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.
How To Make Elderberry Cough Syrup At Home
- In a large pot, combine everything except the lemon juice and raw honey.
- Heat until boiling and then reduce heat and keep it at a rolling boil for 30 minutes, stirring often.
- Once boiling is done, pick out the cinnamon sticks and strain out the elderberries from the liquid.
- Whisk in the honey and lemon juice.
- Pour into a jar and keep in the fridge until needed.
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.
If you don't want to make your own this is the best cough syrup for kiddos to give their immune system a boost!
Frequently Asked Questions About Elderberry Syrup
Elderberries have been a staple for cold and flu season for years. They’re used most in homemade elderberry syrup for coughs but are a general immune system boost. This means that they have health benefits that have been said to reduce inflammation and cough and cold symptoms.
Homemade cough syrup is best stored in the fridge and should last roughly 6-8 weeks so long as it was cooked (boiled down) properly.
Elderberry extract is a potent variation of elderberry juice and is much different than homemade cough syrup. The extract is more geared towards boosting the immune system where as this cough syrup recipe helps to soothe cold and flu smptoms.
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.
Made from 100% USDA Organic and free-range chickens, this bone broth is a convenient way to enjoy the health benefits of bone broth without time spent in the kitchen. Use code mamabear10 to save money on your next order.
- Is Non-GMO
- Contains Type I, II, and III Collagen
- Just 6% of Your RDA of Sodium
- Is MSG Free
- Is Glyphosate Free
- Contains no toxic herbicides/pesticides.
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.
Homemade Elderberry Cough Syrup
Video
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups elderberries freeze-dried
- 3 cups filtered water
- 3 cinnamon sticks or 6 if they're short
- 1 teaspoons nutmeg
- ½ cup raw honey
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ tablespoons cloves optional
- 1 tablespoons fresh ginger optional
Instructions
- In a large piece of cookware, combine everything except the lemon juice and honey.
- Heat until boiling and then reduce heat and keep it at a rolling boil for 30 minutes, stirring often.
- Once boiling is done, pick out the cinnamon sticks and strain out the elderberries from the liquid. Make sure to press into the mesh sieve to get all the good juice!
- Whisk in the honey and lemon juice.
- Pour into a jar and keep in the fridge until needed.
Notes
- make sure you really boil down the syrup and cook the elderberries. Raw elderberries are not to be consumed
- 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 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
- the recipe makes 1 cup which is about 16 sevrings
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
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!
Jennifer says
Cough syrup shouldn't taste so good! This really worked and it was a treat to have it go down nicely!
fitasamamabear says
Hehe it's definitely delicious! My kiddos love it.
Sky says
Do you have to use freeze dried elderberries??
fitasamamabear says
It's personally all I've ever used. I think fresh would be fine if you're able to pick them and make sure they haven't been sprayed.
Sherrie says
I've been looking for an elderberry cough syrup recipe for some time and yours is perfect! Thank you!
Rose says
I tried this cough syrup recipe and by far it's the perfect I've made. It even tasted good!
fitasamamabear says
Haha it's SO yummy eh?
Donna says
This worked out a little too perfectly - my youngest is hooked and keeps asking for more! Love it
Claire says
My partner won't touch store-bought cough syrup. He has bad memories of his mum pouring it down his throat as a kids. So every cold season he suffers with a the irritation of his cough.
When I saw this I thought it was worth a go. He loved it. He likes to warm a little up before he takes it as he find the heat helps his throat as well. Such a great recipe 🙂
fitasamamabear says
Omg huge win! Happy I could help, it IS delicious warmed up, I hadn't even thought of that but I always lick the spoon when making it hehe
Amanda Dixon says
This worked beautifully. The spring allergies has had my throat all itchy, and this perfectly soothed it. Feels so much better!
fitasamamabear says
Oh I hadn't even thought of that issue, glad it helped!
Sharina says
Finally! I got to have a restful sleep after drinking this elderberry cough syrup. Such a keeper!
fitasamamabear says
Amazing to hear!
Clare says
This was a hit! If cough syrup can be a hit. But my kids hate cough syrup, they say it tastes like petrol (how they think they know that is beyond me!!!)
But when they have coughs and sore throats, I really don't like them always sucking on those chemically cough sweets that really are nothing but sugar.
So I gave this a go and it was delicious and good for them, and no of them minded taking it.
I am so happy I found this recipe 🙂
fitasamamabear says
Ahh best thing ever. My kids love it too and actually ask for it lol SO much better than all the random ingredients they put into lozenges sometimes!
Lisa says
My family likes this homemade syrup much better than the premade. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. It's delicious and works great.
fitasamamabear says
Happy to hear it! My kiddos love it too.
Tallery says
How long does this last?
fitasamamabear says
If stored in the fridge mine has lasted a solid 4-6 weeks.
GRETA says
Yay, I found this recipe just in time. The cold season is here and so good to have a cough syrup recipe saved. Love it and will using this. Thanks for the recipe.
fitasamamabear says
It's definitely a great help!
Lea says
The ginger and lemon gave it a delightful zing! Helped with a terrible cough. Appreciate this recipe.
fitasamamabear says
Wahoo!
Ali says
Ha! Who knew we could make cough syrup at home and that it would taste so great!! Loved it!! Thank you
fitasamamabear says
Right?! My kids ask for it all season lol
Chad says
This is WAY better than store bought. Thanks for the great recipe!
fitasamamabear says
Thank you!
Jan says
Just made a batch for the upcoming colder weather. All this time I've been buying this stuff and spending a ton of money monthly on it. Love that I can do it myself now!
fitasamamabear says
It's SO expensive to buy!
Quinn says
This is the first homemade one that actually tastes good. Great flavor combo!
fitasamamabear says
This is awesome to hear, glad you enjoy it!
Sam says
Making my second batch today - loved it the first time I made it and decided I cant live without! Thank you!!
fitasamamabear says
Ahh yay! My kids actually ask for it lol
Betsy says
With the seasons changing again, my allergies are so agitated. I cannot believe how great this homemade cough syrup (one) tastes and (two) how easy to make and (three) how much it helped my sore throat. I won't be purchasing store bought anymore. Thanks for the recipe!
fitasamamabear says
Allergy season is a rough one, really happy this helps!
Kayla says
Will try to make this and see if it alleviates my asthma attacks which I frequently get. I hope this works! thank you for sharing!
fitasamamabear says
Fingers crossed for you!
Maggie says
I never thought of making cough syrup, but looking at the ingredients in my store-bought bottle of syrup made me not want to take it. The elderberries were at the local health food store, so I tried your recipe, which is super easy and works for sore throats.
fitasamamabear says
It's so easy to make your own.. and such a mnoney saver!
Marc C says
Excellent ! Thank you Shelby.
fitasamamabear says
Anytime!