I tried my hand at making Homemade Cough & Cold Syrup last week.
It was really easy to make (ignore the fact that I didn’t use raw honey or fresh lemons — I’m all about using what I have!)
The end result was a little less syrup-y than I expected, but I warmed it up a bit and then it looked just perfect.
Overall, I was really happy with how the Homemade Cough & Cold Syrup turned out and am anxious to try using it the next time someone has a bad cough around here!
Julie says
Is there a trick to keeping it mixed? I end up with slippery coconut oil and the honey & cinnamon slither right off- it’s like trying to get a bit of shell out of egg whites…
Julie says
I had this problem, too- could not get the “mixture” to mix! And when it’s cold, I had a layer of solid coconut oil and a layer of honey/lemon/cinnamon. How does everyone fix this?
Emily says
This came at a perfect time. My kids and I have a fever and along with it a terrible cough. I have no cough syrup, nor do I want to go out and buy any. They’ve been exhausted from all the coughing done at night.
Going to try and make some up now.
Gina says
my mom used to make something very similar – fresh lemon juice, raw honey & cinnamon for us kids. Bourbon was added for the adults! 😉
Amy says
Honey by itself will suppress a dry tickle cough. When my kids can’t sleep I take them a spoonful, they never say no and it helps about 90 percent of the time.
Crystal Paine says
Thanks so much for this tip!
Mwilson says
I’ve been giving my kids 1 tsp honey mixed with 1/4tsp cinnamon 3x a day whenever they have colds and it knocks it out right away! You do want to make sure you’re using Ceylon Cinnamon though! Can’t wait to try this recipe for coughs!
Sara says
This is exactly what I’ve been making for about a year now. It’s great for when they have a cough, but no other symptoms. Once my kids are out and out downright sick, this just doesn’t cut it (in my experience, but others may have a different experience). But I do think that it has fought at the beginning stages and kept us from sickness a couple times. Each ingredient in this actually has a specific purpose for getting rid of certain bacteria, ect. Coconut oil is anti-bacterial and anti-viral and also helps to boost the immune system. Not sure if this cough syrup would be as effective if you substituted olive oil.
krystyn says
Hi! Do you have to use coconut oil? I have everything on hand except the coconut oil. Can you use olive oil instead?
Crystal Paine says
I think you could use olive oil, but it may have a different taste/consistency.
MJ Padilla says
So excited about this! I am recovering from yet another cold and it never fails that the hubby falls sick shortly after. I actually had everything on hand including raw and unfiltered honey. I just whipped up a batch for the two of us (I have a tendency to relapse). For cough syrup it sure does taste good! I can already feel the cinnamon in my chest 🙂
Kristen says
What is the shelf life on this? Will it keep very long?
E.Blake says
I don’t want to offend. But most honey you buy at the grocery store is fake, it is actually high fructose corn syrup.
Raw would be better
Crystal Paine says
This was organic honey that I bought online… not raw or local, but definitely the real stuff. Thanks so much for the word of caution, though.
{And yes, raw would definitely be better — I just didn’t have any on hand so I figured I’d just use what I already had since it was a high quality honey.:)}
Jenna says
Can they really put corn syrup in a bottle and label it with ingredients as being ‘honey’? I find it hard to believe. I’ve heard of Chinese honey being exported to other countries then imported to US as a product of the middleman country.
Anyway, Thanks for the recipe Crystal! I’ve tried a few recipes recently as an alternative cough medicine since I’m nursing–this one looks like it’d actually taste OK. 😉
Jess says
My mom bought some of this stuff. It was labeled “honey syrup” the ingredients were corn syrup, water, honey and flavoring. 🙁
Issa says
“honey syrup” is not the same thing as “honey” – be careful reading labels.
kbellatti says
Completely agree with E.Blake on this. Also, the ingredients on bottled lemon juice should be checked as well.
It’s great to try to use ingredients you have on-hand, but the benefits of using fresh, raw, and local are completely lost and are usually what makes concoctions work.