This homemade cough syrup really works! Use these all-natural ingredients to soothe your sore throat and calm your cough without ever having to step foot in a pharmacy!
I discovered this homemade cough syrup a few years ago and I haven’t used another cough syrup since! Not only does this concoction taste great, it really works pretty much instantly! We tend to get a lot of colds going around at this time of year so I thought now would be the perfect time to re-share this easy recipe.
I used to have a store-bought honey-based cough syrup that I used to use when I was growing up, but why not make your own? There are a ton of different recipes that you can find online, but this is my favorite by far. And did I mention that it’s delicious?
How to Make the Homemade Cough Syrup
Here’s what you do!
All Natural Ingredients
The supplies you’ll need:
Honey – Buckwheat honey is known to have lots of great health benefits, but any kind of local honey that you can get your hands on is great too. Honey is great for its anti-bacterial properties and, in fact, taking just straight honey for your cough has been shown to be just as effective as a dose of dextromethorphan in providing relief and helping you get some sleep.
Apple Cider Vinegar – (get the unfiltered and unpasteurized kind). I love this stuff. It has a ton of health benefits, but in this case, you’ll be using it for its germ busting properties and its ability to help clear sinuses.
Ground Ginger – I used the ground version rather than fresh, just to make this a really simple recipe to throw together. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory and it relieves congestion.
Cayenne Pepper – The heat from the cayenne helps to improve circulation and it has natural pain relievers in it that get to work right away.
The Recipe
To make a single dose for yourself, mix together:
- 1 Tablespoon of Honey
- 1 Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/8 Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
- 1/8 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger
The great thing about this recipe is that it’s totally safe, so you can even add extra of any of the ingredients if you like. How much you use is totally up to you.
For mine, I added a bunch of extra cayenne pepper to make it nice and spicy. Wow does that ever clear everything up really quick! It looks like homemade ketchup in the picture, but it’s not ketchup. If you’re not as crazy adventurous with the spiciness as I am, just add a touch of cayenne like I said to in the recipe earlier.
Take this syrup at room temperature, or warm it up for a few seconds in the microwave if you like. Take it straight to coat and soothe a sore throat. If you like, these same ingredients also make a really yummy hot drink!
Share With Friends & Family
If you’re not feeling sick and icky, don’t worry! Wouldn’t this make a great gift to bring to someone you know that’s feeling under the weather? Mix up a big batch in a cute Mason jar, add in a box of kleenex and some cozy socks and you’ve got yourself a pretty thoughtful little gift!
To make a bigger batch for gift giving, mix together about 3/4 cup of Honey, 3/4 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar, 1/2 Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper, and 1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger. The whole thing will keep in the fridge for about 4 weeks.
Give it a try! You’ll be amazed how much better it will make you feel without drugs and you’ll probably be hooked on drinking honey and apple cider vinegar drinks whether you’re feeling sick or not!
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Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.