Updated: August 18, 2026
This easy Demerara syrup is one of my favorite ways to add a deeper, more complex sweetness to drinks and desserts. I especially love using it when a recipe needs that warm molasses and caramel flavor. My friends love my Hennessy Sidecar cocktail, for example, and Demerara syrup is one of my secrets for taking bourbon cocktails to the next level. After testing different sugar-to-water ratios, I found that equal parts Demerara sugar and water give me the versatility I want for cocktails, coffee, desserts, and more.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It does double duty – Use this syrup in craft cocktails and coffee drinks or drizzle it over pancakes, waffles, and ice cream.
- A tested, no-guesswork ratio – I tested different ratios and prefer a 1:1 ratio for an everyday Demerara simple syrup that pours and mixes easily.
- Built for hosting – You can make a batch of this in advance and keep it refrigerated so it’s ready when it’s time to mix drinks for guests.
- Personal, proven results – I regularly use Demerara syrup in cocktails, including my Hennessy Sidecar and Old Fashioned, because of the depth of flavor it adds.
What Is Demerara Syrup?
Demerara syrup is a simple syrup made by dissolving Demerara sugar in water. While a regular simple syrup recipe typically uses white sugar, Demerara sugar gives the finished syrup a much deeper flavor. Demerara is a type of raw cane sugar with large, golden-brown sugar crystals and a natural molasses flavor. It undergoes less processing than white sugar, allowing it to retain subtle notes of toffee, caramel, and molasses.
Ingredients
You only need two ingredients to make this homemade Demerara syrup recipe. Detailed measurements can be found in the recipe card below:
- Demerara sugar: Provides the syrup’s signature caramel notes, subtle toffee flavor, and warm molasses depth. The large brown crystals dissolve into a golden-brown syrup with much more character than white sugar.
- Water: Dissolves the sugar and thins it into a smooth, pourable syrup that can easily incorporate into hot or cold drinks.
How to Make Demerara Syrup
Making Demerara simple syrup is soooo easy and takes just a few minutes on the stovetop. Additional details and notes can be found in the recipe card below:
STEP 1: Combine Ingredients – Add the Demerara sugar and water to a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar crystals are completely dissolved. There’s no need to boil the mixture.
STEP 2: Cool & Store – Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool completely to room temperature. Transfer the cooled syrup to a clean glass bottle or jar, cover tightly, and refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.
How to Use Demerara Syrup in Drinks and Desserts
Demerara syrup adds a warm caramel and molasses flavor anywhere you’d normally use simple syrup. A few of my favorite ways to use it include:
- Cocktails: Old Fashioneds, Whiskey Sours, Hennessy Sidecars, rum drinks, and tiki drinks. It pairs especially well with bourbon, whiskey, cognac, and aged rum.
- Coffee & mocktails: Stir it into iced coffee, cold brew, lattes, tea, lemonade, and other non-alcoholic drinks.
- Breakfast: Drizzle it over pancakes, waffles, or French toast for a deeper sweetness than maple or plain simple syrup.
- Desserts: Spoon it over ice cream, cheesecake, pound cake, or fresh fruit, or brush it onto cake layers for extra moisture and caramel flavor.
Substitutions & Variations
- Turbinado Sugar – Turbinado sugar is one of the best substitutes for Demerara sugar. Both are raw cane sugars with larger crystals and some retained molasses flavor. Turbinado may taste slightly lighter, but it will still make a flavorful syrup.
- Light Brown Sugar – You can make a brown sugar syrup using light brown sugar and the same basic method. Because brown sugar contains molasses, the resulting syrup will still have caramel notes, although the flavor and texture won’t be exactly the same as Demerara syrup.
- Dark Brown Sugar – Dark brown sugar can also work, but expect a stronger molasses flavor and darker syrup. I would use this when you intentionally want that extra intensity.
- White Sugar – White sugar is the last option if you’re specifically trying to recreate the flavor of Demerara syrup. It will make a perfectly good classic simple syrup, but it won’t provide the same earthy caramel and toffee notes.
- Rich Demerara Syrup – For a sweeter, thicker syrup, make a rich Demerara syrup using two parts Demerara sugar to one part water. Because it’s more concentrated, you’ll generally need less of it in a drink. This version can be particularly useful for spirit-forward cocktails.
Demerara Syrup Ratios
I tested different ratios when developing this recipe because the amount of water makes a noticeable difference in how the syrup behaves in a drink.
| Ratio | Sugar | Water | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:1 | 1 part | 1 part | Cocktails, coffee, mocktails, desserts and everyday use |
| 2:1 | 2 parts | 1 part | Rich, spirit-forward cocktails and recipes needing concentrated sweetness |
For this recipe, I prefer equal parts Demerara sugar and water.
Make-Ahead Hosting Tips
Demerara syrup is one of those small things I like to prepare before I’m hosting so I’m not standing at the bar trying to dissolve sugar while everyone else is enjoying themselves.
- Make it before your guests arrive – Prepare the syrup in advance, let it cool, transfer it to a clean glass bottle, and refrigerate. When you’re ready to make cocktails, all you need to do is pour.
- Use warm water when speed matters – Gently heating the sugar and water is one of the easiest ways to dissolve the large grains of Demerara sugar quickly and completely.
- For a no-heat version, give it more time – You can also combine the sugar and water without heating and stir or shake until the sugar dissolves. This cold-process method takes considerably longer, but avoiding heat can produce a syrup with a slightly different flavor and appearance.
- Keep the bottle clean – Always use a clean jar or glass bottle and avoid introducing crumbs, fruit, or other ingredients into the syrup.
- Watch the syrup, not just the calendar – If you notice unexpected cloudiness, mold, fermentation, bubbling, an off odor, or another obvious change in appearance, discard the syrup.
Storage
- How to Store: Once your Demerara sugar syrup has cooled completely, transfer it to a clean airtight glass bottle or jar and store it in the refrigerator.
- Make Small Batches: Because this recipe is made without commercial preservatives, I recommend making smaller batches rather than keeping one bottle indefinitely.
- When to Discard: Always inspect homemade syrup before using it. Cloudiness that wasn’t originally present, visible mold, unusual bubbling or fermentation, or an off smell are signs that the syrup should be discarded. When in doubt, make a fresh batch since it only takes a few minutes.
More Syrup Recipes
If you enjoy making homemade syrups for cocktails, coffee, and desserts, try some of my other favorites:
- Classic Simple Syrup
- Honey Syrup
- Strawberry Syrup
- Cucumber Syrup
- Thyme Simple Syrup
FAQ
What does Demerara syrup taste like?
Demerara syrup has a rich, warm flavor with subtle notes of toffee, caramel, and molasses. Compared with regular simple syrup, it has much more depth and a slightly earthy caramel character.
How long does Demerara syrup last?
Homemade 1:1 Demerara syrup is best treated as a perishable homemade ingredient and kept refrigerated in a clean, airtight container. Rather than relying solely on a specific shelf-life date, inspect your syrup before using it and discard it if you notice mold, unexpected cloudiness, fermentation, unusual bubbling, or an off smell.
Does Demerara syrup go bad?
Yes. Despite its high sugar content, homemade Demerara syrup can eventually spoil. Visible mold, unexpected cloudiness, fermentation, unusual bubbling, or an off odor are signs that it's time to throw it away.
Does Demerara syrup need to be refrigerated?
Yes. I recommend refrigerating homemade Demerara syrup in a clean, airtight glass bottle or jar after it has completely cooled. Refrigeration helps preserve its quality and extends its usable shelf life.
Recipe Card
Demerara Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Water
- 1 cup Demerara Sugar
Instructions
- Add the Demerara sugar and water to a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar crystals are completely dissolved. There's no need to boil the mixture.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool completely to room temperature. Transfer the cooled syrup to a clean glass bottle or jar, cover tightly, and refrigerate until you're ready to use it.
Notes
- Do not boil: Heat just until the Demerara sugar completely dissolves. Boiling can cause unnecessary evaporation and make the syrup thicker.
- For a richer syrup: Use 2 cups Demerara sugar to 1 cup water for a thicker, sweeter 2:1 syrup that’s great for spirit-forward cocktails.
- Cool before storing: Let the syrup cool completely before transferring it to a clean glass jar or bottle.
- Storage: Keep refrigerated in an airtight container. Discard if you notice mold, unexpected cloudiness, bubbling, fermentation, or an off smell.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Craving More?
If you make this Demerara syrup recipe, I’d love to see how you use it! Tag @elicitfolio on Instagram, follow along on Pinterest for more recipes, or leave a comment below and tell me which homemade syrup recipe you want to see me make next.
