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Home » Healthy Eats

Homemade Elderberry Cough Drops

02/22/2017 Updated: 05/06/2020 By Karrie 31 Comments

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Homemade Elderberry Cough Drops are immune boosting, all-natural little gems made with just 3 ingredients and in less than 20 minutes!  Try this healthier alternative to the traditional store bought cough drops.

A jar of Elberberry extract with a bowl of Homemade Elderberry Cough Drops

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How to soothe a sore throat with homemade elderberry cough drops

It's been a little rough over here.  I've been sick for the last 2 weeks and that's not ideal when your job is food related.  The last thing I wanted to do was cook or eat anything.

Just when it looked like all hope was lost, I got a big ol' package in the mail of some all-natural, immune boosting, elderberry products.

All credit for this reversal of fortune goes to fellow food blogger and friend, Katie at A Fork's Tale.  She has heard my endless support of local farms, my love for the farm-to-table movement and my holistic approach to wellness. 

So, she was nice enough to refer me to a farm local to her in North Carolina named Norm's Farms who just happens to make elderberry products!

Elderberry cough drops with  a jar of honey and elderberry extract in the background

What is elderberry?

Elderberry are tiny berries that taste like a cross between a blueberry and a cranberry and have major antioxidant power. 

They've been used for centuries as a natural remedy for a wide variety of aliments.   Even skin wounds!

Norm's Farms  is a family-owned sustainable farm in Pittsboro, North Carolina, growing elderberry plants through a bio-dynamic, holistic method of farming.  

At the start of each winter season, I take a daily elderberry supplement to help combat any sickness.

After busting open the big box Norm's Farms sent me, I immediately saw the Natural and Soothing Black Elderberry Wellness Syrup. 

You can take this stuff straight, as-is, and it tastes fantastic!

It's sweet with a slight cinnamon/clove flavor and it totally soothed my sore throat.  How much easier would this be to take every day instead of an elderberry pill?

A variety of Norm's Farms Elderberry products, like jam, preserves, and extract

Also included in my gift box was Norm's Black Elderberry Extract and I decided to make some homemade cough drops with it!

It's the same base as my recipe for Honey Lemon Ginger Cough Drops and found the elderberry melds perfectly with the fresh ginger. 

Use a candy mold, like the one pictured above, to make the cough drops. No mold? That's okay, just use a silicone baking mat.

How to choose the best honey

I always use raw local honey in my recipes.  I always have it in my pantry, so it's the only type I ever use in recipes.

When it comes to honey you have to be careful and do your research before purchasing. 

Many store bought varieties have been ultra filtered, which removes all of the pollen and means it's not really honey anymore.

They also may contain other types of less expensive sugars, like glucose, dextrose, corn syrup, etc. 

Basically it's best to know and trust your source when buying honey and try to buy local whenever you can.

A bowl of homemade Cough Drops

So next time you have a cold and need some relief from a sore throat and cough, make these Homemade Elderberry Cough Drops!

Homemade Elderberry Cough Drops

Homemade Elderberry Cough Drops are immune boosting, all-natural little gems made with just 3 ingredients and in less than 20 minutes!
5 from 13 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 18 minutes
Servings: 30 drops
Calories: 17kcal
Author: Karrie | Tasty Ever After

Ingredients

  • ½ cup local raw honey
  • 2 tablespoons Elderberry Extract (Norm's Farm is preferred)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

For coating drops use: powdered sugar, cornstarch, arrowroot powder, ground cinnamon, etc

    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Using a wooden spoon, mix together honey, elderberry extract, and fresh ginger in a medium sized, deep saucepan with heavy sides and bottom. Heat to boiling over medium-low heat, stirring often to prevent burning.
    • Using a candy thermometer, heat mixture to 300-310F/148-154C degrees, until it reaches the hard crack stage (if no thermometer, test the mixture by dropping some of it in a cold bowl of water and if it harden, it's ready). 
      **Watch the pan closely, as the mixture will foam up the sides of pan.  Take the pan off the heat briefly to allow foam to subside, then place pan back on heat to continue cooking.  May have to turn heat down to low to prevent honey from burning.
    • One mixture reaches the hard crack stage, remove from heat, and allow to cool for a couple for minutes until thickens slightly. 
    • Pour mixture into small candy molds or drop by teaspoons onto parchment paper or a silicon mat. Allow to cool until drops are hard and firm.
    • Once drops are fully cooled, dust with powdered sugar, cornstarch, arrowroot powder, ground cinnamon, etc, to prevent drops from sticking together. Store in a tightly covered container in cool, dry place.

    Recipe Notes & Tips:

    • Use a wooden spoon for stirring the mixture because metal spoons absorb heat.
    • Use a saucepan with heavy sides and bottom, so it will conduct heat evenly.  Also, use a large enough pan that will allow the mixture to expand while boiling and not spill over the sides. 
    • Make the cough drops on a cold, dry day.  Rainy or humid weather will cause the  mixture to be grainy and may not set up properly.
    • To test if mixture has reached correct temperature, drop a little of the mixture in a small bowl of cold water and it should immediately harden and become solid.
    • Once drops are fully cooled, dust with powdered sugar, cornstarch, arrowroot powder, ground cinnamon, etc, to prevent drops from sticking together.
    • Store drops in a tightly covered container in a cool, dry place  for up to 4 weeks.
    • To prevent drops from sticking together during longer storage: wrap the drops individually in pieces of parchment or wax paper.
    Nutrition Facts
    Homemade Elderberry Cough Drops
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 17
    % Daily Value*
    Potassium 5mg0%
    Carbohydrates 4g1%
    Sugar 4g4%
    Vitamin A 5IU0%
    Vitamin C 0.4mg0%
    Calcium 1mg0%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @tastyeverafter or tag #tastyeverafter
    Homemade Elderberry Cough Drops
    Homemade Elderberry Cough Drops

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     ©  Tasty Ever After  All images and content are copyright protected, so please do not copy or claim my work as your own.  Please do not use any images or republish this recipe without prior permission.  If you want to reference this recipe, link directly back to this post.  Thank you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Christina

      July 18, 2021 at 6:28 pm

      Is it possible to use fresh elderberries? I just harvested a bunch from my bush and would love to make these - they sound wonderful. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Karrie

        July 19, 2021 at 11:33 am

        Hi Christina, That's so nice that you have your own elderberry bush! If you want to put the whole elderberries in the cough drop mixture, I'm not sure how it will turn out. You can make a homemade elderberry syrup with the fresh (boil with cinnamon, cloves, and ginger and strain the mixture). Please let me know how it all works out for you and if you have any other questions!

        Reply
    2. Teresa

      October 22, 2020 at 9:49 am

      Can store bought elderberry cough syrup be used to make the cough drops

      Reply
      • Karrie

        October 22, 2020 at 12:01 pm

        Hi Teresa, I'm not sure if cough syrup would work in this recipe. It really depends on the ingredients and thinking they put ingredients in the syrup to keep it fluid, so might not harden correctly. Since cough syrup typically has sweetener in it, the drops could turn out too sweet also. You could try making a very small batch by using the recipe adjuster scale to see if it works. Let me know if you do try it and if it turns out for you!

        Reply
    3. Alice Breneman

      October 16, 2020 at 3:25 am

      Can I make the cough drops with Elderberry powder instead of the extract?? I can't wait to try them 🙂

      Reply
      • Karrie

        October 19, 2020 at 10:23 am

        Hi Alice, I'm not sure the Elderberry powder would work in this recipe as-is, as there needs to be some moisture, but you could make an extract with the powder and then make the cough drops. Please let me know how they turn out for you!

        Reply
    4. Leona

      May 05, 2020 at 2:11 am

      Where can I find the mold to make the cough drops in? Not sure what "size" to purchase. Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Karrie

        May 06, 2020 at 1:23 pm

        Hi Leona, Any type of candy mold will work and any shape or size that you desire. They can be found online or in local home and craft stores. I'll upload a link in the post to a mold I use, so you can see the size and type. Let me know if you have any other questions about the mold or recipe 🙂

        Reply
    5. Tina

      December 29, 2019 at 8:33 pm

      Could I use Maple Syrup instead of honey? For vegan purposes.

      Reply
      • karrie @ Tasty Ever After

        December 30, 2019 at 11:15 pm

        I haven't tried making these with maple syrup instead of honey, so I don't know exactly how they will turn out, Tina, but I did a little research on it. Found that maple syrup can be substituted in making some homemade cough drops, so it's probably worth a shot to see if it works. I'd start with making half a recipe to see how the syrup interacts with the elderberry extract.. Please let me know how it turns out!

        Reply
    6. Rasha Watson

      December 11, 2019 at 12:02 am

      Hello. I would like to try this but I have dry elderberries and the syrup but no extract, can I make them with either of those things?

      Reply
      • Karrie

        December 11, 2019 at 12:20 pm

        Hi Rasha, The syrup should be fine to use as a substitute (using the same amount as called for in the recipe for the extract). The syrup has sugar in it, so it might make the drops a little sweeter. Please let me know how they turn out for you!

        Reply
    7. Vanessa

      September 13, 2019 at 4:07 pm

      Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?

      Reply
      • Karrie

        September 14, 2019 at 3:31 pm

        Thanks Vanessa and they keep up to 4 weeks or in the freezer indefinitely.

        Reply
    8. Suzanne

      September 13, 2019 at 4:07 pm

      this looks so good! What a great item to give out at Christmas time instead of cookies!

      Reply
      • Karrie

        September 14, 2019 at 3:31 pm

        Thanks Suzanne and great idea!

        Reply
    9. Amy

      December 30, 2018 at 6:33 am

      5 stars
      How many lozenges does the recipe make?

      Reply
      • Karrie@tastyeverafter.com

        December 30, 2018 at 10:09 pm

        It makes 30 cough drops, Amy.

        Reply
    10. Ashley Morrison

      December 18, 2018 at 6:07 pm

      Hi There! how long are these good for? Will they keep for a long time in a sealed container?

      Reply
      • Karrie

        December 18, 2018 at 9:04 pm

        Hi Ashley! I always use them up within a few days, but they should keep for as long as you need them. For longer storage, it's best to wrap the drops individually in pieces of parchment or wax paper, so they don't stick together.

        Reply
    11. Lynn C

      December 02, 2018 at 9:32 am

      5 stars
      Just made these today. I use the elderberry syrup on a regular basis but I will be traveling out of the country in a few weeks so I decided to make these for easier travel. My one question, doesn't honey lose some of it's healing properties when boiled? I mixed arrow root powder with ground ginger for the coating. Thank you for sharing this invaluable recipe. Health and happiness to you.

      Reply
      • Karrie

        December 08, 2018 at 8:00 pm

        Thank you for taking the time to comment Lynn and so happy you liked them! Great idea to mix arrowroot powder with ground ginger for the coating. I'll try that next time I make them. Yes, honey does lose some benefits when boiled, but it's still better than granulated sugar.

        Reply
    12. Savannah Baker

      October 22, 2018 at 7:56 am

      5 stars
      Elderberry is my favorite go-to when I'm sick - and I'm excited to hear about Norm's Farms! I typically make my own elderberry syrup, but with us moving cross-country in the next few weeks, that just wasn't possible this year. Anytime I get sick, I'm guaranteed to have a sore throat, so I'm pinning this recipe to remember for later. Thanks for sharing! <3

      Reply
      • karrie @ Tasty Ever After

        October 27, 2018 at 12:24 pm

        Thanks Savannah! I take an elderberry supplement every day at the start of cold season and it's always helped me to not get sick. Love that stuff! Norm's Farms product are great when you don't have time to make your own too. Good luck moving!

        Reply
    13. Taylor

      July 31, 2018 at 11:24 am

      5 stars
      Is it possible they don't harden at all? If so what could of gone wrong?

      Reply
      • Karrie

        July 31, 2018 at 12:38 pm

        Yes Taylor, it is possible for the drops to not harden correctly if the sugar hasn't been heated to the hard crack stage. Cooking sugar to 300F degrees will evaporate all the water and make the sugar harden properly. Were you able to use a candy thermometer and did the mixture reach 300? If no thermometer, then you can test the stage of the mixture by dropping some of it into a bowl of cold water and, if it hardens, it's ready. Hope this information helps!

        Reply
    14. Kourtney

      March 31, 2017 at 5:54 pm

      5 stars
      Hi! These look wonderful!! Are they ok to use for children?

      Reply
      • Karrie@tastyeverafter

        April 03, 2017 at 9:29 am

        Hi Kourtney! Thanks and I would think they would be safe for children, as long as there are no allergies to any of the ingredients.

        Reply
    15. Stephanie | The Foodie and The Fix

      February 27, 2017 at 1:07 pm

      5 stars
      Oh no, I hope you're feeling better, Karrie! These Elderberry products sound fantastic! I've never made homemade cough drops before, but I'm completely inspired (plus these ones sound delicious) Can't wait to check out the Elderberry Ginger Pecan Jam! XO

      Reply
    16. Katie Crenshaw

      February 23, 2017 at 5:20 pm

      5 stars
      I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these cough drops! I need some right now. What a brilliant idea! I am making a batch to get rid of these nagging allergies and scratchy throat.

      Reply
    17. simonacallas

      February 23, 2017 at 12:45 am

      5 stars
      These drops look amazing, they remind me of those beautiful gemstones; and I am sure my daughters would love them. You did a great job here, Karrie, as always ❤❤

      Reply

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