Since I drink coffee pretty much around the clock, I started buying the bottled syrups so I could add my favorite flavors to the cappuccinos and lattes I made at home. However at $10 or so a pop that can be a fairly expensive habit, especially since I like to mix up my flavors often. I decided to make a simple syrup base and then added various flavorings to find out how they tasted in comparison to the store-bought variety. The results were very favorable, in fact one friend of mine swears she can't tell the difference between various Starbuck's drinks and my own homemade versions. I still think there is nothing quite like the original, but these are a reasonable facsimile at the very least. To make a simple syrup, combine 1 cup water and 1 cup white sugar. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until it has reduced by half, which should take about 5 minutes. Now if you want flavoring, you have to add those ingredient(s) at the same time you add the water and sugar. Keep in mind, the following are just examples. I don't really have a precise recipe for this as I usually just wing it, so play around with the amounts and make what suits your own taste.
Vanilla bean
If you use vanilla beans in cooking, always reserve the pod (wrap and refrigerate) once you have scraped the seeds out because it is perfect for something like this. Simply add the pod to the water and sugar mix, prepare as above, and remove it once the syrup has reduced. If you are only making a small batch, you might want to only use a portion of the vanilla pod. If you don't use vanilla beans at home, you can add approximately 1 tsp. vanilla extract to the water & syrup instead.
Cinnamon syrup
Add about a teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the water and sugar mixture. If you want the syrup to resemble the Cinnamon Dolce flavor, use brown sugar instead of white.
Experiment with other flavors, spices, and extracts to find the ones that suit you best. If you like pumpkin pie, use the same spices you would add to a pumpkin pie, etc. Practice in small batches, but once you find a blend you like, you can make larger portions and refrigerate.
1-11-2009 @7:06PM Pac said... I'm trying to think of a way to duplicate the Nestles Coffee Mate Amaretto. I was thinking that condensed milk and almond extract might work? Any ideas?
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2-10-2009 @10:07AM kim said... i would like to know how to make coconut syrup.
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2-11-2009 @4:45PM rhonda said... Darlene, We own coffee shop in sc I make a pumpkin spice latte made to order rather then buy a syrup. You can make your own by following the recipes for making your own syrups. Make one syrup Caramel-vanilla. Use Ice cream caramel syrup and vanilla extract or vanilla beans. To your syrup and ground pumpkin pie spice. this is a # 1 seller for our shop
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7-10-2009 @12:44PM Ann said... Hi folks, all great ideas! Has anyone ever made a sugar-free syrup?
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9-14-2009 @7:43AM stephen said... Wow, wow wow, wow wow -
I just started telling people how i have become obsessed with finding out how to make that coffee syrup that i experienced back in Lima, Peru ...
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9-26-2009 @2:48AM Tonya said... Substitute the Cinnamon for Pumpkin Spice. In the original recipe.
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12-05-2009 @2:33PM Supermommie said... I just made some of the cinnamon syrup using brown sugar, water and cinnamon sticks. I was blown away! It was so easy. I've been spending $7 on 3 weeks worth of syrup and I just made a months worth for .15cents.
Thanks!
http://smommie.blogspot.com/
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12-11-2009 @8:13AM April said... Answer to Marty's question... you usually find these syrups in a coffee shop, they use them to flavor almost any drink, such as a latte, capp, irish soda, ect. You could use them in regular brewed coffee if you like. They come in tons of different flavors and it only takes about an ounce or two for one coffee drink. It's what makes your vanilla latte vanilla and your banana nut bread latte taste like banana nut bread.
Here are some recipes for mixtures of flavorings;
Banana Nut Bread, 1 shot banana, 1 shot hazlenut, 1/2 shot cocoa
Black Forest Mocha, 1/2 shot cherry, 1/2 shot coconut, 1 shot chocolate
Almond Joy, 1 shot chocolate, 1/2 shot coconut, 1 shot hazlenut
Granny Snickerdoodle, 1 shot hazlenut, 1 shot cinnamon
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1-03-2010 @5:01PM Stacey said... This is wonderful. You can get citric acid from a specialty store or amazon. I had some on hand from cheese making.
I can not wait to try more flavors! The Cinnamon Dolce has made the whole house smell amazingly good.
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2-07-2007 @9:29PM Un-Swiss Miss said... Any tips for making fruit syrups?
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2-08-2007 @10:10AM Rebecca said... Where do you spend $10 for a bottle of syrup? We buy them at World Market for $3.99 - $5.99. Even at that price though, they do add up quickly. I'm going to have to try making them myself. :)
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2-08-2007 @10:08AM Keith said... Here is how I make a good lime syrup.
Make the simple syrup as above but I use 2 cups of water and sugar. I don't boil it down by half as I found that a more watery mixture mixes better. Then use a microplane to remove the outermost (green not white) part of 5-7 washed limes. Do NOT use a zester tool you don't want any of the very bitter white rind just the outer zest.
Just after the boiling is finishing add the zest. Let it boil for about a minute and turn the heat off and let the mixture steep until room temperature. Strain through a fine sieve or cloth and squeeze or press the zest to get out all the flavor. Put it into a squeeze bottle and refrigerate.
My b/f had me make this after the cancellation of Lime Pepsi in our area. He now can't drink Pepsi without it and I'll be making this for the rest of my life.
I do my vanilla syrup the same way by scraping the seeds and putting the pod and all into the mixture for steeping. Some vanilla seeds in the syrup (they are hard to filter out) only add flavor.
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2-08-2007 @10:49AM Jason L. Froebe said... Anyone know how to make Pumpkin Spice or Hazelnut syrup? That's what we use most of all at home but the bottles are expensive ($7 - $10).
Jason
http://www.froebe.net/blog
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2-08-2007 @11:54AM peggy said... for flavors you can't reproduce, try a grocery outlet, like smart and final or united grocer. they are open to the public and have the largest variety and are less than half of \what you are paying. i think the last time i counted there were about 84 different flavors, and a large selection of syrups with splenda. enjoy
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2-08-2007 @7:00PM Bonnie said... I've been making my own syrups for a while now. I make a thicker syrup, 2 parts sugar to 1 part water.
Mostly, I use extracts (make friends with a Watkins distributer), although last summer I made one with culinary lavender which was awesome for making lemonade.
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2-11-2007 @7:06PM Kathryn said... Tried this today and it worked out fabulously! I'll never go to Starbucks again (haha .. right). But anyway. Word of advice - don't let your coffee get cold and try to drink it again; the syrup WILL separate from the coffee and it WILL taste disgusting, lol.
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2-19-2007 @12:46PM Preggars said... I make lavendar syrup for cocktails, in place of honey, chocolate cupcakes, whatever...it is so good, and so easy, just add fresh or dried lavendar flowers to the sugar and water. Mint is really nice as well, for cocktails.
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2-18-2007 @7:42AM Daddymem said... There is only one coffee syrup: These recipes are coffee flavorings.
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2-18-2007 @12:11PM Kitty said... Chocolate mint...added some cocoa powder and two drops of peppermint oil. It's excellent.
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2-20-2007 @3:41PM Marty Chamberlain said... I have what will probably be a really stupid question. We don't have a starbucks where I am..and no I don't live on the moon, however it's close..Anyway, I see these recipes for the syrups, what do you do with them.. do you just add them to black coffees? and if so, how much do you add?
Cheers
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