Homemade Cough Remedy

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This Homemade Cough Remedy is a spicy, honey-cider syrup potent enough to calm a cough and soothe a sore throat. Over the past few years, this handy little remedy has become one of the most popular posts on this website.

As I mixed up a batch for my son last night, I decided to re-share it with all of you, as a testament to just how much we use it!

Homemade Cough Remedy - get the recipe at barefeetinthekitchen.com

After making it all the way through the holidays without a cough, a sneeze, or a fever, cold season hit us like a freight train on New Year’s Day. My boys were miserable and I started to feel it as well after a couple of days.

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I remembered saving this Homemade Cough Remedy recipe to try, so I shook up a tiny little test batch and tested a spoonful on myself.

Consider yourself warned, this is a natural cough suppressant that is both seriously spicy and potent enough to actually clear your head. Personally, I think it tastes better than any store-bought cough syrup I’ve tried.

With only a handful of pantry ingredients and a few minutes of effort, this Homemade Cough Remedy was sitting on my counter.

I was amazed at how well it worked to completely clear our congestion. My oldest son was willing to try it as well and I couldn’t believe how quickly it worked on his cough.

Homemade Cough Remedy

It cleared his throat and he slept solidly through the night. Over the counter cough medicines don’t even accomplish that for us!

The powerful ingredients in this remedy are common everyday items: ginger, cayenne, cider vinegar and honey. Yet they work together to create a potent remedy for cold symptoms. It’s definitely worth trying before turning to the medicine cabinet once again this winter.

Homemade Cough Remedy recipe made with common everyday items - found at barefeetinthekitchen.com

Updated to add: I’ve been making this cough remedy for so long now, all three of my kids request it anytime they start coughing. The serving size (or dosage) will vary depending on the person. My 11 and 13-year-old sons take a tablespoon without a problem, my 7-year-old takes about a teaspoon. A full tablespoon works great for my husband and for me.

Kitchen Tip: I use this jar to store the cough remedy.

Homemade Cough Syrup

  1. Place the vinegar, honey, water, cayenne, and ginger in a small jar and shake to combine.
  2. Leave at room temperature for a few days or place in the refrigerator for longer storage.
  3. Shake well each time, before using. The spices will not dissolve into the liquid. It will not be a thick syrup, it should remain watery.
  4. Take as needed and have a happy and healthy new year!

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Homemade Cough Remedy

4.85 from 133 votes
This remedy is a spicy honey-cider syrup potent enough to calm a cough and soothe a sore throat.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 6 tablespoons

Ingredients 

  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar preferably Bragg’s, if available
  • 2 tablespoons honey locally produced raw honey is best, if available
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions

  • Place all the ingredients in a small jar and shake to combine.
  • Leave at room temperature for a few days or place in the refrigerator for longer storage.
  • Shake well each time, before using. The spices will not dissolve into the liquid. It will not be a thick syrup, it should remain watery.
  • Take as needed and have a happy and healthy new year!

Nutrition

Calories: 3kcal · Vitamin A: 5IU
Tried this recipe?Mention @barefeetkitchen or tag #barefeetkitchen!

{originally published 1/8/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 1/3/22}

This cough remedy has been gently adapted from and with thanks to Nancy Vienneau’s (no longer active) blog, Good Food Matters.

Homemade Cough Remedy - get the directions at barefeetinthekitchen.com

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Mary Younkin

Mary Younkin

Hi, I’m Mary. I’m the author, cook, photographer, and travel lover behind the scenes here at Barefeet In The Kitchen. I'm also the author of three cookbooks dedicated to making cooking from scratch as simple as possible.

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  1. Eva says

    This cough remedy is fantastic. I made some today for me, took the first dose and haven’t coughed but a few times in almost 4 hours. I am going to keep this on hand. Tastes better than most cough medicine from the store.5 stars

  2. melanie says

    i made this back in december after catching a NASTY sinus cold. between the cough, the sore throat AND being stuffy and regular meds wearing off and still having to work as we were down. dispatcher and we had no other authorized officers to over dispatch as we were short officers ( i work graveyard) i made this and took this before id go to bed and i’d be able to sleep without coughing up a lung. it took a month to fully kick and recover from that cold but this remedy is amazing!5 stars

  3. L says

    This is a staple in our home, we love it!
    Whenever my husband gets sick, he always asks for this cough syrup
    Thank you so much!!5 stars

  4. L says

    What happens if we drink the whole thing at once because we didn’t read the instructions
    Will it do any harm?

    Thank you

  5. Davette Monroe says

    I found this recipe online and decided to try it for my husband who recently caught a nagging cough. I noticed a change immediately. Recipe is very simple and were staples I had in my pantry. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe5 stars