This tastes like a cardamom bun in syrup form! I love Danish cardamom buns and really wanted to capture that flavor in a syrup to add to coffee and matcha. This brown sugar cardamom syrup might as well be called cardamom bun syrup because it’s spot on. It’s got freshly ground cardamom for that special aroma.

It’s so easy to make, and in less than 10 minutes, you have an amazing syrup. Here’s how to make cardamom syrup at home!

Why You’ll Love This Cardamom Simple Syrup Recipe

• It’s super delicious and aromatic, perfect for when you want a sweet treat.
• Make a delicious and easy cardamom syrup you can use for coffee and cocktails!
• It’s easy to follow and makes a cafe-quality beverage.
• Gets you in the winter mood with the cardamom flavor!
• It’s an easy matcha latte to make and experiment with.

What is Cardamom?

Cardamom is a spice from the seeds of the cardamom plant, which is a part of the ginger family. The plant is from Southern Indian rainforests, where it’s moist and warm. Cardamom pods grow near the root of the plant in little sacs or spindles. When you pick them young, they’re green, and later they turn black and spicier in flavor.

Where does cardamom flavor come from? The pods themselves do not have much aroma, which is where the seeds come in! Like most other spices, you need to crush the seeds to release all the flavor compounds that make cardamom, cardamom!

Cardamom has a very unique flavor. It’s a little bit spicy, floral, citrusy, peppery, and eucalpytous-y. It’s super aromatic and pairs well with fruit, other spices, cream, and tea. I think its flavor profile is similar to bergamot, which is also citrusy and floral.

What is Cardamom Syrup?

This is simply cardamom-infused simple syrup, which is equal parts sugar and water. Simple syrup is a liquid sweetener that mixes easily in cold drinks and evenly sweetens the drink. Since it’s a blank slate, you can easily make different flavors of syrup by infusing it over heat.

For cardamom syrup, add freshly ground cardamom seeds to simple syrup and simmer it until aromatic. You can leave the ground cardamom in the syrup when you store it, so it gets even stronger.

Normally, you use regular sugar for simple syrup, but I like using brown sugar with cardamom for extra flavor. That’s what makes it taste similar to a Danish cardamom bun!

How to Use Cardamom Syrup

With cardamom syrup, you can make delicious coffee, like a cardamom latte or cold brew. You can use it in cold foam, matcha lattes, lemonade, and tea. A popular pairing is cardamom and chai, one of the most popular spices in chai.

For convenience, you can even use it to make whipped cream or on waffles and pancakes. It’s great on cakes, cupcakes, brownies, ice cream, and other desserts.

Cardamom Syrup: What You’ll Need

Equipment:

• A small or medium-sized pan
• Airtight jar or bottle
• A mortar and pestle

Ingredients:

• 10 pods green cardamom or about 2 teaspoons of cardamom seeds
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract or paste (optional)

Cardamom Syrup Recipe

1. Smash Cardamom Pods. Add cardamom pods to the mortar, then crush the pods with the pestle with a pounding motion. Once all the pods open, remove the seeds inside back into the mortar.
2. Ground Cardamom Seeds. Using the pestle, grind the cardamom seeds until they’re the texture of rough sand.
3. Make Syrup. Add the ground cardamom, brown sugar, and water to a pot, then bring to a simmer on medium heat. Simmer the syrup for 3 minutes until the sugar dissolves completely, and you have the desired texture.
4. Store and Enjoy! Pour the syrup into a jar or bottle that has an airtight seal, then let it cool completely before storing it in the fridge. The syrup will stay good refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.

Tips for the Best Cardamom Syrup

• Use Boiled Water: To make the syrup extra fast, boil water in a kettle and use that for the syrup. You’ll jumpstart the simmering process and cut your time virtually in half.
• Use Fresh Cardamom: Nothing beats fresh cardamom, especially in a syrup. If you can, use cardamom pods and freshly grind the seeds for the most flavor. The aroma is sharper, fresher, and stronger than pre-ground cardamom.
• Add a Little Vanilla: A little splash of vanilla has always helped. To make this more dessert-like and well-rounded, add a little vanilla extract after the syrup is off the heat. If you’re using vanilla paste, you can add it in the beginning.

How to Make Cardamom Syrup with Ground Cardamom

If you’ve had pre-ground cardamom versus fresh cardamom, you’ll notice that the freshly ground spice is much stronger than its counterpart. Why? Oxidation! When exposed to air, spices start losing their flavor and potency. It’s the same reason why ground coffee loses its flavor after a couple of months sitting in its bag.

You can still make a great syrup with pre-ground spice, but you’ll want to use about double the amount this recipe calls for. The flavor might be a little more one-dimensional compared to the fresh cardamom, but in a pinch, it works. You’ll still get that spicy and woodsy flavor, but less of the aromatic florals and citrus.

Variations of Cardamom Syrup:

Cardamom pairs amazingly with many other spices, florals, sweeteners, and flavors. Don’t stop at this standard cardamom syrup and try some of these variations:

• Rose Cardamom Syrup: Add a little rosewater once your syrup simmers down. Or, infuse it with edible rose petals!
• Cardamom Honey Syrup: Swap brown sugar for honey. You might want to use half the amount and slowly work your way up since honey is sweeter than brown sugar.
• Orange Cardamom Syrup: Zest the peel of an orange into your syrup to infuse the orange oil. You could also add some orange juice at the end, but it will add a little tang. You could also use orange essential oil.
• Cardamom Maple Syrup: Same deal with the honey version! I recommend using a pure, good-quality maple syrup. This is different from pancake syrup, which is mostly high fructose corn syrup!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a thicker (or thinner) syrup?

Yes! For a thicker syrup, you can either add more sugar or simmer the syrup longer for a more viscous texture. For thinner, use less sugar or simmer the syrup for less time. Note that syrup thickens slightly when it cools, so stop cooking the syrup right before the texture you think you want.

Can I freeze cardamom syrup?

Yep, if you make a large batch or aren’t using the syrup soon, you can pour the leftover into ice cube trays and freeze. When you’re ready to use it, thaw it in the fridge or dissolve it in a little hot water to use immediately.

Why did my syrup turn cloudy or crystallize?

This rarely happens, but if your syrup crystallizes, it’s because you made a supersaturated solution (aka more sugar than water can hold) and the sugar did not dissolve completely. The leftover seed crystals then cause the neighboring sugar molecules to bond together and crystallize. You can easily fix this by adding some more water and dissolving the sugar.

Other Simple Syrup Recipes to Try

This simple cardamom coffee syrup is one of my favorites and is so easy to use in other drinks and desserts. Homemade syrup is a great hack for making delicious drinks at home, and there are so many flavor combinations to try! Here are some syrup recipes you should try next:

• Lavender Simple Syrup
• Rosemary Simple Syrup
• Pumpkin Spice Syrup
• Gingerbread Simple Syrup
• Cranberry Simple Syrup