5-Minute Homemade Brown Sugar Syrup

Last Updated on May 28, 2024 by brewthatcoffee

Brown sugar syrup enriches drinks like coffee, tea, and cocktails. It has a rich caramel flavor that makes any coffee drink an experience. The Starbucks brown sugar syrup menu is highly sought-after, yet the coffees are actually easy to make at home.

Homemade brown sugar syrup is simple and affordable. It requires one packed cup of brown sugar, one cup of water, and vanilla extract. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 to 15 minutes and allow to cool. While it’s cooling, add the vanilla extract. Then, pour the syrup into an airtight container.

Your homemade brown sugar syrup equals Starbucks coffee in quality and taste. There are many exciting spices and herbs you can add to your brown sugar syrup home recipe. This article is a guideline on how to make homemade brown sugar syrup in five minutes.

Brown Sugar Syrup Ingredients

The two principal ingredients in traditional syrup are sugar and water. Brown sugar syrup is like classic syrup, yet it’s made from dark brown sugar and water.

The brown sugar contains molasses. Molasses is responsible for its rich flavor with hints of caramel. Both dark and light brown sugar are excellent for brown sugar syrup. Yet, dark sugar has more molasses and a deeper flavor profile.

The simplicity of the syrup allows for creative infusions- fruit, herb, and spice. You can add mint leaves, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, clove, citrus peels, and a tiny sprinkling of salt for a toffee undercurrent.

Brown sugar syrup from refined sugar is artificial. However, unrefined, natural brown sugar syrup is 100% natural and a non-artificial sweetener.

Natural brown sugar contains minute quantities of minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron. There is a higher molasses content in raw brown sugar, and therefore a minor source of nutrition.

Is Brown Sugar Syrup The Same As Brown Sugar?

No, brown sugar syrup is a condiment, and brown sugar is a simple carbohydrate called sucrose. Brown sugar is an ingredient of brown sugar syrup.

Both brown sugar and brown sugar syrup are added to a variety of drinks and food to sweeten or enhance the taste. As brown sugar syrup has a thicker consistency and as the sugar is already dissolved, it mixes well with other drinks.

Additionally, homemade brown sugar syrup allows you to get creative. For example, you can add peppermint extract to your recipe for peppermint caramel iced coffee.

Homemade Brown Sugar Syrup Recipe

Homemade brown sugar syrup is a simple recipe made from a few ingredients and takes three to five minutes to brew.

If you use a 1:1 ratio of brown sugar and water, you can bottle and refrigerate it for a month. A bottle of brown sugar syrup with a balance of 2:1 can stay in the fridge for up to six months.

Brown sugar syrup recipe adds vanilla extract or a vanilla pod. It’s better to opt for vanilla bean as it has more flavor.

Equipment

• Small saucepan
• Measuring cups
• Wooden spoon
• Small bowl
• Strain
• Glass jar

Ingredients

• 1 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla seeds from the pod

Instructions

1. Add the water and brown sugar to the small saucepan.
2. Cook the mixture over medium-high heat.
3. Stir gently for 10 to 15 minutes until the sugar dissolves and begins to simmer.
4. The mixture will steadily caramelize into syrup.
5. Switch off the stove.
6. As the mixture cools, stir in the vanilla extract. (For vanilla seeds, see further below)
7. Allow the syrup to cool down in the pan for an hour.
8. Strain the syrup into an airtight glass bottle.
9. Store in the refrigerator.

Easy Tips To Follow

Here are some helpful tips when brewing brown sugar syrup.

How To Make Your Syrup Thicker Or Thinner

Pour more water into the mixture while it cools to make the syrup thinner. Place the syrup on low heat and only add one teaspoon of water at a time. Stir until the desired consistency is reached.

To thicken your syrup, use cornstarch. This thickening agent won’t alter the taste of the syrup. Use a ratio of 1:1 cornstarch and water.

Mix the ingredients (cornstarch and water) in a small bowl. Then, pour in equal amounts starting with 3 tablespoons each. Stir into a paste.

Pour the paste into the syrup as it cooks in a wide saucepan over low heat. Wait for tiny bubbles to appear and stir every so often. Don’t allow the syrup to boil. Turn down the heat if the bubbles get larger.    

Pour 1 tablespoon of paste into the syrup and stir. Begin with small amounts to see how the syrup reacts with the starch. Stir and keep an eye on the consistency.  

Another helpful tip is to add 2 tablespoons of molasses to your syrup. It enhances the richness of your syrup. Add the molasses to the mixture as it cooks over medium-high heat.

Types Of Brown Sugar To Use

As mentioned above, there is light brown sugar and dark brown sugar, and you can use both for your brown sugar syrup.

Light brown sugar results in a milder-tasting syrup.

Dark brown sugar has more molasses which produces a more full-bodied quality syrup.

Choosing light or dark brown sugar depends on your preference.

Add Maple Syrup Or Vanilla Extract

To add maple syrup, add 1½ teaspoon during the hour the mixture cools. Stir every so often.

Using a vanilla bean for your brown sugar syrup is better because it offers a more intense, authentic flavor.

Here’s how to extract vanilla seeds:

• Place the vanilla bean on a breadboard.
• Use a pairing knife and slice down the center of the pod lengthways.
• Don’t slice the pod completely.
• Use the knife’s blade and move it within the bean extracting the seeds.
• Gather the seeds in a small bowl.
• Add the seeds with the brown sugar and water to the saucepan at the start of cooking and not after, as with vanilla essence.

Ways To Use Brown Sugar Syrup

There are many recipes that use brown sugar syrup. It acts as a condiment and enriches the flavor of a variety of cakes and beverages.

• Coffee– The rich caramel syrup combines well with the chocolate undertone of the coffee.
• Cocktails– Brown sugar syrup is a fun addition to most cocktails. The best base drinks are whiskey, rum, bourbon, amaretto, and brandy. The molasses enriches the warm fragrance of the drinks.
• Cakes and desserts– Trickle the syrup over ice cream, cakes, and pastries for an affordable yet luxurious treat.
• General condiment– This syrup is great on waffles and pancakes for breakfast or toast in the afternoon.

Starbucks Brown Sugar Syrup

Brown sugar syrup is the secret ingredient of Starbucks Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso. 

Calories & Sugar Content

One tablespoon of brown sugar syrup has approximately 62 calories. Therefore, it’s easy to indulge in a small amount, and if you use natural brown sugar, the molasses provides minuscule quantities of minerals and nutrition.

Best Brown Sugar Syrup Drinks At Starbucks

Here’s a list of the most popular brown sugar syrup drinks offered by Starbucks:

• Brown Sugar Oat Americano– This rich combination of Blonde espresso, velvety oat milk, and caramel brown sugar syrup has made this one of Starbucks’ most popular drinks.
• Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso– This delicious drink contains Blonde espresso, a few squirts of brown sugar syrup, ice, oat milk, and a sprinkling of cinnamon.
• Iced Mocha with Brown Sugar– These drinks are made from espresso, milk, mocha sauce, and ice cubes topped with brown sugar syrup and sweetened whipped cream.
•  Iced London Fog Latte with Brown Sugar– Black tea with a few squirts of vanilla and a couple of pumps of brown sugar syrup infused with herbs- lavender and bergamot.
• Hot Chocolate with Brown Syrup– The mixture of hot chocolate and brown sugar syrup consists of steamed milk, mocha sauce, and vanilla essence.
• Caramel Macchiato with Brown Sugar– This is a delicious combination of brown sugar syrup, steamed milk, vanilla extract, and caramel drizzle.
• Matcha Latte with Brown Sugar Syrup– This simple drink blends steamed milk, matcha powder, and brown sugar syrup and delivers a delicious beverage.

Storing Your Brown Sugar Syrup

Use an airtight glass jar or bottle with a pour spout to store your brown sugar syrup. A glass container will preserve the flavor and increase the longevity of the syrup. You can use a funnel for easy decanting.

Brown Sugar Syrup FAQs

Conclusion

Five-minute homemade brown sugar syrup is easy and inexpensive. It requires a one packed cup of brown sugar and one cup of water, and vanilla extract. As brown sugar syrup is such an affordable, simple recipe one can get creative and add a variety of herbs, spices, and fruit extract. From now on you can make Starbucks quality coffee from your home. 

Resources

YouTube: The Hangry Woman