Sick isn’t an option when you’re a busy mom. Soothe a scratchy throat and combat winter blues with this simple yet effective honey and garlic elixir. This homemade remedy is a comforting cough drop, and uses the natural properties of honey and garlic to help ease the onset of a cough and keeps you feeling your best!
When it comes to being sick, I just can’t. I run two and a half businesses from home and have super young kids.
Life can’t just “go on hold” for me to feel better! Even without fitness being a priority it’s chaos around here.
So as a Certified Nutrition Coach, when I feel a scratchy throat coming on I reach for this honey and garlic elixir as well as a few other natural cough and cold remedies I keep on hand (see below).
Made with only three ingredients and definitely potent, this honey and garlic elixir is both heavenly and tasty, just like these homemade cough drops.
Plus, the elixir takes two minutes to whip up before it sits on your counter for a few days (or multiple days because you forget about it). So even the busiest of us have time for this honey and garlic for coughs!!
Why You'll Love It
- 3 main ingredients only and you probably already have them
- Made in just two minutes before letting it sit
- Versatile: you can alter the flavor of the honey and garlic for coughs a bit for preference
- Though you can just grab some off a spoon you can also make it into a salad dressing for frequent use
Why Honey And Garlic
Raw honey is one of those “cure-alls” with a ton of benefits that I actually love.
I’ve used it on everything from cuts to sore throats and bloody knees to desserts. There is ALWAYS some in the house.
Honey is:
- Antibacterial
- Antifungal
- Soothing
- Great for digestion
And honey when for a cough and cold is even better.
It’s why I make homemade honey cough drops at the start of winter. It just feels extremely good when you feel a scratchy sore throat.
And while I love the DIY cough drops, that honey has been heated. So while they’re great for soothing you won’t get all the bacterial benefits of leaving it raw (like in this homemade elderberry cough syrup or homemade fire cider).
Which is why this honey and garlic elixir is important. The honey never gets heated and so it retains all the benefits.
Garlic, the other key component to this magic sore throat remedy.
Garlic is:
- Antibacterial
- An immune system boost
- Potent
My grandma used to always say to eat a clove of garlic if you think you’re getting sick. Works every time. Well, I tried it, and actually chewing into garlic was scarring haha.
Which is why this sore throat remedy is key. The honey makes you not cry when you try to eat garlic and the garlic infuses into the honey to help your throat.
Add in some cinnamon because yum and you’re set!
Sources used in this blog post: benefits of honey, benefits of cinnamon, health benefits garlic.
Natural Cough And Cold Prevention
One thing to note is that while there are tools to help ease the intensity and symptoms of a cold, the best thing is to not get sick in the first place!
To do that make sure you:
- Keep hydrated always (learn how to drink more water)
- Focus on nutrients not calories
- Keep your gut healthy with probiotics and fermented foods
- Opt for immune-boosting healthy foods like mushrooms, turmeric, protein and garlic regularly (learn how to increase your protein intake).
This garlic and honey elixir is a great staple but it’s not a cure-all.
Note: 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 to save some money) normally whisked into something (or even snuck into a gut healing smoothie!)
- I also use Kettle & Fire pre-made bone broth (I like straight-up chicken or the turmeric one!) because it's pre-made and their quality is so high (simmered for ten hours!).
The Cough And Cold Elixir & Kids
Yes, I have totally given this to my kids. However, they’re not a fan of garlic. I did try crushing and blending the garlic so it was smoother in the honey but it took too much work.
However, since I know that the honey absorbs the garlic after it’s sat a few days, I now just give them a bit of the honey when their throat is bugging them. It’s soothing, comforting and no kid will refuse honey.
I also sneak bone broth into them wherever I can which is normally in the form of this awesome bone broth powder because who has time to consistently make bone broth year round?!
Other Cold & Flu Remedies I Use
And as a mom, being sick is even worse! It’s not like you can laze around and watch Netflix all day (or at least not the shows you want!) and if your throat hurts you can’t exactly stop speaking with a toddler ????
Which means I do everything in my power to keep myself healthy. I’m a huge supporter of:
- Gut-Boosting Homemade Gummy Bears
- fire cider tonic (my full fire cider recipe)
- Homemade elderberry cough syrup
- good old fashioned, super healthy eating
- Spirulina and chlorella tablets (use code mamabear) to give the immune system a crazy boost (learn more about algae)
- Gut healing smoothie
- Homemade cough drops
Ingredients In The Garlic And Honey Elixir
- 20 garlic bulbs, peeled & sliced
- ¾ cup raw, unpasteurized honey
- 1 long stick of cinnamon
Don't Forget To Pin This Honey And Garlic Elixir For Cough and Cold!
Frequently Asked Questions About Garlic And Honey For Coughs
Both garlic and honey are antibacterial which means they help fight inflammation and keep you healthy. Honey itself is extremely soothing on sore or dry throats. So, the combo together is a great one to take during cold season.
If stored at room temperature to ferment, you can leave the garlic in honey for about 90 days. After that, you can either remove the garlic and leave the honey in a cool dark place or store the entire thing in the fridge.
Honey & Garlic Cough & Cold Elixir
Video
Equipment
- Wide Mouth Mason Jar
Ingredients
- 20 cloves garlic peeled & sliced
- ¾ cup raw honey
- 1 large cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Peel the garlic
- Place the cinnamon and garlic in a mason jar.
- Pour honey over top of the garlic.
- Cover with a lid and let sit on the counter for four days.
- Once it's "done" you can place it in the fridge to keep.
- To use: pop a clove of garlic or a teaspoon of honey into your mouth when you feel a cold or sore throat coming on.
Notes
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
An easy, immune-boosting recipe to help naturally ease and prevent cough and colds.
Use this honey and garlic elixir when you feel a scratchy throat coming on and give your system a fighting chance!
Vladka says
Such a potent elixir with immune-boosting properties that it is really easy to make. Moreover, all ingredients are in my pantry!
fitasamamabear says
Haha it's nice to have on hand that's for sure!
Karen @ Seasonal Cravings says
I found this at just the right time because we are passing around a family cold right now. I tried it out last night and it was refreshing and soothing!
fitasamamabear says
Ugh cold season is hitting it hard this year. This stuff is POTENT but it works!
Sara says
With kids in the house, I feel like we are alwaaaaays sick, so this is a recipe I've wanted to try for a while. I made it for my husband and me (both sick with colds) and it was amazing for our sore throats. We stored the rest away in a jar for when we are, inevitably, sick again.
fitasamamabear says
Haha I feel the same. Ah I'm so happy to hear it! It's a hard flavor combo but it works! Feel better!
Erin says
My son just got sick, so I made this in hopes of keeping myself healthy! I love how quick and easy this recipe is. Fingers crossed it works! 🙂 How long does it stay good in the fridge?
fitasamamabear says
Aw I hope he gets better soon! I had mine in the fridge for 5 months and it stayed okay, just don't get water into it and it should be fine.
🙂
Lara says
I made this for my boyfriend because he's been traveling so much and came back with a sore throat. In a few days he was back to normal and never got sick. Definitely keeping this on hand!
fitasamamabear says
Wahoo! Happy to hear it!
Traci says
We’ve got the cold and flu going around and this was so helpful! Loved it and it helped us so much!
fitasamamabear says
Nooo! I hope yyou heal up quickly!
Lisa says
This elixir really works to soothe a throat and help with coughs. It's much better than a store-bought blend.
fitasamamabear says
And so easy to make!
Elizabeth S says
This is potent (in the best way possible)! I can feel it working the second I eat it. I will always have this in the house to avoid big pharma.
fitasamamabear says
It's such a great one to have on hand.
Jane says
I love this! I've been using honey and garlic for a while now, but I never thought to add it to an elixir. Thanks for the tip!
fitasamamabear says
Haha two birds one stone!
Janice says
This honey garlic elixir just came at the perfect time, as my kids are currently battling a cold. Last night, I decided to give it a shot, and it works! Such a lifesaver!
fitasamamabear says
It's great on their throats, glad it helped!
Jessica says
While I personally love all the flavors in this elixir, I had my doubts about whether or not my kids would find it palatable. But they do! I feel so much better about giving this to them than some store-bought cough drops made with artificial colors and flavors.
fitasamamabear says
It's definitely a challenge with kiddos but thank god for honey lol
Allie says
I really like to try new homeopathic remedies and this elixir actually worked! I was feeling a little under the weather last week with a sore throat and took a spoonful and felt better the next day. Definitely going to keep this on hand for the fam this fall and winter.
fitasamamabear says
So happy it worked for you!
Sharina says
This is a very effective and convenient cough and cold remedy! I can't sleep whenever kids are sick, but with this amazing honey and garlic elixir, we can all sleep soundly!
fitasamamabear says
Ah, total win!
LIndsey says
This is the remedy that I keep coming back to. I've used your recipe for years and it works every single time. I keep the cloves whole because I'm lazy and nothing tastes as unpleasant and a cold feels lol
fitasamamabear says
Haha I feel you on the lazy lol love it! Thanks for following along for so long!
Rini says
This elixir was not only delicious, it was also very effective. I felt a scratchy throat and was feeling a little run down. This elixir was a great pick-me-up and my throat feels much better.
fitasamamabear says
Literally the best pick me up!
Ali says
I felt GREAT and ready to tackle life back again the next day! 10/10 recommend! Thank you!!!
fitasamamabear says
Wahoo!