Elderberry Cough Syrup Recipe With Cinnamon And Honey

Use this easy elderberry cough syrup recipe to help ease a scratchy throat. With only six ingredients, this homemade cough syrup with honey is easy to whip up but packs a big punch to your immune system.

Elderberries can help ease a cough and reduce the duration of cold systems. A natural cold remedy perfect for moms.

This elderberry syrup recipe whips up quickly and is a great way to soothe a sore throat. Likewise, as a Certified Nutrition Coach, it's always a great way to boost the immune system.

Not only will this cough syrup help with a sore throat but it can also prevent symptoms from getting worse!

Sources used in writing this blog post: health benefits of elderberry syrup, benefits of honey.

Anti-Bacterial & Immune-Boosting Ingredients

Dried elderberries: though fresh elderberries will work as well, I have never used them. It's much easier to get ahold of dried elderberries.

Cinnamon: Cinnamon not only helps flavor this elderberry cough syrup recipe but can also help reduce inflammation which means it’s a great way to ease a sore throat.

Cloves: Though the cloves are optional they've been said to be anti-bacterial. Full cloves are best (you strain them out afterward) but fresh, dried and ground cloves will work too. Likewise, powdered ginger is a great add in too!

Fresh lemon juice: Lemon is one of the ingredients in my easy homemade cough drops recipe because lemon can help break down mucus in the throat. It’s anti-bacterial and especially soothing when combined with honey.

Local, raw honey: Of course, the homemade elderberry syrup recipe is going to contain honey! Raw honey is a staple for sore throats because it’s soothing, it coats the throat, and is anti-bacterial.

The best thing to do is use local, raw honey to get the biggest bang for your buck. This way, all the good stuff hasn’t been boiled out. Using local can also help you adjust to local pollen levels and reduce allergies.

When To Use The Elderberry Syrup Recipe

• Immediately when you feel a cough or cold coming on
• As an immune system boost in the winter months 
• In the form of homemade gummy bears.

Just like cough syrup, Sage tea is another great way to ease a sore throat if you find yours "tickling".

Important Teaching Tips

• make sure you really boil down the elderberry syrup and cook the elderberries. Fresh elderberries are not to be consumed and can have toxic effects. 
• you want to whisk the honey in while the mixture is warm but not hot! This prevents the good stuff in the honey from being broken down
• store the elderberry syrup recipe in the fridge in an airtight jar
• use the cough syrup when you feel a scratchy throat coming on. I personally take 1-5 tbs/day if I'm feeling sick
• use the leftover berries to make elderberry tea
• Know that elderberry extract has never been used in this cough syrup recipe so I don't know how it would alter it
• Maple syrup cannot be used for honey.

Homemade Cough Syrup Recipe For Kids

Now, I’m not a doctor, herbalist, or anything of the sort. I personally use this elderberry cough syrup recipe with my kids.

However, this was a very personal decision and I urge you to research. Learn, read and make your own informed decisions based on tested health benefits and what you’re comfortable with.

For me, I feel far more comfortable giving them this homemade cough syrup for cold and flu symptoms than I do medical varieties. If it is something more serious, obviously consult and doc and do what you need to mama.

We love elderberry cough syrup recipe as a preventative measure (like in homemade gummies) to keep our immune systems up in the winter.

However, if you're not comfortable whipping up a batch for your kids, you can purchase elderberry syrup instead.

Frequently Asked Questions About Elderberry Syrup

Other Natural Cough & Cold Remedies

To naturally prevent coughs and colds during the season we:

• Make homemade fire cider,
• Snack on gut-boosting gummies 
• Implement proper nutrition and protein intake
• Use a homemade honey cough syrup along with the elderberry version
• Elderberry thoat lozenges
• Use bone broth powder and whip up gut-healing chocolate smoothies
• Dose up on fermented foods

If you do end up with a bit of a cough or cold, make use of easy homemade cough drops, DIY shower melts to reduce congestion and electrolyte popsicles etc.

I also use a lot of bone broth to both fight colds and prevent them! It's actually one of my most recommended foods for toddlers because it's so healing. However, making homemade broth takes TIME (a lot of it!) which I'm slightly limited on.

So while I do strive to make my own I also make use of two-time savers: I use bone broth powder from perfect supplements (use code mamabear10) normally whisked into something (or even snuck into a gut healing chocolate smoothie!).

Learn more about powdered bone broth.

It’s never fun getting sick as a mom. But what I’ve experienced is that while taking precautions to stay healthy doesn’t mean you NEVER Get sick; it tends to mean you don’t get as sick.

This elderberry syrup recipe is a great way to help relieve a sore throat naturally! As well as give the immune system a helping hand. It’s simple to make so keep some on hand for when your system needs a boost!