DIY Infused Syrups: For Lattés, Cocktails and More!
Let’s face it. Flavoured lattés are fun, but can be really expensive if you’re constantly buying them from Starbucks or other coffee shops. While you can purchase latté syrups, they’re often full of preservatives, stabilizers and refined sugar. Making your own flavoured syrups helps you to avoid all of that, while also eliminating the need for packaging.
The coffee flavour shots and flavoured syrups you buy are almost always packaged in plastic. Avoiding single use plastic and plastics in general is much easier if you choose to go the DIY route, and with a recipe this simple, there really isn’t any reason not to!
My personal favourite flavoured syrup is cardamom syrup. I use organic cane sugar with an equal 1:1 ratio of sugar to water, crush up some cardamom pods, and heat over the stove until the sugar melts. It’s extremely simple, and adds a little extra something to tea, coffee, golden milk, cocktails and oatmeal.
When making your own syrup, I recommend using a natural unrefined sugar. While this recipe would also work with regular white sugar, it is always better to go the natural, unprocessed route when possible!
I prefer to leave the cardamom pods in the syrup to infuse as much of the flavour as possible. If seeing pieces floating the around the bottle bothers you, I recommend allowing them to steep in your syrup overnight in the fridge, and straining them out in the morning.
Ingredients:
1 cup of organic cane sugar
1 cup of water
2 tbsp of cardamom pods (or spice/herb/flavour of your choice)
Method:
Prepare your flavour infusions. If using hard spices like cardamom or clove, grind them up a little bit with a mortar and pestle to release the oils. If you’re using citrus then peel off the skin and be careful not to use any of the pith.
Add all ingredients to a small saucepan over medium heat, and stir until the sugar has fully dissolved.
Add the mixture to a glass container and put in the fridge overnight to infuse.
*Optional: Strain out your syrup after it has infused overnight.
This syrup takes no more than 10 minutes to throw together and lasts for several months in the refrigerator, but keep your eye on it to make sure it doesn’t go moldy. I recommend using a clear glass bottle or jar to make it easier for you to see.
I have used this cardamom syrup for lattes, oatmeal, cocktails, and lemonade and can confirm that it is a super easy way to add a ton of flavour with very little cost.
I hope you try infusing your own syrups and get creative with your own flavour combinations! I recommend trying clove, star anise, cinnamon, rosemary and mint.
Add a couple teaspoons to your iced coffee!
Thanks for reading and happy infusing!