This Coconut Simple Syrup has a true coconut flavor, and it's made with just 4 ingredients in 30 minutes. It's a delicious coffee syrup, but it's also great in matcha lattes, cocktails, mocktails, tea, or any other hot or cold drinks! It's freezer-friendly, vegan, and gluten-free.
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Why You'll Love This Coconut Syrup
Delicious true coconut flavor - Coconut syrup gives any drink a sweet tropical flavor that shines in anything from coffee to cocktails. It's made with cane sugar, shredded coconut, water, and coconut extract. It's simple, easy to make, and ready in 30 minutes!
Lots of uses - Since this syrup is made without any coconut milk, it can be used in a variety of drinks without having to worry about it curdling in anything more acidic (like citrus). I absolutely love it in this Coconut Matcha Latte, but you can also add it to coffee, cocktails, mocktails, or drizzle it over your favorite pancakes, and more!
Freezer-friendly - I rarely make very small batches of syrup because they're always so easy to freeze, and this syrup is no different! It keeps really well in both the fridge and the freezer, so you can always have it on hand!
Ingredients
- Unsweetened shredded coconut - You can use coconut flakes or shredded coconut, but always make sure it's unsweetened and preferably without any unnecessary additives or preservatives. I usually have shredded coconut on hand, so that's what I used.
- Cane sugar - I like using pure cane sugar for most of my syrups because it's less processed than white sugar, but it still has a very neutral flavor compared to brown sugar or other sugars. It does have a slightly yellowish color, so the syrup is darker than it would be with white sugar.
- Coconut extract - While shredded coconut gives you a decent amount of flavor, you won't achieve the flavor you may be used to from store-bought syrups like Monin without coconut extract. I highly recommend this. I use Watkins Coconut Extract.
- Vanilla extract - This is totally optional, but I find a little bit of vanilla balances the coconut flavor really well, even though you can barely taste it. Vanilla bean paste also works, but it will give the syrup black vanilla seed specks.
- Water - Use filtered water whenever possible for the best flavor.
Variations and Substitutions
- Coconut sugar - If you want the syrup to have that classic coconut sugar molasses-like flavor or just want to avoid cane sugar, coconut palm sugar is a great alternative. You could even use maple syrup if you prefer. Keep in mind, it makes the syrup very dark.
- Sugar-free substitutes - I only recommend sugar-free sweeteners that can be used in a 1:1 ratio, not things like liquid stevia, where you'd only use a couple of drops. Keep in mind that this will reduce the shelf life of the syrup because sugar acts as a preservative.
- Just the extract - If you've used coconut syrups like Monin before, the flavor you're looking for comes from the extract. It will be very mellow without it. While I like using shredded coconut here, you can also just simmer sugar and water and then add coconut extract, and it will have a very similar flavor!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Into a medium saucepan, add cane sugar, shredded coconut, and water.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves.
- Lower the heat and gently simmer for 10 minutes.
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- Take it off the heat and allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a large measuring cup or a bowl.
- Stir in coconut extract and vanilla extract if using.
- Use immediately or transfer to a glass jar and store in the fridge. Wait for it to cool before closing the jar with a lid.
How to Use the Syrup
- Coffee and matcha - Try it in my Coconut Matcha Latte or add it to your coffee. It's delicious in lattes on its own or with other syrups like vanilla syrup, strawberry syrup, or mango syrup. While I lean towards cold drinks, you could always use this syrup to sweeten your hot tea as well!
- Cocktails and mocktails - Since the syrup has no milk, it's much easier to mix with anything acidic, like orange, lemon, or lime juice. You can add it to practically any cocktails, like a Coconut Mojito, a coconut mango margarita, or this Pineapple Coconut Margarita, instead of the coconut milk. It's so good with pineapple juice! I highly recommend trying it in this Mango Mocktail too!
- Desserts, breakfast, and more - Stir it into your oatmeal or drizzle it over pancakes, waffles, or ice cream. You can also brush it on cake layers to add moisture and flavor. Try it on these Strawberry Pancakes!
Storing
Refrigerator: Store the syrup in an airtight container or a glass jar in the fridge for up to 14 days. I like using these Weck cylindrical jars.
Freezer: You can also freeze the syrup in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months. I don't recommend freezing it in an ice cube tray because the syrup never freezes completely solid due to its high sugar content. I like using small plastic containers and measuring how much I'm adding so I know how much to defrost later on.
Defrosting: Since the syrup stays soft, it only takes about 30 minutes to defrost into a pourable consistency in the fridge, but it's always scoopable.
FAQs
I use cane sugar, which is darker than white sugar, and once mixed with water, it has a distinct yellowish hue. The longer you cook it, the darker it will get, so because I simmer the syrup for 10 minutes, the color will deepen. To prevent this, use white sugar and simmer the syrup for just 5 minutes, and then steep for 20-30 minutes before straining.
No, this syrup is made to be clear so you can add coconut flavor without throwing off the consistency of your drink (milk would curdle with citrus). I recommend trying other recipes that are developed with coconut milk.
The fat will naturally get separated from the syrup. Once this happens, you can discard it. To keep the two combined, you'd need an emulsifier or other additives, which I didn't want to add. This is why I highly recommend adding a coconut extract to keep the flavor in.
More Simple Syrup Flavors
If you want to try other nutty syrups or syrups that would work well with this one, check out the ones linked below! To see all the latest ones, head over to Flavored Syrups.
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Print📖 Recipe
Coconut Simple Syrup
- Prep Time: 2 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 1 ⅓ cup 1x
- Category: Simple syrup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Coconut Simple Syrup has a true coconut flavor, and it's made with just 4 ingredients in 30 minutes. It's a delicious coffee syrup, but it's also great in matcha lattes, cocktails, mocktails, tea, or any other hot or cold drinks! It's freezer-friendly, vegan, and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cane sugar
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup water
- ½ tsp coconut extract (optional but recommended for a stronger flavor)
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Into a medium saucepan, add cane sugar, shredded coconut, and water.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves.
- Lower the heat and gently simmer for 10 minutes.
- Take it off the heat and allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a large measuring cup or a bowl.
- Stir in coconut extract and vanilla extract if using.
- Use immediately or transfer to a glass jar and store in the fridge. Wait for it to cool before closing the jar with a lid.
Notes
Storing: Store the syrup in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. The fat from the coconut may settle on top of the syrup. You can remove this once it hardens, or allow the syrup to come to room temperature each time you use it and stir it in. The coconut releases fat as it cooks, and it separates once the syrup cools. A lot of the flavor is in that layer, unfortunately, and you can’t keep it from separating without additives. This is why I recommend adding coconut extract as well for more flavor. You can also freeze it for 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container. Avoid ice cube trays because the syrup doesn't freeze completely solid.
The recipe makes approx. 1 ⅓ cup of syrup, which is about 10 servings if you use 2 tablespoon per serving.
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