Truthfully, it hadn’t occurred to me.

Honestly, I’m not really into traditional Dr Pepper. I’ve always been a coca cola girl. 

Heck, growing up some of the stories I remember my Dad retelling the most were about the days when he was a coca-cola delivery driver around the steep streets of Cumberland, Maryland.

But this homemade version of Dr Pepper? Oh. My. Word. Honestly, even my coke-devoted Dad would have loved this.

I’ve tried a lot of “healthy” sodas. I’ve made a ton of sodas. I’ve made soda-flavored kombuchas.

This Homemade Dr Pepper recipe takes the cake on all of them. It’s the best homemade/healthy soda I’ve ever had. Period.

In face, even my picky son-in-law (who will try all of my crazy concoctions but doesn’t usually like them) came back for a second cup of this homemade Dr Pepper. Incredible.

Homemade soda: Dr Pepper edition

There are lots of stories about the origin of Dr Pepper. The most circulated one is that an old-school pharmacist (you know, back when pharmacies used to also be soda fountains) simply mixed Coke and root beer and came up with Dr Pepper.

I don’t know if that story is true or not, but I tend to think maybe not. Dr Pepper seems to have it’s own, distinctive flavor. One of those distinctive flavors being cherry. My homemade Dr Pepper includes either dried or fresh/frozen cherries (your choice), which I personally think is what really takes it over the top, making it amazingly flavorful.

I love homemade coke and root beer, but I truly think this homemade Dr Pepper might be my new favorite homemade soda. It’s that good.

What’s in homemade Dr Pepper?

The ingredient list for homemade Dr Pepper looks rather long. But don’t let that intimidate you. They’re actually pretty simple ingredients that you can interchange if needed. And lots of the herbs/spices used can be found pretty easily. My favorite tea, herb, and adaptogen company sells most of the things you’ll need. We’ll talk about substitutions later on.

Homemade Dr pepper is made with herbs, spices, sweetener, and juice. This combo is really the jackpot of flavor combinations.

The ingredients are:

Cinnamon (for that little “kick”–I link the best option at the bottom of this article)

Nutmeg 

Cloves (for that rich warm-ness)

Cardamom

Anise

Ginger root (either fresh or dried works–I link the best dried option at the bottom of this article)

Pepper (for that dash of spiciness)

Cherries (fresh or dried, for that classic cherry flavor)

Coconut sugar (I link the best option at the bottom of this article, but you can use brown sugar too)

Vanilla & almond extract

Orange juice and lemon juice

See? it’s a long list but not a complicated list. And the homemade Dr Pepper is worth gathering up a few ingredients.

What’s wrong with regular Dr Pepper?

Although I think we all know by now that conventional soda isn’t a health food, let’s talk about a few of the reasons why avoiding “regular” Dr Pepper might be a good idea.

1. Super high sugar content. A 12 oz can has almost 40 grams of sugar. That’s almost twice what an adult female should consume per day! Not only is there tons of sugar in Dr Pepper, but it’s not real sugar, either. It’s high fructose corn syrup (best case), or artificial sweeteners in diet Dr Pepper. Safe to say that homemade Dr Pepper made with coconut sugar is much better for your body. Read more about the best sugars to use (and which ones to avoid) here.
2. Most conventional sodas also contain something called Phosphoric Acid. This is used as a acidic compound in sodas, but it also doubles as–get this–a rust remover/metal cleaner. It’s also used as chemical fertilizer. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather avoid drinking chemicals that double as rust removers, please. Phosphoric Acid is known to lower bone density and also erode tooth enamel. Go figure.
3. Caramel colorings. Almost all cola/soda contains caramel coloring, which doesn’t even impact the flavor, it’s simply for looks. It has been found to cause cancer in some animal studies. I’ll pass, thanks.
4. Artificial flavors–of all kinds. Unlike homemade Dr Pepper, the conventional kind isn’t made with real herbs and spices. It’s made with a nice chunk of artificial (and “natural”) flavors. Their blends of “natural” and artificial flavors don’t even have to be disclosed to us (the consumer), so we’re not even sure exactly what blend of chemicals we’re consuming when we crack open a “regular” Dr Pepper.

It’s safe to say that homemade Dr Pepper soda (made with real ingredients!) is much better for our bodies than “regular” Dr Pepper, which is loaded with corn syrup, artificial flavors, and caramel coloring.

How to make a homemade Dr Pepper syrup for soda

Making homemade Dr Pepper soda syrup is super easy.

Simply gather your ingredients (I source a lot of them from my favorite botanicals company), simmer the herbs and spices together in a saucepan with water, strain, sweeten, and you’re on your way to a delicious homemade Dr Pepper!

If you’re using dried ginger and cherries, it is possible to mix all of the herbs and spices together into a dry “Dr Pepper mix” and use as needed. You’d still want to add the extracts, sweetener, and lemon/orange juice when you actually make your syrup, but if you really love this soda and want to make it faster, try mixing up a big batch of the dry ingredients for later.

Tips for making Dr Pepper syrup

• You do want to make sure that you keep the lid on your pot while you’re simmering your syrup, or else too much moisture will evaporate, and you’ll have very little syrup left by the end. Keep your syrup simmering on med-low with the lid on, and you’ll wind up with perfect homemade Dr Pepper syrup every time.
• If you prefer to leave out the lemon juice at the end of the simmering, try adding lemon slices/rind to your syrup while it’s simmering instead.
• Store your finished syrup in the fridge. I like to throw it into a pint mason jar with a lid. If you’re not able to use all of the syrup up and you’re worried it might go bad, try freezing the syrup in portioned ice cube trays for later usage. Just add seltzer water!
• Play around with the ratios of spices you personally like best. If you like things “spicier” try upping the peppercorns and/or anise. Like things sweeter? Try adding more cherries, or even try adding other fruits like raspberries or strawberries. Make your Dr Pepper syrup your own!

How to make Dr Pepper from scratch

Making Dr Pepper from scratch is as simple as making sure you have all the ingredients. In fact, it’s even possible to grow some of your own ingredients for homemade sodas! I’m growing DIY coke ingredients in my medicinal drink garden this summer. How cool is that? Homemade, homegrown soda.

But I digress. You definitely don’t need to grow your own ingredients in order to enjoy a Dr Pepper made from scratch.

To make Dr Pepper from scratch:

1. Make your syrup
2. Add the syrup to a cup with ice
3. Pour in your sparkling water (either make your own with this handy soda machine or buy plain seltzer in cans)
4. Enjoy your Dr Pepper made from scratch

Is homemade soda healthier?

Making your own soda allows you complete control of what you’re drinking. Not only do you get the plus side of avoiding certain ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and caramel coloring, but you also get to add good stuff like coconut sugar (which has antioxidants) and real ginger root (anti-inflammatory).

Homemade sodas also allows you to avoid the microplastics inevitably in soda cans and bottles. Straight from the ingredients, to the syrup, to the glass. No microplastics needed. (Homemade sodas are also better for the environment, avoiding wasteful single-use containers!)

Store bought sodas also tend to have added caffeine which just feels… unnecessary. Homemade sodas are naturally caffeine-free, which means you don’t need to worry about jitters, caffeine crashes, or mood swings.

Not is homemade soda healthier, but some homemade sodas wind up being cheaper to make than they would be to buy in the store. Which is crazy, especially considering homemade sodas are medicinal, and store bought ones… aren’t. Especially if you’re using a soda water machine instead of buying cans of soda water all the time, you might actually save money making your own sodas.

Dr Pepper syrup recipe

This homemade Dr Pepper recipe is made by mixing up a batch of herbal ingredients, simmering those ingredients together with some water, and adding sweetener. Then you’ve had a homemade Dr Pepper syrup, which you can use several ways (see below).

Dr. Pepper syrup is made with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, anise, ginger root, black pepper, cherries, coconut sugar, vanilla & almond extract, orange juice and lemon juice.

I’ve gotten complaints that this recipe has too many ingredients in it, but the truth is that most of these things you probably have on hand. And anything you need to purchase will last a long time. Although there’s a long list of herbs and flavors in homemade Dr pepper syrup, there’s not a large amount of any of them.

How to use Dr Pepper syrup

You can use Dr pepper syrup in more ways than you think;

• add seltzer water to make Dr pepper soda
• add the Dr pepper syrup to a latte or iced coffee (just add a splash of the syrup to your coffee in place of sweetener)
• make Dr pepper floats with ice cream
• make homemade Dr Pepper ice cream (use my maple ice cream recipe, but substitute 1/2 cup Dr pepper syrup in place of the maple syrup. Yum!)
• turn your regular homemade Dr pepper into a “dirty” soda by adding a splash of cream and an extra splash of lemon juice, if desired
• make a Dr Pepper chocolate cake, adding the syrup either to the cake batter and/or the icing
• use the syrup to make a Dr Pepper milkshake–ice cream + syrup + milk
• as a sweet glaze on a ham roast

Homemade Dr Pepper Kombucha

Another benefit to homemade sodas is that you can actually RE-USE the ingredients! How cool is that. You don’t only get one batch of soda, but you can save the (strained) herbs and spices used to make your soda syrup, place them in a container in the fridge, and flavor kombucha second ferments all week long.

I use a few tablespoons of the Dr Pepper leftover ingredients per half gallon jar of kombucha, and it’s always super flavorful. Dr Pepper kombucha, anyone? Yes, please.

If you don’t want to make your own version of Dr Pepper kombucha (or even if you don’t feel like mixing or gathering up all the Dr Pepper soda syrup ingredients, you can use this pre-mixed Dr Pepper flavored tea instead.)

Homemade Dr Pepper kombucha is essentially a naturally fermented Dr Pepper soda. It’s one of my favorite kombucha flavors.

If you’d like to make naturally fermented teas and sodas but are intimidated by the process, I’ve written Kombucha Academy for folks just like you. Use the code “soulyrested” to start making kombucha at home, at a discount.

How to make Dr Pepper kombucha

1. Add 1-2 tablespoons of simmered soda syrup herbs and spices to a jar with 1st ferment kombucha
2. Allow to sit overnight or 12-24 hours for maximum flavor
3. Enjoy your naturally-fermented Dr Pepper kombucha!

Does homemade Dr pepper taste good?

Apparently folks have a LOT of opinions about homemade sodas.

Since this post went viral, I’ve found the self-righteous people (“why on earth would you drink SODA anyways?? I personally haven’t bought soda since 1975…”), the people who adore the Dr pepper recipe and say their family loves it (same!), the folks who try it and say “THAT doesn’t taste EXACTLY like Dr pepper!!,” and even the “why would I spend money on ingredients to make something that costs $3 at the store” peeps.

So, I’ve heard it all by now. And honestly? 

Homemade Dr pepper doesn’t taste exactly like the real thing. (Gasp!)

And the funny thing is, I never claimed it was an exact match.

All I said is that my family loves this recipe as a nutritious alternative to an otherwise overly-processed drink.

The truth is, homemade shouldn’t taste exactly like the “real” thing. (By the way, which one is actually more “real” anyways?) If my homemade, medicinal, nutritious Dr Pepper tasted exactly like the one out of the can? I’d be disappointed. So, no, this doesn’t taste EXACTLY like store bought Dr. Pepper. But I like it my way better.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

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Dr Pepper Recipe (homemade soda)

Ingredients

To simmer:

• 1½ cups water
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon chips (linked below)
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 whole star anise pod
• 1 tablespoon dried ginger root
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns
• 1/3 cup dried cherries OR 1 cup fresh/frozen cherries

After simmering:

• 3/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

• Simmer the spices and water in a covered saucepan for about 20 minutes on med-low.
• Strain the chunks out of the syrup, making sure to get all the syrup out of the cherries. Add the sugar while the syrup is still warm.
• Stir in the extracts and juices.
• Store syrup in a jar in the fridge for 2+ weeks.

To make a Dr Pepper soda:

• Add ¼ cup syrup to roughly 8 oz (or about 1 cup) seltzer water.*

Notes

*You can either use soda machine to make carbonated water for your Dr pepper, or you can purchase cans/bottles of plain seltzer to use instead.

Notes about this Dr. Pepper recipe

I started growing my own anise to use in this recipe and it works great. I dry the plant and use both the leaves and the tiny flowers. Both taste like licorice. Read more about what else I grow in my Medicinal Drink Garden.

Feel free to use fresh ginger root in place of the dried ginger, if you have it on hand. You’ll need about 3 TB of fresh.

You can choose an unflavored or (my preference) cherry seltzer water to make your glass of soda or I use this soda machine.

Some ingredients I use to make Dr. Pepper at home

* Use code SOULYRESTED for 15% off your entire first order of $100 or more with Azure Standard, delivered to a drop near you.

More like Dr Pepper Recipe–Homemade Soda:

• DIY Coke: yes, you can make your own delicious soda
• One Drink we Need to Ditch (podcast episode)
• Homemade Root Beer (with REAL ingredients)
• How to make tea blends
• Homemade chai latte: 3 easy ways

The post Dr Pepper recipe: Homemade soda first appeared on Souly Rested.

Given that Coke and root beer are probably the most popular soda flavors, I’m starting there.

But I’m not stopping there–no. The soda industry will hate to see me coming my the time I’m through developing delicious homemade soda recipes. Okay, they’ll never even know that little ole me was over here doing this, but hopefully YOU will & your family will love these.

To start, let’s talk about why we should be avoiding conventional sodas in the first place. I mean, they’re crisp, sweet, delicious perfection. What can be wrong? If you like artificial flavors, colors, and sugars in your drinks and don’t mind the havoc those ingredients are wreaking on your body, by all means, skip this post by.

Sidenote, to be totally transparent, I definitely enjoy my fake-sugar-fake-color-fake-flavored conventional sodas once in a great while. But these homemade ones have replaced the junk for me and they’re great when I’m craving a soda but don’t want the junk.

More of a Dr Pepper fan? Don’t miss my viral Dr Pepper recipe.

Why is homemade root beer better than store bought?

Store bought root beer is packed full of artificial sugars (hello high fructose corn syrup!), dyes, and flavors.

In fact, most of the soft drinks on the market today are essentially liquid cocaine. Scientific studies have shown that they induce cravings that are comparable to addictive drugs. (source) We dove deep into this in episode 11 of season 3 of the Simple Doesn’t Mean Easy podcast. 

But when you make your own root beer, not only can you control the amount and type of sweetener you’re using, but you can also completely control and customize the ingredients. For example, did you know that homemade Coke can be medicinal?

The same is true of homemade root beer. It contains real ingredients like sarsaparilla root (anti-inflammatory and naturally helps detox your body), licorice root (high in antioxidants), ginger root (good for managing blood sugar and cholesterol), and other beneficial ingredients.

Did you also know that unrefined sugars can be packed full of antioxidants and other beneficial things? Learn more about the best sugars to use.

So homemade root beer can be backed with beneficial ingredients, from the spices used to the sweetener you choose to use. The choice is clear–homemade root beer is SO much better than the fake store bought kind.

Root beer recipe with REAL ingredients

This root beer recipe comes with a few different options.

1. You can purchase an all-natural root beer syrup kit and use that to make your homemade root beer.
2. You can make your own root beer mix (recipe below).
3. You can order a root beer concentrate to use in place of a dry mix. (This is my least favorite option because you miss out on the benefits of the herbs and spices)

What ingredients are in homemade root beer?

Whether you’re using the root beer syrup kit or making your own, the ingredients are relatively the same and will have a similar outcome. The ingredients in this homemade root beer are:

• sarsaparilla root
• licorice root
• anise seed
• ginger root (either fresh or dried)
• clove
• allspice
• vanilla
• mint, optional

Technically you can substitute wintergreen for the anise and licorice root with a similar result. But I found wintergreen difficult to find, and the combination of anise and licorice create a similar flavor profile as wintergreen. (If I keep making my own root beer I just might have to invest in a wintergreen plant so I can harvest my own! I’m eyeing the wintergreen plants from this company.)

I still like to add a little mint in there to add a touch of the wintergreen-esque flavor. But since I don’t have wintergreen around, I just use any old mint I’m growing at the time. This one is orange mint, which adds a nice little “zesty-ness” to this root beer recipe.

Where do I get the ingredients to make root beer?

I’m currently starting my first ever Medicinal Drink Garden and hoping to soon grow every ingredient I need to make homemade sodas.

But, thankfully, you can source every single one of these ingredients from my all-time favorite food supplier. And you’ll save $30 off your first order of $100 or more with code SOULYRESTED. Go here to find a delivery location near you.

Is homemade root beer good?

I’m not going to tell you that homemade root beer (especially the kind made with real spices) tastes exactly like A&W or Barqs. But I will say, when the craving for a bubbly, sweet drink hits, this homemade root beer hits the spot.

I’m a huge fan of olipop soda knockoffs, and honestly that’s exactly what this tastes like, an olipop knockoff of name brand root beer.

A couple tips for making homemade soda taste amazing:

• Make sure it’s ice cold. Nobody likes a lukewarm soda, and using plenty of ice and making sure your seltzer water is crisp and cold will help your homemade root beer taste its best.
• Add enough sweetener to make it taste good. We all want to drink less sugar, but if you’re really craving a sweet, cold, crisp soda, a barely-sweetened one just might not hit the spot. Find the sweet (pun intended!) spot for you.
• Adjust the ingredients to suit your taste buds. More of an A&W root beet fan? Add some extra vanilla (or even a splash of cream!) to lighten it up and add that signature vanilla-y creaminess that A&W has. If you’re more of a Barq’s fan, you might want to add a bit more cloves or allspice for that signature dark, spicy flavor. Or sweeten your drinks with molasses to make them even richer.
• Try adding other flavorings, like citrus peels, fruit syrups, or peppercorns to adjust the flavor. Have fun with it!

How to make homemade root beer recipe

Making root beer is really simple. Basically you’ll mix up the ingredients into a root beer “mix” (or purchase a pre-mixed version).

Then you’ll simmer that mixture in water until it evaporates into a root beer syrup.

Then you simply strain and sweeten the syrup and mix it with sparkling water whenever the root beer craving strikes.

You can store the root beer concentrate syrup in a jar in the fridge for a couple weeks.

Bam–healthy, homemade root beer that tastes delicious.

In order to assemble your homemade root beer recipe, you’ll need some form of sparkling water or seltzer. I use this handy-dandy machine to make my sparkling water at home, but if you don’t have a machine any ole’ can or bottle of plain sparkling water will do the trick. I made soda for years before investing in seltzer water machine by keeping cans of plain seltzer on hand. Does the trick perfectly.

Old-fashioned root beer float recipe (with homemade root beer recipe!)

It’s hard to not love a good old root beer float, isn’t it? The sparkling, spicy goodness of the root beer combined with the sweet creaminess of the ice cream? Unreal. But when it’s made with this homemade root beer recipe, and homemade maple ice cream? It’s not only insanely delicious, it’s also, dare I say, healthy!

It’s still obviously a treat, but it’s packed with REAL ingredients that you can pronounce. Enjoying a root beer float knowing every single ingredient in the entire float is awesome. 

How to make a root beer float with homemade root beer recipe

• Homemade root beer (recipe below)
• Homemade maple ice cream (or any ice cream will work, but I’m partial to this one!)

Simply mix your root beer syrup with the sparkling water, as described below.

Add a scoop (or two) of ice cream on top, making sure you have enough room in your glass to allow for the fizz.

Enjoy your completely-from-scratch root beer float!

Are you team spoon or straw for your root beer floats? I tend to find I need one of each to fully enjoy mine.

Let’s talk about why we’re addicted to junky soda…

FAQ: your root beer recipe questions, answered

Is this recipe safe for kids?

Absolutely! In fact, all the same principals we talked above about above apply to kids, as well. It’s lower in sugar than the “real” thing and packed full of healthy (and tasty!) spices. They’ll love this sweet, sparkly homemade root beer!

How do I make this without a sparkling water machine?

Although I love my sparkling water machine, it’s easy to make homemade root beer without one. Simply purchase canes (or bottles) of plain seltzer water, and use them as needed to make your root beer!

Can I substitute ingredients if I can’t find one?

You certainly can. I can’t guarantee the end result will taste exactly the same unless the recipe is followed as written, but, who knows–maybe you’ll come up with a homemade soda you’ll love even more than the original!

Can I ferment this recipe for natural bubbles?

Definitely. In fact, I’ve even made all-natural root beer kombucha before! It’s tasty, but I will warn you that the kombucha overpowers the root beer flavors just a bit and still tastes like, well, kombucha. That’s why I tend to just use sparkling water when I’m craving that “real” soda flavor. But play around with what you like and let me know what you try in the comments!

If you want to know more about kombucha, find out How to Make Kombucha with a SCOBY.

Print

Root Beer Recipe (real ingredients!)

Servings 8 cups root beer

Ingredients

For homemade root beer mix*

• 2 tablespoons dried sarsaparilla root
• 1 tablespoon licorice root
• 2 teaspoons anise seed
• 2 teaspoons dried ginger root
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 2 sprigs fresh mint* optional
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-1.5 cups coconut sugar or brown sugar

For homemade root beer

• 1/4-1/3 cup root beer syrup concentrate
• 1 cup sparkling water

Instructions

For the Root Beer Syrup

• In a saucepan, combine either 1/3 cup of THIS root beer mix, OR entire mixture listed above (minus the vanilla and sugar) with 4 cups of water.
• Bring to a boil, than reduce heat to simmer. Allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the water has been reduced to roughly half.
• Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, add sweetener, and store in a jar. If using homemade root beer mix, add the vanilla extract now.

To Make Root Beer Soda

• Combine 1/4-1/3 cup root beer syrup with about 1 cup cold sparkling water (I make my own with this fancy machine). Adjust the syrup-sparkling water ratio to suit your taste. Add ice and enjoy.

Notes

*OR substitute for pre-mixed Root Beer kit. Use code "soulyrested"

I like to add fresh mint to my root beer syrup whether I'm using a homemade or bought mix. It adds a touch of extra flavor that I enjoy. I usually just use peppermint or spearmint, but any type of mint will do.

My favorite way to "jazz" this homemade root beer up is to finish each cup with a splash of lemon juice and a dallop of vanilla bean paste.

More like root beer recipe (with real ingredients!):

• DIY coke… yes you can make your own homemade soda!
• Lipton tea knockoff recipe
• Homemade chai latte: 3 easy ways
• Make Kombucha
• Dr Pepper recipe: homemade soda
• One Drink we Need to Ditch (podcast episode)

The post Root Beer Recipe (with real ingredients!) first appeared on Souly Rested.

I’m about to show you something that will change the way you look at soda forever.

Can you really make homemade soda?

I don’t know when I last had a soda (I do give into my temptation a few times a year, probably), but today I had a crazy obsession for coke, so I knew today was the day to give this homemade soda idea a try.

So I started googling, and searching my pantry, and googling more for substitutes for many things I didn’t have on hand.

The result? Well I have a quart jar of soda syrup stashed in the fridge, I’m on my second glass of this DIY coke, and I’m in LOVE.

I also have a 1/2-gallon jar of DIY Coke Kombucha fermenting as we speak… more on that below.

Edit to add: If you’re here for ALL the homemade soda, don’t miss my Homemade Root Beer Recipe AND my VIRAL homemade Dr Pepper recipe.

Is Homemade soda better for you?

Most of the soft drinks on the market today are essentially liquid cocaine. Scientific studies have shown that they induce cravings that are comparable to addictive drugs. (source) We dove deep into this in episode 11 of season 3 of the podcast. 

So yes, homemade soda is much better for you. You are in charge of every ingredient, so you know exactly what is in your homemade soda. And, maybe most importantly, you can choose how to sweeten your homemade soda. You can choose to use an all-natural sugar that won’t spike your blood sugar level, which is what leads to so many problems and you can choose how much sugar. My goal is to slowly wean down the amount of sugar I’m using in our homemade soda so it’s even better for us.

How to make your own soda?

You have choices. You can pull together the ingredients yourself or you can use an all-natural syrup mix. Both are great options and I’ll walk you through both.

First, let’s start with the from-scratch option. I bet you have all of these things in your kitchen right now. Well, maybe not the lavender. But that’s okay. Read the recipe notes for substitution ideas for lavender, as well as many other items on this list.

If you’d rather opt for purchasing a completely natural, pre-mixed coke soda mix, this one is amazing. Not only is it made with the same quality of ingredients you’d stock your own kitchen with, but purchases support a small family-run business. Plus I even have a code just for my readers (“soulyrested”).

Oh, one thing you won’t find in either version of this DIY coke? Caramel color. Yeah, I’ll skip the cancer-causing, oh-so-bad-for-me ingredient that you find in every can of coke, and I’ll be perfectly happy with a yellow colored glass of soda.

More of a root beer fan? Get my root beer recipe here.

Can you buy a kit for making homemade soda?

YES! If you don’t want to try to source your ingredients and make your own cola syrup, you can absolutely buy a mix from a trusted, small-family business that I have been ordering from for many years. In fact, after years of making my own cola syrup, I heard that Farmhouse Teas came out with this Kola Syrup Mix and I knew instantly I had to try it. (Use code SOULYRESTED to save $$, if you want to try it out. Oh, and they make other delicious teas and a root beer syrup kit! If you spend $59 or more shipping is free!)

This syrup, when combined with carbonated water, tastes just like a tall, cold glass of Coke. BUT you get to choose the sugars you use, so you can make it with all-natural sugar options that don’t spike your blood sugar level.

Better yet, this Kola Syrup Mix is made with medicinal ingredients, not addictive ones. It’s made of powder from a nut that grows in West Africa that is world-renowned for providing energy, reducing appetite, and helping manage depression and anxiety.

While I’m not saying a glass of this will solve all your problems, it sure is a delicious step in that direction.

One Kola Syrup Kit will make 4 quarts of syrup, total, which means each kit makes about 13 2L amounts of homemade soda.

And bonus, if you care about the color of your soda, unlike my from-scratch soda, this soda even almost has the caramel color of Coke, since it’s made with kola nut powder.

Is homemade soda cheaper?

Because my Homemade Soda Syrup makes a whole quart of syrup, and you only need 1 TB for a cup of soda, it’s always going to be cheaper than buying Coke. Plus, you can make exactly how much you want instead of opening a whole 2L of soda and winding up with a flat drink that noone wants to drink before the 2L is empty.

If you make homemade soda with the Kola Syrup Mix that I love I’m very happy to report that you can make a 2-liter’s-worth of homemade soda for $2.99 worth of syrup. I don’t know about where you live, but we would have to pay that much at our local store for a 2L of Coke and this homemade soda is FAR superior and SO much better for our family.

I’m even going to try to grow some of the ingredients for making DIY soda in my garden this year… More about that here: Growing Herbs for Tea (& more)

Can you make cola kombucha?

Yes! You can make kombucha that either option above, the from-scratch recipe I share or the Kola Syrup Kit.

Cola kombucha recipe:

Combine 1/4 cup of soda syrup with 1/2 gallon of first ferment kombucha. Let sit at room temperature 1-3 days. (Find out more about how much money you save making your own kombucha here.)

Or, for another alternative, keep the ingredients you strain out of your sauce pan (the ginger and lavender), and steep that in 1 gallon of first ferment kombucha for 1-3 days at room temperature

Soda kombucha, without second ferment:

Combine soda syrup and first ferment kombucha, 1 TB syrup per every 1 cup kombucha, and enjoy immediately. (And here’s another floral kombucha recipe you might love.)

How long does homemade syrup last?

Homemade syrup lasts for a week or two in the fridge. But it can last for a year or longer if you want to freeze it.

It’s super easy to freeze your homemade soda syrup ! Simply fill ice cube trays with your soda syrup and freeze until solid. Store cubes in freezer-safe container and use 2-3 cubes in a tall glass of cherry seltzer water for the most amazing ice-cold homemade Cherry Coke you can imagine.

How do you make soda without a machine?

While I love our soda machine, it is new to us and I’ve been making homemade soda for years. Simply add a can of carbonated seltzer water to your syrup, no machine necessary. If you do have a soda machine, I don’t recommend adding your syrup to the machine. Unless you like volcanic-like explosions. Simply carbonate cold water and add that to your syrup.

What are the steps in making coke?

I have no idea what steps are included in making genuine Coca-Cola, and the ingredient list is closely guarded. But I’ve worked at creating a delicious drink my family enjoys that sure does taste a lot like the real deal.

And I’m going to break down exactly how I do it. Because, well, the world needs a Coke substitute that has zero junk. If you’re ready to skip the dyes and artificial ingredients and enjoy a guilt-free refreshing soda, here are the steps you need to know…

Homemade Soda Recipe

• 3/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp anise extract (or see notes for substitution)
• 1 tsp dried lavender (save $$ with code SOULYRESTED)
• 4 tsp minced ginger
• 1 TB vanilla extract (I love this one)
• 3/4 tsp white vinegar OR apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 1 3/4 cups maple syrup

Combine all ingredients except the maple syrup in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and strain out the solids.

Pour into a quart jar and let cool.

Add the maple syrup and stir.

Keep refrigerated for up to a month.

Yield: 1 quart of soda syrup

To make homemade soda, combine 1 tablespoon of your homemade soda syrup with 1 cup of seltzer water or club soda. Serve over ice.

Or, we love making our own carbonated water too. This is our soda machine. I love it because I can use my own ingredients (usually fruit) to make any flavor of bubbly water I want. (Most soda machines don’t let you add ingredients to the machine.)

Sidenote: I source most of my ingredients from Azure Standard. Go here to find out how this independent food supply chain is fixing a broken food system and connecting food suppliers directly to consumers.

Homemade Soda NOTES

• Substitute 1/2 tsp anise extract with  1/4 tsp allspice.
• Swap in a ¼ teaspoon allspice, cinnamon or nutmeg for every tablespoon of fresh ginger. Or substitute 1/4 tsp ground ginger for every 1 TB fresh ginger.
• Or use 1/4 tsp turmeric powder in place of the 4 tsp fresh ginger in this recipe.
• If you want to always be prepared to make this, consider grating some fresh ginger and freezing it.
• You could substitute honey in place of maple syrup.
• Dried lavender leaves can be used instead of lavender flowers. But I love the great quality of these lavender flowers if you’d like to stock up on some. Use code SOULYRESTED and save.
• If you don’t have lavender on hand, or maybe are waiting on these great lavender flowers that you ordered, you could try an equal amount of a few other herbs instead that might work pretty well. (If you try one, please let me know!): rosemary, lemon thyme, or mint.
• Have fun trying all different flavors of seltzer, make lime coke, strawberry coke, orange coke, you name it… my favorite is black cherry coke. Mmmmmm.
• If you splurge on a carbonated water machine–we LOVE this one–then you can really experiment with lots of neat flavors that you make (I just made a raspberry ginger coke… so good!).
• I source many of these ingredients from Azure Standard. Go here to find out how this independent food supply chain is fixing a broken food system and connecting food suppliers directly to consumers.
• All the ingredients for this homemade soda are included on my Pantry Checklist, which is also loaded with discount codes for you on all my favorite real food ingredients. Download your own Pantry Checklist right here.

Print

DIY Coke-homemade soda

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp anise extract or see notes for substitution
• 1 tsp dried lavender
• 4 tsp minced ginger
• 1 TB vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp white vinegar OR apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 1 3/4 cups maple syrup

Instructions

To make homemade soda syrup:

• Combine all ingredients except the maple syrup in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat and strain out the solids.
• Pour into a quart jar and let cool.
• Add the maple syrup and stir.
• Keep refrigerated for up to a month.

To make homemade soda WITH your syrup:

• To make homemade soda, combine 1 tablespoon of your homemade soda syrup with 1 cup of seltzer water or club soda. Serve over ice.

Notes

• Substitute 1/2 tsp anise extract with  1/4 tsp allspice.
• Swap in a ¼ teaspoon allspice, cinnamon or nutmeg for every tablespoon of fresh ginger. Or substitute 1/4 tsp ground ginger for every 1 TB fresh ginger.
• Or use 1/4 tsp turmeric powder in place of the 4 tsp fresh ginger in this recipe.
• If you want to always be prepared to make this, consider grating some fresh ginger and freezing it.

This is the organic dried ginger I use if I don’t have fresh grated ginger available. (Use code SOULYRESTED)

If you like homemade soda, you’ll love these drink recipes:

Homemade gatorade

Homemade Healthy Tea Blend that Tastes Like Coffee

Healthy Hot Chocolate Mix

One Drink we Need to Ditch (podcast episode)

Homemade Root Beer Recipe (with REAL ingredients!)

Dr Pepper recipe: homemade soda

I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. Ecclesiastes 3: 12-13

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