Sugar Cookie Syrup Recipe (Starbucks Copycat)

This homemade sugar cookie syrup recipe is what you’ll need to make an iced sugar cookie latte at home! After testing lots of iterations of this syrup to perfect that sugar cookie flavor, our recipe is the best DIY recipe you’ll find. Made with just six ingredients, our easy to follow instructions and step-by-step photos will ensure you make an excellent batch of sugar cookie coffee syrup the first time.

Starbucks Sugar Cookie Syrup Copycat

We’ve been making homemade simple syrup recipes for over 10 years now, and once you start making your own, you won’t bother with those premade syrups ever again! With just a few basic ingredients and 10-minutes you can have your own, customized to your liking, simple syrup ready to enjoy.

What is Simple Syrup?

Simple syrup is a liquefied form of sugar that is often used to sweeten cocktails, teas, coffees, and other cold beverages. If you’ve ever gone to a coffee shop and ordered a latte with “2 pumps of vanilla”…you just ordered a latte with vanilla simple syrup! Using a simple syrup sweetens your drinks without adding grainy sugar which creates a more enjoyable sip. A traditional simple syrup is made with equal parts sugar to water.

Sugar Cookie Coffee Syrup Ingredients

• Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar. We use both brown sugar and white sugar in this delicious syrup recipe to mimic a great cookie recipe! This also adds a nice depth of flavor to you syrup. Both light brown sugar and dark brown sugar work in this recipe. Light brown sugar has a more subtle flavor than dark, due to a lower molasses content, so choose per your preference. 
• Water. Water is a key ingredient for making simple syrup. 
• Vanilla extract, almond extract, and butter extract. These three extracts combine to create the perfect sugar cookie flavor. I know butter extract may seem strange…but it really takes this DIY Starbucks sugar cookie syrup recipe to the next level because one of the main characteristics of a good sugar cookie is a buttery dough. All of these extracts can be found in your grocery store’s baking aisle. 

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

How to Make Sugar Cookie Coffee Syrup (Starbucks Copycat)

Step 1: Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to a medium saucepan. 

Step 2: Top with water and stir.

Step 3: Over medium heat, simmer the sugars and water together, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves and there are no grains visible.

Step 4: Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, almond, and butter extracts.

Step 5: Allow the syrup to cool and then transfer it to a sealable glass container. Once your syrup cools to at least room temperature, store in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Sugar Cookie Syrup Recipe Variations

This recipe is vegetarian as written.  Here are a few ways you can modify this recipe to make it friendly for various dietary restrictions:

• To make this into a dairy-free simple recipe, skip the butter extract. If you do this, you may want to add just a smidge more vanilla extract to your coffee syrup to help amp up the flavor.
• To make this into a vegan simple recipe, replace the brown sugar and white sugar with coconut sugar AND skip the butter extract. Please note that I have not done this myself, but believe it would still be a lovely option if you maintain a vegan diet.
• If you are serving this to someone with a nut allergy, make this nut-free by skipping the almond extract. 

Expert Tips

• Don’t skip the butter extract! To be honest, I was a little skeptical about this ingredient before I began testing this recipe, but it is worth it! The butter extract really makes your cookie syrup taste like the perfect holiday sugar cookie. 
• We didn’t use real butter for this one on purpose. While I love the idea of using regular butter for this recipe, there are a few issues with doing so in a simple syrup recipe. If you use real butter, it will harden when stored in the fridge. This doesn’t make your liquid sweetener very convenient, as you’d have to warm it up every time you want to use it. It’s also common to use simple syrups in cold drinks. If this was made with real butter it would harden in the drink itself, creating an unpleasant drink experience. Butter extract is the way to go for this recipe.

How to Store Sugar Cookie Syrup

Homemade sugar cookie syrup can be stored in an airtight container in your fridge for up to two weeks. I like to use sealable glass bottle when making my own simple syrups. However, you can use a simple glass jar or mason jar too!