How to Make Caramel Syrup for Coffee - CopyKat Recipes (2024)

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Maybe just like you, we both love fancy coffees. I hate to say it but one of my vices is getting a nice cup of coffee out. I love adding a touch of caramel to my coffee. I can show you how to save money by making your caramel syrup for coffee from scratch.

How to Make Caramel Syrup for Coffee - CopyKat Recipes (1)

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Homemade Caramel Syrup for Coffee

For a pure hit of caffeine as you rush out the door in the morning, any old coffee will do. But if you have the time for a relaxing afternoon pick-me-up, you owe it to yourself to have something a bit more indulgent.

Why not try your everyday brew with a splash of cream and a touch of caramel syrup? This coffee drink is smooth, with just a hint of sweetness. Sure, you can use store-bought caramel coffee syrup, but do you really want to drink corn syrup or sodium benzoate with your coffee?

Besides, this homemade syrup is so easy to make and costs less than a tenth of what commercial caramel syrups sell for in the store. Try this two-ingredient coffee syrup recipe, and there is a good chance you will wind up thinking it is one of the best coffee syrups you have ever tried.

What is the difference between caramel sauce and caramel syrup?

The answer is simple, caramel sauce has more ingredients. If you are making this recipe with the expectation of making a caramel sauce, you will be disappointed. They both contain sugar and water.

Caramel sauce also has butter, cream, and salt. All those additional ingredients not only increases the complexity and cost of the recipe but the calorie count as well.

While this coffee syrup recipe isn’t the same as caramel sauce, it does provide a similar flavor to caramel sauce when added to beverages.

Caramel Syrup Ingredients

This recipe has a minimal amount of ingredients. There are no preservatives in this recipe. To make your own homemade caramel syrup you will need.

  • White granulated sugar
  • Water
How to Make Caramel Syrup for Coffee - CopyKat Recipes (2)

How to Make Caramel Syrup

Cooking up a batch of homemade syrup is simple. All you need is a pan with a heavy bottom and a wooden spoon. Use the longest wooden spoon you own because you don’t want to get any melted sugar on your skin. A hot sugar burn isn’t fun.

Be prepared to stir the sugar constantly. Sometimes when we cook we don’t need to be actively involved with the process. This is one of those recipes where you need to be actively involved the whole time. Don’t walk away, burnt sugar isn’t pleasant.

Start by combining the water with the sugar in a small saucepan into the mixture that looks like wet sand. You may need a little more or water depending on several factors.

When the sugar mixture is at the right consistency, place the saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Give the sugar mixture one good stir and shake the saucepan until it is level.

Bring the sugar mixture to a boil. At this point, you need to pay careful attention to keep the sugar from burning. Try to avoid stirring because excess stirring can cause the sugar to crystalize.

How to Make Caramel Syrup for Coffee - CopyKat Recipes (3)

Continue to cook the sugar mixture until it reaches the color you want. Never leave the saucepan unwatched. The sugar mixture can go from pale to burned in a minute or two.

This caramel syrup tastes just as good as any that you will buy.

How to Store Caramel Syrup

When I make a small batch of this syrup, I always store it in the refrigerator. Since this doesn’t have any preservatives, you need to make sure you store this in the refrigerator where it will stay fresh for a couple of months, not that you will have it for that long.

Is caramel syrup the same as simple syrup?

Both have the same ingredients (water and sugar), but what makes caramel syrup different is that the sugar is cooked and caramelizes during the cooking process. The cooking process gives the unique flavor we all love.

Safety Tips for working with caramel or caramel syrup

This recipe has one step in it that you have to be very alert, and that is when we combine the caramelized sugar, and the water.

I suggest that you perform this task over your sink. Do not place your face directly over the pot when you add the water.

Also, when stirring your caramel syrup use a heat-resistant spatula or a wooden spoon. Metal utensils conduct heat and may become warm while you are stirring your caramel syrup.

Tips for Making and Storing this Caramel Coffee Syrup Recipe

  • Keep your sugar from recrystallizing. Add a few drops of lemon juice to after the sugar mixture comes to a boil to prevent it from clumping.
  • Store in the fridge. Unlike store-bought caramel syrups, this version doesn’t have any preservatives to keep it shelf-stable. That means you need to store it in the refrigerator. It should last for at least a week or two. If you want, you can add a teaspoon of vodka to help preserve it a little longer.

Other ways to use caramel syrup, in addition to caramel coffee

This syrup is very thin, so it is great to add to beverages, here are a few more ideas for what you can do with your homemade caramel syrup.

  • Make your own Caramel Latte
  • Pour a bit over ice cream
  • Add to a vanilla milkshake
  • When making a cake, brush a little of this mixture over the cake before you frost it, it will give your cake extra flavor and keep it very moist.

Do you want to try more of our recipes? Be sure to follow us on Instagram!

Love coffee recipes? Check out these copycat favorites

  • Hot Caramel Macchiato
  • Pumpkin Spice Starbucks
  • Starbucks Berry Drink
  • Starbucks Cafe Mocha
  • Flat White from Starbucks
  • Frappuccino Caramel Starbucks
  • Homemade Mocha Iced Coffee
  • Coolatta Dunkin Donuts
  • Dunkin Donuts New Iced Coffee
  • How to Make Cold Brew

More Homemade Coffee Flavorings

  • International Coffee Flavors
  • Amaretto Coffee Syrup
  • Homemade Liquid Vanilla Creamer

Be sure to take a look at more of my easy drink recipes and popular copycat recipes.

Homemade Caramel Coffee Syrup Recipe

You can make caramel coffee syrup at home.Save money when you make caramel syrup for coffee instead of buying it.

4.96 from 21 votes

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Course: Sauces

Cuisine: American

Keyword: caramel syrup

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 20

Calories: 38kcal

Author: Stephanie Manley

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup boiling water

Instructions

  • Heat sugar over medium high heat until it begins to melt. Stir constantly. If the sugar begins to burn, discard, and try again.

  • When the sugar begins to brown quickly stir in boiling water. Stand back, as the mixture may steam.

  • Stir until well blended. Cook mixture for an additional 15 to 30 seconds.

  • Do not let the sugar burn. Remove pot from heat source, and allow the mixture to cool before placing in an airtight container.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 38kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 0mg | Sugar: 9g

How to Make Caramel Syrup for Coffee - CopyKat Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is caramel coffee syrup made of? ›

It is surprisingly easy to make caramel syrup from scratch, calling for just sugar, water, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt and taking less than 20 minutes to prepare. It adds a rich sweetness to drinks, including your morning coffee or evening co*cktails.

What are the ingredients in Starbucks caramel syrup? ›

CORN SYRUP, INVERT SUGAR, SUGAR, BUTTER (CREAM, SALT), HEAVY CREAM, WATER, SKIM MILK POWDER, NATURAL FLAVORS, POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVE), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SODIUM BICARBONATE.

What's the difference between caramel syrup and caramel sauce? ›

For the syrup, water is added to caramelized sugar and boiled until you get honey consistency. For the sauce, cream, butter and vanilla are added to make it a rich sauce. You can also add salt to make salted caramel, which is absolutely yum. You can see the two photos to see the consistency of the sauce and syrup.

What caramel syrup does McDonald's use for coffee? ›

In response to a question regarding what kind of caramel syrups McDonald's uses in its famous iced coffees, Haracz claimed the restaurant uses DaVinci brand syrups, along with its own proprietary brand of flavoring agents.

What are the ingredients in Torani caramel sauce? ›

Corn Syrup, Sugar, Invert Sugar, Heavy Cream, Water, Butter (Cream, Salt), Nonfat Milk, Less Than 1% Of Lecithin, Salt, Natural Flavors, Sodium Bicarbonate, Caramel Color.

Does caramel use white or brown sugar? ›

Sugar Note: Most chefs say that only granulated sugar can be successfully caramelized; other sugars — such as brown sugar and unrefined sugar such as cane sugar — contain impurities that can inhibit caramelization. It's those impurities that can burn before the sugar has time to caramelize.

What is the difference between caramel sauce and caramel syrup at Starbucks? ›

Key Differences Between Starbucks Sauce and Syrup

Consistency: Syrups are liquid and pourable, while sauces are thicker and more viscous.

What make syrups do Starbucks use? ›

Fontana makes Starbucks syrups and sauces. The differences between the Fontana branded and the Starbucks branded syrups and sauces are very minimal, but they are different.

What brand of syrup does Starbucks use? ›

Starbucks formulates and manufactures their own syrups. Someone else posted that Starbucks gets their syrups from a brand called Fontana but Starbucks is actually responsible for this brand, too, as you will note if you visit the Starbucks Branded Solutions website.

Which caramel sauce is better for coffee? ›

Ghirardelli is the best caramel sauce for coffee. It's thick and buttery, but still thin enough to be squirtable. It tastes like it belongs in and on a Frappuccino. The flavor is light and sweet, so it won't overtake the coffee flavor too much.

What are the three types of caramel? ›

Caramel can be produced in so many forms such as, sauce, a chewy candy, or a hard candy because of how much of an ingredient is added and the temperature it is being prepared at.

What makes caramel taste like caramel? ›

Caramel is made by heating sugar to the point where it melts, causing a breakdown of sucrose molecules into different flavor compounds. Think about the flavorless sweetness of white granulated sugar and the deep, dark complexity of caramel sauce.

How many pumps of caramel syrup in coffee? ›

drink, 1-2 pumps (about 1 oz.) for syrup is usually a safe bet. For 16 oz., 2-3 pumps (1-1.5oz.); 20 oz. drinks, 3-4 pumps (1.5-2 oz.).

What Starbucks drink uses caramel syrup? ›

BEST STARBUCKS CARAMEL DRINKS, RANKED
  1. Iced Caramel Macchiato. ...
  2. Caramel Frappuccino. ...
  3. Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino. ...
  4. Caramel Macchiato. ...
  5. Caramel Salted Cream Cold Brew. ...
  6. Caramel Ribbon Crunch Crème Frappuccino. ...
  7. Caramel Apple Spice.
Oct 7, 2023

What flavor syrups do coffee shops use? ›

  • Vanilla Syrup. Vanilla syrup is a must-have flavoring syrup for any coffee shop. ...
  • Caramel Syrup. Caramel syrup is an essential flavoring for any coffee shop looking to have classic coffee drinks on its menu. ...
  • Hazelnut Syrup. ...
  • Chocolate Syrup. ...
  • Lavender Syrup. ...
  • Simple Syrup. ...
  • White Chocolate Syrup. ...
  • Rose Syrup.

Is caramel syrup good or bad for you? ›

While caramel can be a tasty treat, it is important to note that it is high in sugar and calories, and should be consumed in moderation.

Is caramel syrup healthier than sugar? ›

All the sweet syrups contain around 20 per cent water and only 70 to 85 per cent sugars so they're always going to give you fewer kilojoules (Calories) and sugars than white or raw sugar which is 100 per cent sugar (sucrose).

What is coffee syrup made of? ›

Combine sugar, water, and ground coffee in a pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a rolling boil, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Is caramel syrup better than sugar in coffee? ›

Same Sugar Content, More Interesting Taste

In fact, adding a flavoured syrup can completely change the taste of a coffee, giving you a refreshing change to your usual morning drink, while providing no worse of a sugar increase than adding a couple of teaspoons of regular sugar.

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