Cardamom syrup is a unique and fragrant way to enhance the flavors of your favorite dishes. Made with just 3 ingredients, this recipe is quick, easy, and virtually all hands-off! Add it to iced lattes, masala chai, baked goods, and even your morning oatmeal.
What is cardamom syrup?
Cardamom syrup is a type of spiced simple syrup. It’s similar to lavender simple syrup, which is used in my refreshing lavender iced coffee.
Unlike the soft, floral notes of lavender, cardamom carries a strong, sweet, and pungent taste with hints of lemon and mint. This is one simple syrup flavor you probably won’t be able to find in most stores.
It’s delicious in both sweet and savory dishes, from iced coffee and bubble tea to oatmeal and pancakes. If you yourself don’t enjoy cardamom, bottle some to give to your friends and family this holiday season! There is nothing more special than freshly made cardamom syrup.
Is cardamom simple syrup vegan?
While the ingredients for cardamom simple syrup may seem vegan on the surface, white sugar is almost never inherently vegan. To make sugar white, it’s typically processed through bone char, which is made from the bones of cattle.
There’s an easy fix for this though! Usually, organic white sugar is vegan. Alternatively, purchase a brand, like Happy Belly, that puts a vegan label on their packages.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Water: For the best flavor, use filtered water.
- Sugar: Use cane sugar or regular granulated sugar. As I mentioned, try to use organic sugar or white sugar with a vegan label on it whenever possible.
- Cardamom seeds: Infuses the simple syrup with warming, herbal, and citrusy notes. Make sure you purchase fresh and aromatic green cardamom pods. Avoid powdered cardamom as it will not strain out properly at the end.
Instructions
- Step 1: Roughly grind the cardamom seeds using a mortar and pestle. This will release their oils, infusing the simple syrup better.
- Step 2: Heat the water in a saucepan over medium-high for a couple of minutes. Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and add the cardamom seeds.
- Step 3: Let the seeds simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes, which will infuse their flavor. Lastly, add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, turn off the heat and let the cardamom syrup cool down and steep for an hour.
- Step 4: Use a metal sieve to strain the syrup into a mason jar or an airtight container for storage.
How to use cardamom syrup
Once your cardamom syrup has steeped and cooled, it’s ready to be added to your favorite recipes! Try it in coffee and tea beverages like hot or cold lattes like: matcha chai latte, oat milk chai latte, jasmine milk tea, Turkish coffee, herbal tea, or as a way to sweeten masala chai.
Add a splash to homemade sodas, lemonades, or cocktails like a spiced pomegranate martini. For an extra burst of flavor, use it in baked goods like cookies, cakes, muffins, and cupcakes. Try out my rose cardamom vegan tres leches cake for a sweet indulgence. You may also enjoy adding some to baked pears or apple recipes.
Try adding a touch of cardamom syrup to homemade vegan whipped cream, which makes a perfect chai hot chocolate garnish. The options are only limited by what you can think of!
Storage
Since simple syrup is so long-lasting, think about making a double or triple batch, then follow these storage tips:
- Room temperature: You can keep simple syrup at room temperature for up to a week, but it’s best to refrigerate it as soon as possible.
- Fridge: Transfer to an airtight glass container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Plastic works, but glass always has the edge when it comes to preserving flavor.
- Freezer: Once the steeping is done, you can transfer cardamom simple syrup to a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.
- Thaw: Thaw cardamom syrup in the fridge overnight, or until it is no longer frozen.
Variations
- Change the sugar: Instead of regular granulated sugar, use turbinado sugar, demerara sugar, coconut sugar, or muscovado sugar for a more complex, richer taste.
- Different flavors: Pair the cardamom with other aromatics like cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, star anise, peppercorns, lemon or orange peels, vanilla pods, or sliced ginger.
- Extra sweet: For an extra sweet version, use a ratio of 2:1 sugar to water.
Top tips
- Don’t let it boil: You just need to heat the simple syrup until all the sugar crystals melt. Boiling the sugar can lead to bitter and burnt flavors.
- Don’t stir too much: Try not to stir the mixture too much as it can cause the formation of sugar crystals.
- Use fresh cardamom: For the best results, make sure your cardamom pods are fresh and fragrant.
FAQ
Cardamom is considered “possibly unsafe” when taken by mouth during pregnancy. There is a potential concern for a miscarriage. However, there isn’t enough reliable information to determine if cardamom is safe during breastfeeding. I would stay on the safe side and avoid it unless you’ve talked to your doctor.
To make simple syrup more shelf stable, you can increase the amount of sugar from 1:1 to 2:1. Alternatively, try adding a neutral-flavored spirit.
Similar Recipes
If you enjoyed this cardamom syrup recipe, make sure you take a peek at some more of my favorite flavor enhancers like these:
- Lavender simple syrup: Simple syrup infused with sweet, aromatic, and floral flavors.
- Vietnamese plum soda: Made with simple syrup, pickled plums, and fresh herbs.
- Tamarind chutney: A sweet, tangy, and delicately spiced sauce.
- Lemongrass paste: A sweet, sour, spicy, and salty way to flavor Asian cooking.
Cardamom Syrup
DESCRIPTION
INGREDIENTS
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 tablespoon cardamom seeds
METHOD
- Roughly grind cardamom seeds using a mortar and pestle.
- Heat water in a saucepan over high-medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Once it starts to boil, then reduce the heat to low. Add cardamom seeds and let them them simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.
- Add sugar and stir till it dissolves. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, then turn off the heat and let it cool down and steep for an hour.
- Use a metal sieve to strain the syrup into a mason jar or an air tight jar.
NOTES
- Don’t let it boil: You just need to heat the simple syrup until all the sugar crystals melt. Boiling the sugar can lead to bitter and burnt flavors.
- Don’t stir too much: Try not to stir the mixture too much as it can cause the formation of sugar crystals.
- Use fresh cardamom: For the best results, make sure your cardamom pods are fresh and fragrant.
Fran says
Cardamom syrup is one of my favorite additions to coffee and tea. It’s difficult and expensive to find locally so I’m anxious to make my own. You mention purchasing fresh cardamom pods and then in the step-by-step recipe mention “roughly grind cardamom seeds…” Are we removing the seeds from the pods prior to grinding? And if so, is there an easy way to do that?
Thank you,
Puja Verma says
Same! This is, also, my all time favorite way to spice up my tea.
Yes, the seeds need to be removed from pods before grinding. If you place the whole pods in a mortar and use a pestle to crush the pods, then the seeds will break through. You can then discard the shells and then properly grind the seeds that remain in the motar. Keep in mind that the recipe measures 2 tablespoons of cardamom seeds, not cardamom pods.
To skip the extra step, you can purchase just the seeds without the pod from amazon or some grocery stores. The link is in on the blog post.