Gingerbread Syrup Recipe for Coffee and Cocktails
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Who doesn’t love a gingerbread cookie during the holiday season?! Easy to make with whole spices, this homemade Gingerbread Syrup tastes exactly like your favorite holiday cookie.
Made with simple ingredients that are easy to find, this recipe follows the ingredients in traditional gingerbread cookies. So we’re leaving out the orange peel, orange zest, and black pepper found in other gingerbread syrup recipes.
Homemade gingerbread syrup is free from artificial flavor and artificial colors, with a flavor that’s far better than anything you can find in the grocery store.
This simple syrup recipe is full of hints of cinnamon and molasses and all the warm spices that make gingerbread cookies a Christmas favorite. It’s a great way to add my favorite holiday flavor to homemade lattes or my morning coffee.
What’s in Gingerbread Syrup
- Brown sugar – Either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar will work here.
- Molasses – This is what really makes the syrup taste like gingerbread! Don’t skip the molasses.
- Vanilla Extract – Use real vanilla extract (not imitation) for best results.
- Whole cloves, Cinnamon sticks, Fresh ginger – While you can use ground spices, whole cloves, ginger, and cinnamon are much easier to remove and removing them is key to the syrup retaining its gingerbread flavor and not turning into clove or cinnamon syrup from spices that have been left in the syrup for too long.
How to Make Gingerbread Syrup
In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil over medium heat. Add brown sugar and molasses. Give it a good stir until the sugars are dissolved.
Reduce the heat to low. Add vanilla, cloves, cinnamon stick, and ginger to the pot. Stir.
Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from heat. Allow the mixture to sit and come to room temperature. (About 1 hour.) Strain to remove cloves, cinnamon, and ginger.
Chill completely before using. Store in a glass, air-tight container in the refrigerator.
Note: Do NOT leave the spice pieces in the syrup beyond the time in this recipe. The cloves and cinnamon will quickly overpower the syrup and change its flavor. If you choose to use ground spices, remove them by pouring the syrup through a fine mesh strainer before storing.
Gingerbread Syrup Recipe for Coffee and Cocktails
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 10 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
Instructions
- In a small pot, bring water to a boil over medium heat. Add brown sugar and molasses. Stir until the sugars are dissolved.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Add vanilla, cloves, cinnamon stick, and ginger piece to the pot. Stir.
- Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove the pot from heat.
- Allow the mixture to sit and come to room temperature. (About 1 hour.)
- Strain to remove cloves, cinnamon, and ginger.
- Chill completely before using.
- Store in a glass, air-tight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
How to Store Gingerbread Syrup
Keep your gingerbread simple syrup in a glass, airtight jar in the refrigerator. Glass bottles or mason jars work well. (A glass bottle will keep any of the flavors that linger in plastic containers from getting into your syrup.)
When kept refrigerated, your gingerbread syrup will keep for up to 2 weeks. Discard it immediately if you notice any changes in color, texture, or smell.
More Recipes for Coffee Syrups
Homemade simple syrup is ideal for stirring into hot coffee, tea, or lattes. Try my vanilla simple syrup, cinnamon simple syrup, or the seasonal favorite pumpkin spice simple syrup!
Uses for Gingerbread Syrup
Homemade syrup is the perfect way to enjoy all things gingerbread – from your morning cup to holiday cocktails!
- Add gingerbread syrup to hot drinks like your morning coffee, hot chocolate, or latte.
- Mix 2 ounces of gingerbread syrup with 2 ounces of whole milk and pour over ice for a virgin Gingerbread White Russian.
- Pour over vanilla ice cream for homemade gingerbread ice cream.
- Use gingerbread syrup instead of cinnamon syrup in my Holiday Spice Martini.
- Make my Gingerbread Martini recipe, shake up a Gingerbread Espresso Martini or grab your favorite bourbon for my Gingerbread Old Fashioned!
- Want a delicious non-alcoholic holiday drink? Use your gingerbread syrup in my easy Gingerbread Mocktail!
