Brown Sugar Syrup

Brown sugar simple syrup is a spin on the classic simple syrup that delivers a deeper, more complex flavor– requiring the same two ingredients, just sugar and water! This syrup is a beverage component that will come together in less than 10 minutes in just 1 pot!

We’ll detail tips and tricks on how to make and how to store brown sugar syrup in this recipe. We’ll give you some ideas for flavor variations and additions, annnnd talk about how to make the new and quite delicious ‘Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso’ from Starbucks. Can you make simple syrup from brown sugar? Yes! It’s incredibly easy to make brown sugar syrup by swapping white sugar for light or dark brown sugar.

How To Make It

Homemade brown sugar syrup is a liquid sweetener that’s suitable for all levels of home cooks to make and it comes together in less than 10 minutes! You only need water, brown sugar, and a small pot to whip up a batch of this syrup. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if a liquid sweetener is something you use on a regular basis.

It’s simple to make brown sugar syrup: Measure and add sugar, water, and a pinch of salt to a small pot and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure all the brown sugar melts down into the liquid. The syrup will thicken as it cools.

Store in a container in the fridge and use as needed! This will last 2-3 weeks in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer. Thanks to the sugar content, this syrup won’t freeze when stored in the freezer.

Why Brown Sugar?

The flavor of brown sugar simple syrup is deeper, richer, and more complex than classic simple syrup. Brown sugar has notes of caramel, toffee, molasses, and coffee and those same subtle flavors carry through to brown sugar syrup! For this reason, brown sugar syrup pairs particularly well with coffee, chocolate, and vanilla-flavored drinks, coffees, and cocktails.

You can use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar to make this recipe; the difference between the two is simply the percentage of molasses present in the sugar. Dark brown sugar has a higher concentration of molasses, thus has a deeper, richer flavor. For this brown sugar syrup, you can use either light or dark brown sugar but we always reach for dark brown sugar!

Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso

Let’s talk about brown sugar syrup for coffee. You can add this to your standard cup of joe in place of creamer or regular sugar as a liquid sweetener! Additionally, you can use this to make the ever-popular Starbucks drink, the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso! Let’s cover how to make this Starbucks iced coffee that’s both incredibly popular and incredibly delicious!

To make a copycat version of the brown sugar oatmilk shaken espresso at home you’ll need:

• Oatmilk (about 1/4 cup)
• Brown sugar syrup (2-3 tablespoons)
• 3 shots of espresso or 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
• Ice cubes
• cinnamon

Place 3 shots of espresso or 1/2 cup of strongly brewed and cooled coffee, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar syrup, and 1 cup of ice into a shaker and shake vigorously until slightly foamy. Pour into a glass and add more ice if necessary. Top with 2-4 tablespoons (a heavy pour) of oatmilk and a dusting of cinnamon! Enjoy!

*Note the Starbucks brown sugar syrup does not contain any vanilla but adding a vanilla flavor to this syrup only enhances the flavor, if you enjoy vanilla flavor you can add 1-2 tsp to this syrup. Or you could opt for a vanilla-flavored oatmilk!

Variations & Uses

As we touched on previously, you can use light or dark brown sugar to make this syrup… However, we have a few more tricks up our sleeve to enhance & embellish the flavor of this syrup! These variations are completely optional, the recipe as written works phenomenally, these options are for those who are feeling a bit extra.

• Add 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• Add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
• Add 2 tablespoons of honey
• Add 1/4 of roasted hazelnuts(or other nuts) then strain after simmering

Brown sugar simple syrup can be used to sweeten and flavor both hot and cold beverages like coffee and tea, cocktails, mocktails, or smoothies. This syrup works well for desserts, too. If thickened up you could even use this on breakfast items like pancakes, waffles, or dutch baby pancakes.

If you’re into flavored coffees, teas, and cocktails, we’ll leave these options here: Ginger syrup, jalapeno syrup, and blueberry syrup!

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is brown sugar syrup? Brown sugar syrup is a simple syrup that uses brown sugar in place of white sugar for a richer, caramel flavor.

How long does homemade brown sugar syrup last? Brown sugar syrup will last 2-3 weeks in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer.

How to thicken brown sugar syrup? For a thicker brown sugar syrup simmer on the stovetop for an additional 5-10 minutes- the syrup thickens as it cools in the fridge. When you reduce and thicken the syrup, the final yield is lower so it’s a good idea to make a double batch.

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