This Caramel Syrup Recipe for coffee is delicious. An easy, simple syrup it's made quickly and has the best caramel flavor. Perfect for coffee, hot chocolate, mixed drinks, cocktails, mocktails, boba, and more. It is made by heating sugar and brown sugar with added vanilla.
Why This Recipe is the Best
This homemade caramel syrup tastes just like your favorite from Starbucks, McDonald's, or Dunkin-but even better. Rich, buttery, and perfectly sweet, it's the ideal addition to your coffee, hot chocolate, or desserts. It's easy to make, budget-friendly, and a cozy must-have during the winter months.
Try our other syrups like our Brown Sugar Syrup, Cinnamon Dolce Syrup, and Vanilla Syrup.
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Key Ingredients
Below is a list of ingredients needed for this recipe. Follow our tips on each ingredient for the best results.
- Brown sugar- I used light brown for this recipe. We recipe tested this with different sugars, and while we enjoyed the flavor of it made with dark brown sugar, we settled on light brown for a more classic taste for the recipe.
- Vanilla - pure vanilla will work best in this recipe, as the vanilla is a highlighted flavor
How to Make Caramel Coffeehouse Syrup
Use these process shots to help get the results you want. The pictures can help with texture and be a visual guide for the best results.
- Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour in the water.
- Add the white sugar.
- Then the brown sugar. Stir until the brown sugar and white sugar dissolve, then stop stirring.
- Bring to a boil, and boil for one minute (still no stirring!). Remove from heat and let stand about 1 minute, then stir in the vanilla. Allow to cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator.
Hint: Make sure not to stir it once the sugar is dissolved. It is okay if you do, it will just likely crystallize more quickly.
Common Mistakes
I have been making Caramel and other simple syrups for years. They would start to crystallize in my refrigerator after about a month, and I wanted them to last longer. I began researching and realized that if you leave the syrup undisturbed, it helps it keep its form longer, and it will last longer before crystallizing.
Top tip
Allow the syrup to cool undisturbed before transferring to the fridge. Disruption or moving it immediately to the refrigerator could cause it to crystallize sooner.
Recipe
Caramel Syrup
Ingredients
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspooon vanilla
Instructions
- Heat water, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium/ medium high heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then no longer.
- Bring water and sugars to a boil and boil for one minute. Remove from heat (still no stirring). Allow to cool 1-2 minutes, then stir in the vanilla. Allow to cool to room temperature then transfer to a jar or other container and store in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Make sure to use a high quality pure vanilla, as one of the highlighted flavors in caramel is vanilla.
- If you like a deeper, richer flavor use dark brown sugar instead of light. We tested it with dark brown and really enjoyed the flavor, but opted for light brown for a more classic taste for this recipe.
- Make sure to include the regular granulated sugar- it is essential in helping the syrup keep it's form.
- Allow to cool completely at room temperature then transfer to a container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
- To make thicker for pancakes and desserts, double the sugars and make as directed.
Nutrition
Why I Love This Recipe
My kids are little hot chocolate fiends in the wintertime and love using flavor syrups in carbonated water in the summertime (Italian sodas). They love using the caramel syrup to do those things, and I love that I can make this syrup at home, and I know exactly what's in it, and it's so inexpensive! They also like to use it on pancakes to switch up the flavor from regular maple.
Storage
Allow to cool to room temperature without disturbing, then transfer to a container or jar. Place in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. After 1 month, it may start to crystallize a bit.
Ways to Use Caramel Syrup
We LOVE Caramel Syrup at our house, especially my kids. These are some of our favorite ways to use them, along with other popular ways.
- Coffee - have this with your favorite hot or iced coffee drink- lattes, cappuccinos, and more
- boba - boba is so fun, and this syrup works perfectly in boba. If you want a thicker syrup for boba, check out our "thick" variation below.
- Cocktails and mocktails - use it in your favorite mixed drinks
- hot chocolate - caramel hot chocolate? Yes please! Put this on a hot cocoa bar during the winter for entertaining.
- Teas - use it with Sweet Tea, Iced Tea, herbal tea, and more.
- Italian sodas - caramel Italian cream soda is one of our favorites!
- sodaa- add it to your favorite cola or other soda to liven it up.
- Pancakes, waffles, and French toast -add it to your pancakes. To make it thicker for pancakes, double both sugars and make as directed.
Variations
We love switching things up when we're in the kitchen. Try any of these variations for something a little different.
- Salted Caramel Syrup - add ⅛ teaspoon or more to taste of salt at the same time as adding the sugar. May add at the end, a the same time as vanilla, to achieve the desired saltiness.
- Buttered - add 2 Tablespoons butter at the same time as the sugars and water for a buttery caramel taste.
- Thick - double the sugars and make as directed- perfect for pancakes and desserts when made this way.
- Pancake, waffle, and French toast - we recommend making a completely different syrup. In a saucepan, combine ½ cup corn syrup, ½ cup brown sugar, and ½ cup heavy whipping cream. Heat until it starts to steam, then remove and stir in ½ teaspoon vanilla. It's the best in the world.
- Dark Brown Sugar, Muscavado, Turbinado, and Demerara - you can substitute these sugars at 1:1; make sure to boil the water until all the sugar is dissolved, as some of them take longer.
FAQ
Place granulated sugar, brown sugar, and water in a saucepan. Stir until the sugars are dissolved, then stop stirring. Bring to a boil and boil for one minute, then remove from the heat. Allow to cool for a minute or 2, then stir in the vanilla and allow to cool.
Caramel syrup is made of water, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. For a more buttery flavor, you can also add a little butter.
Sugar, water, natural flavor, citric acid, potassium sorbate.
For coffee, you'll want to use a simple syrup. Simple syrups are thin and add great flavor. Our Caramel Syrup recipe is our favorite, but you can also buy Torani at the grocery store.
They use Fontana Caramel Syrup.
MrsBoogey says
I can’t wait to make this tomorrow, I’ve been searching all over for a caramel syrup with NO luck! You are a genius! Lol Thank you
Nicole says
We love LOVE this caramel syrup. It's so yummy!