon coffee every now and again can be a great change.

If you make any of these recipes, share them with us on Twitter or Instagram using #balancecoffeerecipes.