DIY Cough Syrup - 2 Recipes
In less than 5 minutes, you can have your own DIY Cough Syrup, free from chemicals, preservatives, and dyes! Two awesome recipes!
I bet most of you didn't even know it was possible to make your own cough syrup, but it is-- and best of all, it's easy!
Making your own cough syrup will save you money. But even better is the fact that these recipes are natural, and you don't have to worry about giving your family chemicals, dyes, and other questionable ingredients.
The last time one of my kids was sick, our doctor actually told me that we should skip cough syrup, because honey has been shown to be just as effective! While we hadn't been using cough syrup, it was nice to hear that using honey for coughs and sore throats wasn't just a crazy hippy idea, but that it actually works! Both of these recipes have honey in them.
My mom actually shared the first recipe with me a while back, and we used it and loved it, but when I started looking online to see if there were other homemade cough syrup recipes, I found another that seems great too, so I'm sharing them both today!
Either of these cough syrup recipes can be mixed into a cup of tea or hot water to take, if desired.
Both of these recipes are both pretty tart, so if you're giving them to a child, you may want to put them in warm water so they're not so strong.
Obviously the one is a vinegar tart, and the other is lemon tart, so that might make a difference on which you like. Coconut Mama's cough syrup does separate, and needs to be warmed up, so keep that in mind as well. Grandma Debbie's cough syrup can be shook up in the jar to mix before taking each time.
Important!!! Both of these recipes contain honey. Please don't use these for an infant, as honey can cause botulism in babies under a year old.
We'll start with the recipe from my mom (the kids call her Grandma Debbie).
📖 Recipe
Grandma Debbie's Cough Syrup
Natural, easy to make DIY Cough Syrup. Just 2 ingredients, and no dyes or preservatives!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, **
- dash cinnamon, optional
Instructions
- Mix together honey and vinegar, and if desired cinnamon. You can do this with a whisk, or just put the ingredients in a mason jar and shake it.
- Take 1 Tablespoon of cough syrup as needed.
Notes
**Make sure to use a good apple cider vinegar, such as Bragg's, since some that claim to be apple cider vinegar are just white vinegar with caramel coloring.
📖 Recipe
Coconut Mama's Cough Syrup
With just 3 simple ingredients, you can whip up a batch of this Coconut Mama's Cough Syrup!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup raw honey
- 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a mason jar.
- Place mason jar in a saucepan filled with water (to act as a double boiler), and heat just long enough to melt honey and coconut oil.
- Stir well, and take a warm teaspoon full of cough syrup, as needed.
- Store in the mason jar, and reheat using the double boiler as needed.
If you try these cough syrup recipes out, I would love to know what you think of them!
Has your family had any colds so far this year? How do you usually treat colds and coughs?
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I see the recipe for Grandma Debbie’s cough syrup and I’m going to try it. But where is the other recipe? Did it disappear?
Claudia, thanks for letting me know! It did, indeed, disappear. I'm adding it back in. So sorry about that!
I am 11 and I am a person who dramatize stuff I've been working on trying not to but I get it from my dad.I've had this on and off cough since the middle of October.and it's currently on and I hope this will kiss it goodbye I've been reading the comments and they seem well so we will see...
Gabby, I hope that you're feeling much better by now! It's never fun to deal with a sickness for so long!
My 10 year old son has been coughing for a week! Found this recipe and he tried it straight. So far, this is the trick! Thank you so much! Now to finally get some sleep!
Oh, I'm so glad to hear that it helped him! Poor kid! That's the worst when they can't even get any sleep. I hope he's feeling better soon!
My husband has a head cold that moved to his chest. He has been coughing nonstop. We bought some otc name brand cough syrup that did nothing for his cough. I made the vinegar one and it stopped his cough. This is our new go to. Thank you
It's amazing how well it works! We're so glad to hear that it worked well for you, too! I hope your husband is feeling better!
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I wanted to make this with the coconut oil but didn't have lemon. So I made it with the apple cider vinager, dash of cinnamon, honey and some coconut oil. And I warmed it up just like you. I have an awful cough and this seems to help some. Thank you.
I'm so glad to hear that it helped! Seems like this time of year our weather jumps goes from hot to cold to hot every day, and we end up getting sick. If you haven't already, check out our elderberry syrup recipe-- it has helped our sicknesses either not happen, or be over quickly! https://www.coffeewithus3.com/elderberry-syrup/
Thanks, Allie! One of my favorite things about these recipes is that I always have the ingredients on hand!
what is the shelf life on either of these. I know it says to store coconut one in fridge. Does re heating damage that over time. Sorry I am new at this and have a lot of questions 🙂
The one with coconut oil is said to last about a week. I too wonder about the reheating of it, so I'll be honest- I left it out on my counter, so that it wouldn't have to be heated as much. It seemed to work fine for me, and really it's just the lemon juice that you would be worried about, but I used it within about 2 days.
As far as the vinegar recipe, I've seen some people say that it should be refrigerated as well, but my mom always kept it at room temp, and the ingredients are typically stored at room temp, so that's what I do.
Hope that helps!
Visiting from A Mama's Story - we use honey a lot, but I'm glad to have a recipe to try!
Honey is so awesome, isn't it? The more I learn about natural remedies, the more amazed I am that so many have stopped being used!