Homemade Cola Syrup

Ms Shi and Mr He

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

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 154 kcal

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
1 vanilla bean (Split lengthwise and seeds scraped out; Can be substituted with 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.)

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

This recipe yields approximately 500 ml of homemade cola syrup, enough to produce around 8 cups of iced cola.

Keyword cola syrup, homemade cola