Don’t buy store cough drops, make your own! These all-natural homemade Honey Lemon Ginger Cough Drops have only 3 ingredients and take less than 30 minutes to make.
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This Honey Lemon Ginger Cough Drops recipe post comes to you courtesy of The Flu of 2015, Part Deux.
Yes, this morning, I woke up like this. With a fever, sore throat, post nasal drip, and body aches, AGAIN!
I haven’t been sick in over 12 years and now this Winter season, actually just this month of January, I’ve been sick twice! Oh the joy.
An all-natural throat drops recipe
Juno, The Blizzard of 2015, was in full blown competition today with my newfound flu. On a positive note, I had a darn good excuse for not going away today.
On a not-so-positive note, I needed some throat and cough drops to soothe my throat. Google to the rescue!!
The Internet proceeded to find me a wonderful natural cough drop recipe to make at home from the website Thank Your Body.
This was my first time visiting this website and I loved all the recipes and tips for all-natural alternatives to everything imaginable (food, hair stuff, skin stuff, etc).
I’m really glad I found this site and will no doubt be visiting it again soon.
Since this was my first time making cough drops, I didn’t make any changes to the original recipe at all.
Next time I make them (which may be soon, like in a couple of days), I might add some orange juice or black cherry juice concentrate, in addition to the fresh lemon juice.
I was also thinking of stirring into the mixture, after it’s fully cooked, some lemon or orange zest and more of the fresh grated ginger.
We’ll see how those changes go and I’ll update this recipe if it’s a success.
Cooking tips:
Making homemade cough drops is just like making candy, but you have to be careful not to burn the mixture.
- All the water needs to be cooked out of the mixture, so let it come to a boil.
- Once it foams up the sides of the pan, remove from the heat briefly to allow the foam to subside.
- Place the pan back on the heat to boil again while constantly stirring, so the mixture doesn’t burn.
- Repeat until the temperature of mixture reaches 300F/149C degrees
I used a regular teaspoon to drop circles of the mixture onto a silicon baking mat and set it aside to cool for about 30 minutes.
Or use a candy mold, like the one below, to form the cough drops.
Pretty little jewels of honey drops. They look like they have flecks of gold in them! I didn’t want to dust them with the powdered sugar because they are so pretty.
Like this cough drop recipe? How about trying my Elderberry Cough Drops too!
Next time you are feeling a little under the weather, make these easy homemade Honey Lemon Ginger Cough Drops. So much better than buying the store pre-made ones.
Honey Lemon Ginger Cough Drops
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger (finely grated on a microplane or use the small holes on a hand grater)
For coating drops use: powdered sugar, cornstarch, arrowroot powder, ground cinnamon, etc
Instructions
- Using a wooden spoon, mix together honey, lemon juice, 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 hardens, 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 a 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.
- Can use a food grade essential oil instead of fresh lemon juice. Add a few drops of the essential oil at the end of cooking, after the mixture cools.
- 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 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.
- Original recipe by Erica Hale at www.thankyourbody.com
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Do they freeze well?
Karrie says
Hi Vanessa, yes they do freeze well! Just place in a freezer proof container or bag for up to 3 months.
Suzanne says
This looks so good! Does it work with different flavorings?
Karrie says
Yes, you can use different flavorings Suzanne!
Deb says
Hey mine turned out to be chewy and they’re not hardening. Any tips on how to rectify this? Do I need to cook it for a longer time?
Karrie says
It sounds like all the moisture wasn’t cooked out, Deb. Heat the mixture up again and test it by dropping some of it in a cold bowl of water. If it hardens, it’s ready. If not, continuing cooking and stirring the mixture over medium-low heat for a few minutes, then test it in the water again.
Jessica says
I love the recipe but cannot get it right. I finally can get the hard crack stage but it always burns. Any tips?
karrie @ Tasty Ever After says
Thanks Jessica! Do you think you might be cooking it at too high of a heat setting or not stirring it enough? Try cooking it over low heat, instead of medium-low heat, while stirring. Please let me know if that works for you!
Kimberly says
I don’t use a cant thermometer. Maybe that is the problem. Get a bowl you would eat cereal from add a cup of very cold water and ice. Don’t take your eyes off that bubbling pot. When it feels just a little thicker, pT about half teaspoon drop into cold ice water. Now is it holding shape? If so get your parchment paper or candy mold ready. I dusted mine with powdered sugar & cinnamon. I also added lemon zest to my recipe. Hope this helps you. I can’t make anything using a thermometer 🌡.
Karrie says
Thanks for the great tips Kimberly!
Khola says
Hi.. I have tried this recipe.. And it turn out perfect.
Karrie says
Thanks for your review Khola!
Amanda says
Hi can you replace the lemon with anything else? I cant have anything acidic.
Thanks
Karrie says
Hi Amanda, Yes, you can use a food grade mint flavored essential oil to make a mint honey cough drop. Add a few drops at the end, as the mixture is cooling.
Goldie Jain says
Hey there.. Mine are still chewy even after trying to freeze them. I’m assuming they should go hard as candy? You think I could reheat them incase they are undercooked? I don’t want to waste the whole batch..
karrie @ Tasty Ever After says
Hi Goldie, They shouldn’t be chewy, but freezing them might harden them up a little. You can try to reheat them over low heat, but it’s difficult to do without burning them. Please let me know if the freezer worked.
Amena says
Would the heating of the honey to such a high temperature not kill all its benefits?
karrie @ Tasty Ever After says
Yes Amena, heating honey does kill some of its benefits, but it’s still better to use than refined sugar.
Viola says
I made these today and ate some. My first time making candy. No thermometer. Turned out great!
Karrie says
That’s so awesome to hear Viola! So appreciative of you taking the time to leave a review too.
Sylie says
I am anxious to try this recipe since I have a terrible sore throat from allergy coughing. My big question is: Where does the fresh grated ginger go? there is no mention of straining it out and it doesn’t appear to still be in the drops in your pictures. Fresh grated ginger would leave “shreds” wouldn’t it? or do they cook down and dissolve? Maybe I am confusing fresh grated with ground? I think ground would leave sediment though, I’m just confused lol
Also, when I get the ginger thing figured out, I plan to dust mine with either straight up slippery elm powder or mix cinnamon and slippery elm. Slippery Elm powder is amazing for sore throats due to it’s mucousy texture, it coats and soothes.
karrie @ Tasty Ever After says
Hi Sylie, Hope these help you with your sore throat 🙂 Grate the fresh ginger on a microplane or use the fine holes on a hand grater. It will come out finely grated and will dissolve in the mixture. I’ve had people use ground ginger in this with good results and it doesn’t leave any sort of a sediment. The slippery elm powder sounds like a great idea! I’ve never used it before, but will try it and update the recipe.
marg aldridge says
i hav just made these they turnrd out great , i put them on bakeing paper that i oiled slightly. i am going to try pouring it all out cooling till i can handle them pulling in to a rope then cut with scissors,
Karrie says
That’s fantastic Marg and thanks for the review! Please let me know how it works pulling it into a rope and cutting it with scissors. Thinking it might harden up on you too quickly, but if it works for you, I’d like to try it myself!
Brenda says
Getting ready to make a batch of these for little Christmas presents. I really do want to use essential oils, but if I add it at the end during the cool-down period, wouldn’t that keep it sticky and from hardening, or am I overthinking it? Other than that, great recipe!
Karrie says
Thank you Brenda and yes, you can add the food-grade essential oils directly to the mixture once it cools down slightly. I’ve had quite a few people do it this way and it didn’t keep it from hardening. Please let me know how they turn out and hope everyone enjoys them! Merry Christmas!
Michelle says
My cough drops are still sticky and I’ve read your responses to several comments above regarding high humidity or not reaching 300. Do you think if I put them in the freezer they’ll harden to the desired level?
karrie @ Tasty Ever After says
Yes Michelle, you can definitely put the drops in the freezer to firm up, but they still may not harden completely if undercooked.
durgawati says
These were so easy to make and lemon ginger are great remedies for cough. Thanks for posting this recipe!
Karrie says
You are welcome and glad you liked it!
Katherine Judkins says
Are these supposed to be sweet? Mine turned out very bitter. Could I possibly have burnt the honey even though I kept it on low/medium heat and stirred it constantly?
karrie @ Tasty Ever After says
Yes, they are supposed to be sweet Katherine. It is possible to still scorch the honey if it cooks too fast while trying to reach the 300F degree mark. Do your stovetop elements run at a higher temp? I have a gas stove and it runs hot, so I always have to cook mine on the lowest setting possible to avoid burning.
Carol says
Definitely will be making these, but I am curious why they would only be good for up to 4 weeks. Hard candy is usually good for a long time. If they were kept in the freezer they should be okay indefinitely, do you think?
Karrie says
Thanks Carol and yes, they should last indefinitely in the freezer.
Colista says
Could these be stored in the freezer to use in the future? Like if I needed some for later?
karrie @ Tasty Ever After says
Yes they can, but you may want to individually wrap them in pieces of parchment or wax paper so they don’t stick together.
Bahaa says
How much propolis can I add to this mixture? Thank you
Karrie says
Hello! I’ve never added propolis to this recipe, so unsure how of how the mixture would respond to it. Plus, I’m not sure how it reacts to being heated. I have propolis at home, but usually just take it by the spoonful at room temperature.
Kim Mitchell says
What about using Ginger and lemon essential oils instead of lemon juice and such?
Karrie says
Hi Kim, essential oils are more concentrated, so unsure of the amount to add to this recipe and what it would taste like.