Homemade Cola Syrup

Let’s make cola syrup using only natural ingredients! Paired with our homemade pine needle soda, it’s even fizzier than traditional cola.

With our homemade cola syrup recipe, we will combine simple natural ingredients to produce a rich, caramel-infused elixir that’s perfect for adding a splash of homemade charm to your favorite drinks.

Feel free to adjust the syrup-to-carbonated-water ratio according to your unique taste preferences. Cheers to your homemade cola creation!

Coca-Cola Formula

The precise formula for Coca-Cola remains a closely held secret, disclosed only to a limited number of individuals within the company.

When examining its ingredient label, we can find the following components listed: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, phosphoric acid, natural flavors, and caffeine.

So today, our objective is to substitute all the ingredients in cola with simple, natural pantry staples readily available in our kitchen.

1. Carbonated water

In Coca-Cola, carbonated water serves as the primary liquid base, providing the beverage with its characteristic fizziness and effervescence. The factories inject carbon dioxide gas into filtered water, forming carbonic acid, which adds a refreshing and bubbly quality to the drink.

When making cola at home, you have several options for carbonated water. You can use store-bought club soda or mineral water. Alternatively, you can make carbonated water using a soda siphon.

For a more natural approach, consider trying out my pine needle soda recipe. Simply combine pine needles, water, and sugar in a flip bottle, then allow it to rest in sunlight for 3 days. The natural yeasts residing on the pine needles will generate carbon dioxide gas, transforming your ordinary water into carbonated water.

2. High fructose corn syrup & Caramel color

The coca cola factories use high fructose corn syrup to provide sweetness, and caramel color for the distinctive brown color to Coca-Cola. When we make cola syrup at home, we can simply use cane sugar and brown sugar to to replicate the sweet taste, and by caramelizing the sugars, recreate the characteristic caramel color.

3. Phosphoric acid

Phosphoric acid contributes to the cola’s tartness and acts as a preservative.

In this recipe, we use lemon, orange, and lime juice, which also provide acidity and tartness to our homemade cola. Keep in mind that the flavor may be slightly different from store bought cola, but it can still result in a delicious and refreshing beverage. If you want a similar level of acidity and tartness, you can add ½  tsp of citric acid or tartaric acid into your homemade cola syrup.

4. Natural flavors

The components labeled as “natural flavors” could potentially constitute the most significant aspect of the Coca-Cola recipe secret. These are a combination of diverse natural flavoring agents that contribute to Coca-Cola’s distinctive taste.

The blend of flavors can vary significantly across various recipes. In our cola syrup recipe, we incorporate lemon, lime, orange, ginger, coriander seeds, and vanilla bean to enhance the natural flavors.

While I’ve experimented with adding cinnamon powder and nutmeg powder to my homemade cola syrup, I’ve found that their flavors can sometimes overpower the balance of natural flavors. Therefore, I recommend omitting them. However, feel free to include them if you prefer and explore your preferred flavor combination.

5. Caffeine

A standard 12-ounce (355 ml) can of Coca-Cola contains around 34 mg of caffeine.

Kola nut powder is made from ground seeds of the cola nut, obtained from the Kola tree. When making Cola drinks, kola nut powder is often used as an ingredient to enhance the flavor and provide a natural source of caffeine.

EQUIPMENT

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Saucepan
• Nut milk bag

INGREDIENTS  

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar (I used brown sugar cubes. You can also use regular granulated brown sugar.)
• 2 cup hot water (Make sure you add hot water to caramelized sugar. The sugar will turn hard and stick to the pot if you add cold water.)
• 1 orange (zested and juiced)
• 1 lime (zested and juiced)
• ½ lemon (zested and juiced)
• 3 slices ginger
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons kola nut powder (It adds a unique flavor and provides a natural caffeine boost.)
• 1 vanilla bean (Split lengthwise and seeds scraped out; Can be substituted with 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a saucepan, mix together granulated sugar and brown sugar. Heat the mixture over medium heat (do not add any water), stirring continuously until the sugars are fully melted. Continue stirring until the sugar caramelizes.

2. Carefully pour 2 cups of hot water into the caramelized sugar, and keep stirring over medium heat until the sugar is fully dissolved, resulting in a cola-color liquid.

3. Add the remaining ingredients into the saucepan , let the syrup simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes to infuse the flavors.

4. Strain the syrup through a nut milk bag to remove any solid particles. Return the strained syrup to the saucepan and heat it over medium-high heat to reduce its volume by half, keep stirring and thickening it in the process.

5. Pour the thickened syrup to a bottle. Let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled, securely cover the bottle with its lid and store the cola syrup in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks.

6. To serve, fill a glass with ice cubes. Pour about ¾ cup of carbonated water (such as club soda, mineral water, soda siphon water, or homemade pine needle soda) and ¼ cup of the cola syrup into the glass, gently stirring to blend. Optionally, decorate with lemon slices. Adjust the ratio of syrup to carbonated water according to your personal taste preferences.

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