This Brown Sugar Simple Syrup Starbucks Recipe is the perfect copycat! It's got that same yummy flavor and can be made quickly with only 2 ingredients. It's perfect for coffee, lattes, hot chocolate, teas, boba, cocktails, mocktails, Italian sodas or even to add to regular soda.
Brown Sugar Simple Syrup is popular year-round and . You can buy it from Starbucks, but you can make this so simply at home and in less time than it takes to drive to your favorite location!
This was inspired by our Peppermint Syrup, Lemon Simple syrup, Caramel Syrup, Cinnamon Dolce Syrup, and our Vanilla Syrup and tastes great in our Oat Milk Hot Chocolate or as the sweetener in our caffeine free Pink Beetroot Latte.
Add to nature's cereal for an extra flavor boost. Or add it to our Angel Milk.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy- this recipe takes less than 5 minutes, start to finish. Using only 2 ingredients, it really is so quick and easy to make.
- Allergy Friendly - this syrup is Top 8 free making it safe and perfect to serve to those with regular allergies (always check to make sure!)
- Gluten Free - it is naturally gluten free, making it great for anyone (including yourself) who is gluten free.
- Great for a Party or Entertaining - we love to serve Italian Sodas when we are entertaining. It also works for mix drinks and a coffee or hot cocoa bar.
- Inexpensive - it is VERY inexpensive to make, coming in at around 25 cents total.
- Simple Ingredients - using only brown sugar and water, you don't have to worry about weird ingredients or chemicals in this recipe.
- Great for gifting - put it in a cute syrup dispenser and give it to a neighbor, coworker or friend for a beautiful and unique gift.
How is Homemade Better?
Why make this yummy syrup at home? Because it can be made more quickly than going to Starbucks or the grocery store (Torani) and buying your own. You likely already have the ingredients on hand, and it costs less than 1/10 of the price at only 25 cents or less per recipe. We also love making things homemade just to have less chemicals or artificial color.
Ingredients
- brown sugar - I used light brown sugar, see below in our substitutions section for other types of brown sugar you can use.
- water - I used filtered tap water.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
1. Place water and brown sugar in a quart sized saucepan over medium high heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved, then stop stirring.
2. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before stirring or disturbing.
Hint: Not stirring once the sugar dissolves will help it last longer before crystallizing.
Brown Sugar Substitutions
All of the following sugars can be used to replace regular brown sugar at the same measurement.
- Dark Brown - we LOVE this recipe with dark brown sugar. It gives it a richer bolder taste.
- Muscavado - a British brown sugar, it is even darker than dark brown sugar and will give an even stronger brown sugar flavor.
- Turbinado - this can be made with turbinado sugar but won't have quite as strong of a flavor, and the sugar crystals may take a little longer to dissolve.
- Demerara - large grained and crunchy, it's similar to turbinado and the the crystals will likely take longer to dissolve.
Variations
- Vanilla - Add ½- 1 teaspoon vanilla for a nice vanilla flavor
- Old Fashioned Brown Sugar Syrup - use dark brown sugar for that yummy old fashioned taste.
- Apple - replace the water with apple juice or apple cider (recommended). It might be a little thicker, for the same thin consistency, add an extra Tablespoon of cider.
- Boba - you can use regular for Boba, but if you want to use the syrup for stripes, make it thicker by using double the brown sugar.
- Pancakes, Waffles and French Toast- make a thicker syrup by using double the brown sugar and boiling for one minute.
- Thick - like the variation above, make it thick by doubling the sugar and boiling for one minute.
- Buttered - make it buttered by adding 2 Tablespoons butter along with the water and brown sugar at the beginning.
Ways to Use
- Coffee - copycat your favorite Starbucks drink like lattes or cappuccinos with this yummy syrup. We love to use it sweeten our coffee free Pink Beetroot Latte
- Tea - can be used to sweeten any tea- Sweet Tea, Iced Tea, Herbal Tea, etc.
- Italian Sodas - use this to make delicious Italian Cream Sodas! Add brown sugar syrup to your favorite berry flavor or just have a brown sugar one. Yum!
- Cocktails - use it to make your favorite cocktails
- Boba - use it to make your favorite Boba Tea.
- Pancakes and Waffles - it's so yummy on pancakes and similar breakfast foods. Simple Syrup is naturally runny, made for drinks. To make it thicker for pancakes, make as directed with double the brown sugar.
- Cake - brush it over a freshly baked vanilla or brown sugar cake.
- Greek Yogurt and Granola - use it instead of honey and drizzle it over a bowl of Greek Yogurt and homemade granola.
Equipment
- 1 quart saucepan
- spatula
- measuring cups
- syrup dispenser, if desired
Storage
Store in the refrigerator in a container for up to 1 month. It won't go bad, but will start to crystallize.
Top tip
Once the brown sugar is dissolved, don't stir the syrup! It will make it crystallize more quickly.
FAQ
Perfect for Boba or as a Starbucks copycat. Place water and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Stir until brown sugar is dissolved then heat until it just starts to simmer. Remove from heat and allow to cool undisturbed. Enjoy!
There are about 52 calories in 1 ounce (2 Tablespoons).
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve it with:
Recipe
Brown Sugar Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- ¾ cup water
- ¾ cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Place the water and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium/ medium high heat. Stir until brown sugar has dissolved.
- Once brown sugar has dissolved, stop stirring. Bring to a simmer, then immediately remove from heat (no need to stir) and let sit until it reaches room temperature. Move to desired container then refrigerate. See photos above for a visual, if desired.
Notes
- We recommend starting with ½ ounce (1 Tablespoon) syrup when using in your favorite drinks, then adding more if desired.
- Make this thick for pancakes or boba by doubling the brown sugar and making as directed.
- Allow to cool to room temperature then transfer to a container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Nicole
We love using this brown sugar syrup recipe in our drinks! It's so yummy and so easy and inexpensive to make.