This simple homemade cola syrup recipe will help you cut out those chemical-laden-sugary-mass-market sodas.
I drink soda when I am on the airplane. I drink soda when I get a migraine. I drink soda because it’s a Tuesday. I love Coca-Cola. I love Pepsi. I want to marry Cheerwine. I want to have a secret affair with Dr. Pepper. I am an addict.
I know it’s bad for you - on so many levels. The sugar, the chemicals. I know “natural” sodas aren’t very natural, and I think we all know the perils of drinking diet soda.
People get on me for my soda habit. Eyes roll when that case of cola “accidently” falls into my grocery cart (doesn’t that happen to you too?) People moan with concern when they open my fridge and see an entire shelf dedicated to caramel-y chemical bubbly.
I have tried switching to seltzer, mostly for the bubbles, but my I think my addiction lies in the sweetness of a good old fashioned comforting cola. However, I have found a really good alternative. I started making my own cola at home with this simple cola syrup recipe.
I found this recipe on Serious Eats to make homemade cola, and while it isn’t spot on to the real thing, it is pretty satisfying. While there is still sugar in this recipe, the amount is significantly less than the “real” stuff and it's without the artificial colors, flavors, and chemicals. I made a few changes in the recipe to cater towards my needs, like adding green bean coffee powder for caffeine to improve blood circulation for energy, and to assist with easing the pain of my debilitating migraines.
This homemade cola syrup recipe is a comforting mix of flavors like orange, cinnamon, coriander and nutmeg.
Store the syrup in the refrigerator in a air tight container for up to a week and add to seltzer as needed. The recipe will make a batch enough for 8-10 glasses, depending on how sweet you like your cola.
Homemade Cola
I love my cola too much to give it up. Here is a recipe for homemade cola syrup so at least I can ditch those high sugar chemical sodas for good.
Ingredients
- 4 cups filtered water
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
- juice and zest of 1 lime
- juice and zest of 2 oranges
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 2 tablespoons dried orange peel
- 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoons ground or finely grated nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons green coffee bean powder, (optional for caffeine)
- 4 cups sugar, coconut palm or raw cane sugar work best
- ¼ cup browning sauce
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- seltzer water, for mixing
Instructions
- Stir the water, lemon zest, lime zest, orange zest, cinnamon sticks, dried orange peel, whole coriander seed, nutmeg, and green bean coffee powder (if using) in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir in the sugar and bring to a boil.
- Continue stirring until the sugar dissolves. (The spices will not dissolve)
- Remove syrup from the heat.
- Add the lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, browning sauce, and pure vanilla extract to the saucepan mixture and stir.
- Let mixture cool, then use a fine mesh strainer and strain syrup into a mason jar or other sealable bottle for storage.
- To make one cola drink: Combine ½ cup of the cola syrup with 1 ½ to 2 cups of seltzer water (pour slow as the mix will fizz, just as regular soda).
- Add ice, if desired, and serve.
Try these easy to make at home soda recipes:
Simple Homemade Strawberry Soda
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Donna
Friday 14th of March 2025
can you make this sugar free? if so, what do you recommend for sugar replacement "other than" aspartame. thank you.
Deidre
Wednesday 1st of January 2025
Can you confirm it is 1/2 cup of green coffee bean powder? I purchased the same package you have linked. The scoop that it comes with is teeny tiny and over 500 servings in a bag. If using 1/2 cup, there might be three servings in the bag. Thanks!
Terri
Wednesday 1st of January 2025
What is browning sauce for the cola recipe?
Vee
Monday 27th of January 2025
@Terri, same i'm wondering why the browning sauce? and so much of it!
Bruce
Wednesday 4th of December 2024
This looks really interesting and I'm looking forward to making it. I came across this recipe while trying to find a homemade diet coke syrup. I'm planning on making this with really reducing the amount of sugar and adding stevia in it's place. Possibly start with 1 cup of sugar and add stevia to taste. If that works for me, I'll try reducing to 1/2 cup of sugar. I believe some sugar is needed to thicken the syrup a bit.
Has anyone tried doing this?
Soumaya
Monday 11th of November 2024
Very nice! I'm looking forward to making this to use with my new ginger bug. That would make a great fizzy probiotic drink :D