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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.
This is fabulous!! I actually rather liked the flavor! My 17 year old daughter has been coughing all night for 3 nights (and keeping me up) but this totally did the trick.
I have had sinus congestion and pain and so I took a tablespoon also. Great stuff!
We had run out of the last batch I made and my 16 year old son came in and woke me around 1:30 this morning asking me to whip up another batch so he could stop coughing. His cough and congestion is currently from hay-fever. My boys swear by it. I find you need a drink of or something straight after it because it's quite hot.
Hubby's been coughing almost a week now & made some up last night & he took some & didn't hear him cough at all overnight & he took some this morning before going to work. Then I remembered I forgot to put the 2 Tbsps. of water in it..lol..but it is helping his cough.
I gave this to my daughter and the coughing and sore throat were gone,when the cough pearls and cough medicines didn't do anything for her cough
The cayenne pepper leaves a bit of burn but this stuff works really well when you need it.
This really helped my swollen throat. I also added lemon juice and coconut oil. I read that coconut oil helps the cold not to take hold of you. Thanks for posting this.
I just made a batch for the upcoming winter. I was having a sore throat coming on and took some. It does really work. Thank you for sharing and have a Happy Holiday!!!
It's works! I make my second batch, and my chest congestion y 95% gone,
I'm sad bc I made it and it didn't help..however I get bronchiospasms (sp) so maybe I was coughing from those and not a cold.
Patty
I gave this to my daughter who is almost 4 (just two teaspoons) and she didn't have any problems with the spice at all. She did say it was a little yucky, so I gave her a tablespoon of raw honey to wash it down and she was fine, and it worked GREAT! She has had a TERRIBLE cough the past few days (she gets like this every year around this time and the doctors always tell me it's "croup" or a virus etc. and there is "nothing" they can do), and the prescription meds they gave me weren't helping at all, so we tried this and some sleepytime tea with lemon and she has stopped coughing and is fast asleep and no more wheezing! Thanks for the recipe!
That's awesome.
this really helped, thank you!
This did not work for me, but then again nothing does. Doctor gave me a prescription & that didn't even help. I guess I just have to ride it out again.
I'm allergic to apple cider vinegar could I sub it for apple juice?
It's certainly worth a try. I'd probably swap it with lemon juice instead though. I hope that helps!
If you're not allergic to all vinegars, you could try red or white wine vinegar or rice vinegar if you can get it in your area. They all have the same percentage of acetic acid.
Amazing stuff!! 24 hours after first use my cold and sore throat gone. Thanks for posting this!
Tried this last night, was really gross tasting but….. It worked!
I made this and it works almost instantly! Thanks
I made some of this tonight. I'm on the 4th day of a flu-like sickness and am starting to feel better. The worst part for me has been the coughing. I'll let you know how it goes. I took about a tablespoon. It burned, but not any worse than another recipe for strep throat that I use also for colds that includes cayenne, pepper, garlic, and honey. If this works as good, I may forgo the other recipe because the garlic is so overwhelming.
I did make the cough syrup and it worked wonders for me since I live in the Caribbean and the weather here got windy and really humid really fast. Thank you so much for sharing!!!!
I was very skeptical that this would work. I had been coughing for hours before falling into a fitful sleep over the last week, even taking honey to soothe the throat and sleeping in a chair.
Well, I took one tablespoon of this before bed and was able to fall asleep with no coughing fits and just a few little coughs.
I am happy to say this worked wonderfully.
Thank you!
This sounds amazing! but I have a 2 year old and a 6 year old that cant even sleep for coughing! I see that you should not give it to a 2 year old…so what can I use for him? Please tell me there is something I can use! Feel so bad for him! Thanks for any info!
The one thing that used to help with my kids was to rub Vicks on their backs and the bottom of their feet as well as their chest. It's an old remedy, but it did seem to help. The idea, I was told back then, was that the lungs are actually closer to your back than your front. I still have my husband rub my back with Mineral Ice when I get a cold and it seems to help when I am congested. If his throat is sore, you might try giving him Coke and potato chips, it can help with kids that are too young to gargle salt water.