The short answer: to make brown sugar syrup, stir 200 g (about 1 cup) of brown sugar into 240 ml (1 cup) of water over medium heat until it dissolves. Simmer for 2 minutes, then cool it and pour it into a clean bottle. It keeps about 2 weeks in the fridge. Use 15 to 30 ml (1 to 2 tablespoons) per coffee.
Brown sugar syrup is plain simple syrup made with brown sugar. The molasses in the sugar gives it a toffee taste and the colour of strong tea. It dissolves in iced coffee, where granulated sugar sinks to the bottom. Two ingredients, one small pan, 5 minutes. Below: the recipe, light or dark sugar, a shaken oat milk espresso, and five flavours to try.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Ratio | 1 to 1, sugar to water |
| Time | 5 minutes, plus cooling |
| Makes | About 300 ml |
| Keeps | About 2 weeks in the fridge |
Ingredients
- 200 g (about 1 cup) light or dark brown sugar
- 240 ml (1 cup) water
- A small pinch of salt (optional, it sharpens the caramel taste)
How to make brown sugar syrup
- Combine. Put the sugar, water and salt in a small pan.
- Dissolve. Heat it over medium heat and stir until you can no longer see or feel any grains on the spoon. This takes 2 to 3 minutes.
- Simmer. Let it bubble gently for 2 minutes without stirring. It thickens a little.
- Cool. Take it off the heat and let it cool in the pan. It thickens more as it cools.
- Bottle. Pour it into a clean glass bottle or jar. Close it and keep it in the fridge.
Light or dark brown sugar?
Both work. The difference is how much molasses the sugar holds. Dark brown sugar holds more.
| Light brown sugar | Dark brown sugar | |
|---|---|---|
| Colour | Amber | Deep brown |
| Taste | Soft caramel | Molasses, a little bitter |
| Best in | Hot lattes, porridge | Iced coffee, oat milk |
Muscovado gives the darkest, most treacly syrup. Demerara gives a light, clean one.
A brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso
This is the drink most people make brown sugar syrup for. It takes 2 minutes.
- Put 2 shots of espresso, 15 to 30 ml of brown sugar syrup and a pinch of cinnamon in a jar.
- Fill the jar halfway with ice. Close it and shake hard for 15 seconds, until the coffee foams.
- Pour it into a glass and top up with about 120 ml (½ cup) of cold oat milk.
No espresso machine? Use 120 ml of strong cold coffee and shake it the same way.
Five ways to flavour it
- Cinnamon: simmer 1 cinnamon stick with the syrup, then lift it out. For the full version, see our cinnamon syrup.
- Vanilla: stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract once the syrup is off the heat. Our vanilla extract guide shows how to make your own.
- Ginger: simmer 3 or 4 thin slices of fresh ginger in it for 5 minutes, then strain. Or make a full ginger syrup.
- Salted: add ¼ teaspoon of flaky salt for a salted caramel taste.
- Orange: add 2 strips of orange peel while it simmers, then remove them.
Every flavour added makes it a flavoured syrup. Keep those to about 2 weeks in the fridge too.
Ways to use brown sugar syrup
- Hot or iced lattes, with oat, almond or dairy milk
- Cold brew and iced tea, where sugar would not dissolve
- Over porridge, yoghurt or pancakes
- Brushed over a warm sponge cake to keep it moist
- In homemade lemonade, for a darker, toffee-like taste
How long brown sugar syrup keeps
- Fridge: about 2 weeks in a clean, closed bottle.
- Throw it out if it turns cloudy, smells sour or grows mould.
A clean bottle matters more than anything else. Rinse it with boiling water before you fill it. A thicker 2 to 1 syrup, twice the sugar, keeps a little longer.
Common mistakes
- Grains left in the pan: undissolved sugar makes the syrup crystallise in the fridge. Stir until every grain is gone before it simmers.
- Boiling too long: hard boiling drives off water. The syrup gets thick and can set hard in the fridge. Two gentle minutes is enough.
- Bottling it hot in a cold bottle: glass can crack. Let it cool first.
If it does crystallise, warm the bottle in a bowl of hot water and shake it. The crystals melt back in.
For a clear syrup with a floral taste instead, try our vanilla syrup.
Questions
What is the ratio for brown sugar syrup?
Use 1 part brown sugar to 1 part water, for example 200 g of sugar to 240 ml of water. For a thicker syrup, use 2 parts sugar to 1 part water.
How long does brown sugar syrup last?
About 2 weeks in a clean, closed bottle in the fridge. Throw it out if it turns cloudy, smells sour or grows mould.
How much brown sugar syrup goes in a coffee?
Start with 15 ml (1 tablespoon) for a medium coffee and go up to 30 ml (2 tablespoons) if you like it sweet.
Can I use dark brown sugar?
Yes. Dark brown sugar gives a darker syrup with a stronger molasses taste. It is good in iced coffee and with oat milk.
Why did my brown sugar syrup crystallise?
Some sugar did not dissolve before it simmered, or it boiled too long. Warm the bottle in hot water and shake it to melt the crystals.
