5-Minute Homemade Almond Syrup

When it comes to making homemade lattes, the best flavor comes from homemade latte syrups. Easy to make with straightforward ingredients and much more budget-friendly than storebought syrups, these DIY versions are the answer!

While the warm, comforting flavor that comes from almond extract pairs beautifully with the rich, bold coffee flavor, it doesn’t stop there. Try it in a cocktail, mocktail, or even in baking. Make a batch and enjoy it throughout the week. Live your best life, you wonderful human!

Why Simple Syrup?

Simple syrup is a liquid sweetener, made with water and sugar. When the goal is to sweeten drinks specifically, this easy-to-make syrup is the answer because it eliminates gritty sugar crystals in your beverage. Whether it’s in hot or cold drinks, simple syrup incorporates thoroughly and is the best option for adding sweetness.

It’s also super easy to flavor. Did someone say flavor of the week?! From fresh herbs like rosemary to fresh mint, or classic cafe flavors like vanilla or caramel syrup, a fall favorite autumn spice, or hey, even berry syrups, there’s no end to the flavor you can add with simple syrup.

What You’ll Need to Make Almond Syrup

If you’ve never made simple syrup before, then you might think it’s complicated to make a latte syrup at home. I sure did before…until I realized how darn easy it actually is.

Guess what else…those store-bought varieties might have a few added ingredients and preservatives, and making it at home only requires two ingredients (ok 3 if we count water). It’s simple and you know exactly what’s in it!

• Almond Extract: the easiest way to get the warm, fruity, nutty flavor. I highly recommend using pure extract, not an imitation as some can have a funny after-taste.
• Granulated Sugar: for a simple, straightforward sweetener.
• Water: good ol’ water! Use filtered if you have it.

How to Make Syrup

1. Combine granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan.
   • This is the start of the simple syrup. It’s a 1:1 ratio, which means you can easily make as much as you want, depending on how often you’ll use it and/or how many servings you will need.
2. Bring the sugar and water to a simmer, stirring as needed, until they are dissolved. Continue simmering for another minute to ensure it’s all dissolved. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in almond extract.

Add the extract once the simple syrup is off of the heat to ensure it retains the most flavor!

You can use it immediately in coffee or tea, or store it to have when you’re ready to use it. Note that if you are using it in a cold beverage, I would recommend letting it cool, at least slightly, so it doesn’t warm your drink too much.

Storage Tips for Syrup

Now that you have homemade almond syrup, allow it to cool then transfer it to an airtight container. I prefer using a glass jar with a lid. Store it in the fridge and have it at the ready!

It will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge, sometimes longer. Flavored syrups do tend to spoil faster than plain simple syrup but still have a pretty significant shelf-life. Check for any moldy spots or an off-smell if you are storing it for a long time.

It isn’t recommended to store homemade syrups at room temperature for longer than a day or two, as they have a higher chance of spoiling and/or crystallizing.

Let’s Use It!

As I mentioned earlier, there are so many fantastic uses for almond syrup. Of course, the most common is with beverages like coffee, tea, and cocktails. There are other ideas, too, take a look!

• Almond Latte – or just stir it into a mug of coffee.
• You can also use it in cold coffee recipes like iced lattes or cold brew!
• Stir it in tea, or make a tea latte.
• Use it in cocktails made with amaretto for added almond flavor.
• Add it to warm or cool milk for a kid-friendly drink.
• Toss it with mixed berries, drizzle on yogurt with granola, or add it to a smoothie.
• Brush on a freshly baked cake, like this vanilla bean cake, or this strawberry angel food cake, for extra flavor.

More Tips & Tricks

• Do not simmer or boil the syrup after you add extract, doing so will reduce the flavor.
• Store it in a squeeze bottle (with a lid on the tip) to easily drizzle out the syrup.
• This syrup is both gluten-free and dairy-free (but as always, check your specific ingredients to be sure).
• Easily double or triple the recipe if you plan to use a lot of the syrup.
• Serving size will vary depending on how much syrup you use per drink, etc. This recipe yields approximately 3/4 cup of syrup. Doubling it to 1 cup of sugar will result in about 1 1/2 cups of simple syrup.
• Experiment with other sugars like brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
• Pair it with other flavored simple syrups like blackberry, ginger, or rosemary.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!