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Now that the sun is shining, it’s time to swap your piping hot morning coffee for a delicious iced drink.
But have you seen how expensive iced coffee is lately? And don’t even think about adding an extra flavor—it will cost you big time!
Why should you have to pay an arm and a leg just to add a little vanilla sweetener to your favorite summertime pick-me-up?
Forget about spending all your hard-earned cash on two pumps at your local coffee shop—just make your own simple syrup instead!
Here are 4 easy flavors you can make at home that taste just as good as the simple syrups you usually have to pay the big bucks for:
Cinnamon Syrup
What you need:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
How to make it:
Mix together the water, sugar, and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue stirring the mixture on lower heat until it starts to appear thick. This should only take about 5 minutes. Finally, take your pan of simple syrup off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Vanilla Syrup
What you need:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
How to make it:
After combining the sugar and water in a medium saucepan, stir the mixture until it begins to boil. Continue stirring on medium heat until all the sugar looks completely dissolved. Next, take the pan off of the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Caramel Syrup
What you need:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
How to make it:
First, take ¼ cup of the water and mix in a medium saucepan with the sugar over medium heat. Stir until the sugar looks completely dissolved. Next, increase the heat to medium-high and continue stirring carefully. Soon, the mixture should start turning into a lightly golden color. Once it does, remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour in the remaining water. Last, mix in the salt and vanilla extract.
Chocolate Syrup
What you need:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. salt
How to make it:
Set aside the vanilla extract and whisk together the remaining four ingredients in a medium saucepan. Make sure to bring it to a boil, stirring often, until the syrup starts to thicken. This should take no longer than about 3 minutes. Next, take the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. After you store this in the refrigerator, the chocolate syrup will thicken even more.
All of these flavorings should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator! They usually stay fresh for up to a month.
Which of these do you like in your coffee? Tell us in the comments!
Photo Copyright © 2012 Jenny Hones/Flickr
