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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!
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.
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.
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
- Place the vinegar, honey, water, cayenne, and ginger 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!
Homemade Cough Remedy
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{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.
Is there any way that you can give me an estimated time from when you actually take the dose to when you start to feel actual relief from first dose to actual relief… And how many doses there after do you have to continue taking to achieve maximum relief? I’ve been sick for over two and a half weeks and gone through many bottles of cough syrup refuse to go to the doctor because they don’t do anything for me and I have many other illnesses on top of that so it’s a matter of having a lack of immune system as well please advise ASAP thank you
The cough remedy provides immediate relief for me.
Just made this “syrup” to hopefully battle a cough i just can’t control. The cough feels like it’s from deep in my chest and difficult to get relief after coughing.
I slipped up with a little too much water (it spilled while i poured and coughed). I heated my water first so it would soften everything up. My Briggs is stored in fridge.
Had 1 tablespoon. Tasted good IMO.
HAVE NOT COUGHED SINCE BEGAN POSTING. And it does feel like something is relieved in my chest. Oh i hope this works.
Thanks for your recipe ❤️
Life saver!! I’m really getting this bad cold and I’m my husbands caretaker when Hospice is not here so this caugh must go. I’ve been looking for a good cough syrup I could make at home because I need it now and don’t drive nor can I leave ..::::: I felt it sooth my throat almost right away. I know it tastes better then any store bought or RX that’s a Big Plus. The Cyan Pepper is perfect. Just enough to clear things up. This will go into my Reciept Book for sure
This is close to what my grandmother mail. But if you warm it before taking it is really soothing to your throat.
How long does it keep for? I’m very impressed with it. It cleared a cough I was really struggling to shake off.
It works !!!! And tastes good too😀
Hello:
This recipe has been amended recently. It used to be one tablespoon of honey, water, apple cider vinegar and 1/4 tsp of ginger and cayenne pepper. Not sure why it was changed, but I am going with the old way.
I don’t think that the recipe has been changed. However, an additional bit of ginger and cayenne won’t hurt a bit and might even help. Hope you feel better!
This is a truly effective cough syrup, and compared to $15 for a bottle off the shelf of the pharmacy, it’s absolutely the best choice. It may cause a shudder when you take a spoonful, but then so do those commercial preparations. I didn’t even have ginger for my first batch, and it still worked . . . it loosens congestion & clears your head. Can’t speak to a sore throat because I didn’t have one, but my guess is it works for that too.
And the recipe isn’t hard to remember . . . 2 tbsp. of the wet ingredients, and 1/4 tsp. of the dry ones.
Hello how many times a day should I give to my 9 year old daughter?
There’s nothing here that will harm someone. My kids take a spoonful anytime they’re coughing.
I just try today I hope it helps my cough
Honey is the one food that doesn’t spoil and apple cider is a preservative so, this should be good in the fridge for as long as you need it.
How long can you keep this
I love this Cough Remedy as it always work a miracle every time I use it. It suddenly stops my nasty coughing. The instruction says to place it in the refrigerator for longer storage. Since I am a single, how much longer will it last? Thank you in advance.
Thanks for recipe am going to make it
now,so am hoping it works.
Thanks again
This mixture truly works.
I was coughing about every 30 seconds last night trying everything to make it stop. At 3 am in the morning I got up and made this mixture and it was the only thing that let me get a couple of hours sleep. I started coughing again at 7 am and then had some more to get a final hrs sleep before I had to get up for work. Life saver!
WOW, this is amazing stuff! Thanks so much. I don’t get a cough often, but, when I do … it’s awful. Came across this as I was waiting on an order for a homeopathic syrup that is my usual go to. Made it and … relief that first spoonful! These coughs usually are worse at night. You need sleep, you lay down, you cough until you gag. Blech. With this, though, I slept like a baby! Definitely a keeper forever and ever.
Googled homemade cough syrup and this was the first hit.
I’ve had a persistent cough for several hours. Didn’t feel like going out.
This stuff works! At least for the past half hour.
Thanks
Great recipe
I gave it to my boyfriend and it really helped. Thanks!
I was desperate for some relief for my coughing six year old and got up and made this simple recipe for him at midnight. I only used half the recommended amount of cayenne, but it worked wonders for him. Thank you for sharing this!