I often joke that I need some “decaf project fuel” before I start my next project. I mostly make coffee at home because I only have decaf and can’t handle too many artificial sweeteners. I mostly stick to black coffee, but decided a year ago to try making some homemade coffee syrups to keep on hand as a treat, and they turned out delicious.
The nice thing about making your own coffee syrups is you have complete control of how sweet they are. They are also a lot more natural, and fairly simple to make. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Simple Syrup: This is an easy 1:1 mixture of sugar and water boiled on low until the sugar dissolves. This is great to keep on hand for just adding sweetness. I like adding this to iced coffee because you don’t have to worry about the sugar not melting. I usually mix 1 cup of water with 1 cup of sugar whisking on low for about 10ish minutes and then pour into a glass pump container. I store this at room temperature.
- Vanilla Syrup: I first make the simple syrup, but then add a tablespoon on vanilla extract at the end. I don’t boil the vanilla down into the syrup. Store at room temperature.
- Cinnamon Syrup: Start with simple syrup and add a teaspoon of cinnamon at the end. Note that the cinnamon doesn’t dissolve so your bottle will need to be shaken every so often. Store at room temperature.
- Pumpkin spice syrup: The most complex of them all, but so worth it for a better than coffee shop latte: Mix 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/3 cup pumpkin puree, 3/4 cup water, and 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and whisk on low for about 10 minutes until it thickens. Store in a glass jar in the fridge. Shake jar before each use.
So there you have it! Now you can go be your own barista!
bonita by rachel 