Brown Sugar Coffee Syrup

This homemade brown sugar coffee syrup is made with 4 simple ingredients and comes together in less than 5 minutes! It’s perfect for hot or iced coffee, homemade lattes, and specialty drinks at home.

Up your at-home coffee with this homemade simple syrup! It saves time and money while being oh-so-easy to make.

Scroll down for the recipe card, followed by detailed step-by-step instructions (with photos).

Brown Sugar Coffee Syrup Recipe

Brown Sugar Coffee Syrup

Annabelle

This brown sugar coffee syrup is simple and easy to make! It uses 4 simple ingredients: brown sugar, water, salt, and vanilla extract. It's perfect for hot or iced coffee, homemade lattes, and specialty drinks at home!

5 from 1 vote

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Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings 20 servings

Calories 35 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup brown sugar packed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Instructions

 

• In a small saucepan, combine water, brown sugar, and a generous pinch of salt* over low-medium heat. Don't leave the stove and whisk ingredients together as they melt. *Don't add the vanilla extract until the end.
• Whisk gently over low-medium heat for at least 2 minutes. You don't want the mixture to boil but you do want it hot enough to dissolve the brown sugar and salt. Keep mixing gently so the sugar doesn't burn on the bottom.
• Once all ingredients are dissolved together, remove saucepan from heat. Allow the syrup to mostly cool in the pan. Add the vanilla extract and stir.
• Once mostly cool, pour the syrup into a glass jar or bottle for storage. Allow to completely finish cooling on the counter top before storing in the fridge.
• When ready to use, shake the bottle or jar of syrup, pour into your beverage, and enjoy!

Notes

• Stir, stir, stir – Do not leave this brown sugar coffee syrup while it’s on the stove. The sugar can burn if the heat is too high and it needs to be continually gently stirred while the ingredients dissolve. So watch it carefully!
• Add the vanilla extract at the end – Dissolve the brown sugar and salt in the water first. Don’t add the vanilla extract until the end. Since vanilla extract is alcohol-based it will evaporate if heated and result in a weaker vanilla flavor. Add it at the end after removing the pan from the heat.
• Store in the fridge – Once you make this coffee syrup you can use some right away and store the rest in the fridge for up to a month.
• Consider your container – I’d recommend storing brown sugar coffee syrup in a glass container that’s easy to pour. It keeps drips and messes to a minimum. I use a repurposed maple syrup bottle and it works perfectly. 

This is an easy homemade coffee syrup recipe to level up your coffee! This recipe makes a 10 ounce batch you can grab to whip up a quick and convenient drink that tastes like it came from your favorite coffee shop.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Easy and delicious – This brown sugar coffee syrup is oh-so-good and quick to whip up. With only 4 simple ingredients you can make it in just a few minutes.
• Simple ingredients – Made with ingredients you already have on hand–brown sugar, water, salt, and vanilla extract–it’s couldn’t be easier. There are no fillers, preservatives, or dyes to worry about like when buying store-bought coffee syrups.
• Saves money – If you break it down, this coffee syrup costs only pennies per serving. It’s much more frugal to make coffee at home and this recipe doesn’t sacrifice flavor for frugality!
• Saves time – There’s no prep to use this coffee syrup after it’s made. You can keep the bottle in your fridge and grab it anytime you need. Just pour, stir, and go.

Important Ingredients

This brown sugar simple syrup recipe takes only a few ingredients you already have in your pantry:

• Brown sugar – Make sure to pack the brown sugar when measuring so the syrup isn’t too watery.
• Pinch of salt – My favorite salt to use in my kitchen is Redmond Real Salt. A high quality salt is key in a vibrant kitchen and in recipes like this one, salt is used as a flavor enhancer. So be generous with that pinch of salt in this recipe!
• Vanilla extract – Use pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla extract. The flavor of pure vanilla extract is much better and bolder. I personally like making my own vanilla extract so if you want to try that for the future, this recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen is a good one.

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card above.

How to Make Brown Sugar Coffee Syrup

Step 1: In a small saucepan, combine water, brown sugar, and a generous pinch of salt* over low-medium heat. Don’t leave the stove and whisk ingredients together as they melt.

*Don’t add the vanilla extract until the end.

Step 2: Whisk gently over low-medium heat for at least 2 minutes. You don’t want the mixture to boil but you do want it hot enough to dissolve the brown sugar and salt. Keep mixing gently so the sugar doesn’t burn on the bottom.

Step 3: Once all ingredients are dissolved together, remove saucepan from heat. Allow the syrup to mostly cool in the pan. Add the vanilla extract and stir.

Step 4: Once mostly cool, pour the syrup into a glass jar or bottle for storage. Allow to completely finish cooling on the counter top before storing it in the fridge.

I like to use a silicone funnel to make it easy to pour into my container. I recommend using a glass storage container that’s easy to pour from so it makes it easier and mess-free to add the syrup to coffee.

Step 5: When ready to use, shake the bottle or jar of syrup, pour into your coffee drink of choice, and enjoy!

How to Serve

Pour this brown sugar coffee syrup in a hot or iced coffee, cold brew, or latte to make your own version of your favorite coffee shop drink. You can combine it with other flavors or enjoy it on it’s own.

Add it to a cold brew or iced coffee and top with my easy vanilla cold foam or homemade whipped cream for a quick iced coffee treat.

We even enjoy this daily in a cup of brewed coffee with cream. It levels up any coffee drink so try it in your favorite!

How to Store

Store brown sugar coffee syrup in a glass bottle or jar in the fridge for up to a month. When ready to use, shake the bottle and pour into your coffee.

Frequently Asked Questions

I love to have a batch of this brown sugar coffee syrup ready in my fridge. It’s fun to pull out for a sweet coffee at home or to serve to friends during a playdate. With just a few minutes of prep I always have a fun and sweet coffee drink only a pour away.

I love that I know what the ingredients are, where they came from, and I can make my own gourmet coffee drinks at home for pennies instead of paying coffee shop prices.