Learn how to make Brown Sugar Syrup at home! It's super easy, ready in just 10 minutes and has a rich caramel, cinnamon flavour. Use in coffee, tea, cocktails, baking, or as a budget-friendly maple syrup alternative on pancakes.
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Recreate your favourite Starbucks syrup at home with my easy copycat Brown Sugar Syrup recipe. Just like my apple brown sugar syrup, it's much cheaper than buying the bottled Starbucks version, and the taste is virtually the same.
This delicious liquid sweetener is toasty and cozy with caramel, toffee and cinnamon undertones and it's so versatile. Use it and other vegan coffee syrup recipes to flavour and sweeten your hot and cold beverages (including cocktails!). You can even use it as a budget-friendly alternative to maple syrup for drizzling on pancakes etc.
In this Brown Sugar Syrup recipe post:
Ingredients
All you need to make this recipe are 3 simple vegan staples. Brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and of course some water.
You can use dark brown sugar or light brown sugar depending on the depth of flavour you want. For a richer, more caramel-like flavour, I recommend using dark brown sugar because it contains more molasses and has a stronger, deeper flavour.
How To Make Brown Sugar Syrup
Brown Sugar Simple Syrup is really easy to make. Simply add everything to a pan, bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Storage
Decant syrup into a bottle or jar and store in the fridge. It will keep for up to 4 weeks. You can also freeze it although some crystallization may occur. To remedy this, once defrosted, warm up the syrup in a small pan. This will dissolve the crystals.
How To Use Brown Sugar Syrup
Brown Sugar Syrup really comes into its own when used in beverages like coffee, iced coffee, tea, iced tea, lattes and cocktails (especially whiskey and bourbon-based ones). Because it's a liquid, it is much easier to mix into drinks (especially cold ones), than regular brown sugar.
Use your syrup to recreate your favourite Starbucks drinks like the Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso. Other ways to use it include:
- Drizzled over pancakes & waffles. It's especially good with my banana pancakes and my pumpkin pancakes.
- Sweetening and flavouring oatmeal
- In smoothies, shakes and hot cocoa
- Get some tapioca pearls and make boba/bubble tea (check the FAQs for how to adjust the ratio of sugar to water slightly for this)
- Flavouring/glazing desserts & baked goods
- Brushing on cakes to add flavour and moisture
- Soaking the sponge layer in vegan trifle
- Stirred into warm almond milk or cashew milk for a cozy, milky, child-friendly drink
Flavour variations
Try adding a cinnamon stick instead of ground cinnamon, fresh or ground ginger, pumpkin spice, apple pie spice, chai spice, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice or a little orange peel. Add these at the start then remove any solids just before decanting.
A teaspoon of vanilla extract can also be added but don't do this until the syrup has been taken off the heat. This preserves its delicate flavour.
Recipe FAQs
Simple syrup is made with white sugar, brown sugar syrup is made with brown sugar.
Boba tea uses a thicker, sweeter syrup. Usually 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. So if you are wanting to make this brown sugar syrup recipe to use in Boba, I recommend doubling the brown sugar. The method will stay exactly the same.
This recipe does create a fairly thin syrup but it will thicken slightly as it cools. If you prefer it thicker simply simmer it longer so it reduces further.
Recipe
Brown Sugar Syrup
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 grams) brown sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add the brown sugar, water, cinnamon and salt to a small pan. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil then turn to a gentle simmer, stirring or swirling occasionally, for 10 minutes. By then it should have visibly reduced by about half.
- Remove from the heat, allow to cool a little, then pour into a small jar or other heat proof lidded container.
NOTES
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Kayla Krittenbrink says
Love this! So simple to make and I love to use it to make brown sugar shaken espresso drinks!!
Melanie McDonald says
Glad you're enjoying it Kayla. If you haven't tried my apple brown sugar syrup I recommend giving that one a try too!