Kitchen Divas

  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Work With Us
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Work With Us
  • Subscribe
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Contact
    • Work With Us
    • Subscribe
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Sauces, Marinades, and Butters

    Honey Onion Syrup

    Published: Apr 8, 2024 · Modified: May 11, 2025 by Karin and Ken · This post may contain affiliate links. Leave a Comment

    Share
    Pin48
    Post
    Email
    Share
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    This homemade Honey Onion Syrup is a natural cough syrup recipe that will help you feel better as you fight off your sickness. Honey is great for soothing your throat and calming a cough so it is the key ingredient in this remedy.

    Honey onion syrup in jars on a wicker placemat with onions and more jars in the background.

    Even if you don’t have children, it’s safe to say that around winter and early spring, colds and other illnesses run rampant. It’s hard to feel better when you’re constantly being exposed to germs. When I’m just starting to cough from a cold, I like to whip up a batch of honey and onion cough syrup.

    The honey is great at helping calm a cough because it helps cut the production of mucus. It coats the throat and can offer temporary relief. Onions and garlic are great for your immune system so when you put all of the ingredients together, you have a sweet honey onion garlic syrup that can aid you in feeling better.

    Keep in mind, that while this homemade cough syrup can be helpful, it is important to know when to visit your doctor! This post is not meant as medical advice. Also, do not give this to children without checking with your doctor first as honey may be harmful to infants.

    There are all sorts of syrup recipes that you can make in your home kitchen. Some other great ones include Spicy Maple Syrup and Butter Pecan Syrup.

    Why You’ll Love This Honey Onion Cough Syrup Recipe

    • Tastes great: despite the onion and garlic-infused flavors, this syrup tastes so good!
    • Only 3 ingredients: This is a cheap and easy honey and onion syrup recipe that only needs, onions, garlic, and honey!
    • All-natural: This honey and onion syrup has natural benefits for a cough without medicine.

    Ingredients

    Here are the three ingredients needed to make this recipe for onion and honey syrup for a cough.

    Ingredients to make honey and onion syrup on the table.
    • Onions: I roughly slice the onion for this onion and honey cough syrup recipe. It’s much easier to strain and the onions don’t overcook. Yellow or white onions provide a nice balance of sweetness and mildness when combined with honey for a soothing cough remedy. Red onions may be too strongly flavored.
    • Garlic: Slicing the garlic cloves instead of mincing makes them easier to strain from the onion honey syrup and also ensures that you get enough of the oils and flavor infused into the honey.
    • Honey: I use raw unfiltered organic honey. Regular honey is usually more processed than raw honey which at times can remove some of its nutrients and antioxidants. 

    See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.

    Variations

    • Lemon and ginger: The combo of lemon and ginger is classic and fits well with this honey and onion syrup. They are both great for digestive health.
    • Cinnamon: Add a few dashes of cinnamon for its anti-inflammatory properties. 
    • Sage and Thyme: Fresh herbs like sage and thyme are great additions because of antioxidants and cough relief. 

    How to Make Honey Onion Cough Syrup

    Onions and garlic sliced on a cutting board.

    Step 1: Prep onions and garlic. Peel and slice the onions and garlic. 

    Onions, honey, and garlic in a saucepan ready to cook.

    Step 2: Add ingredients to a pot. Add onions, garlic, and honey to a small saucepan. Stir until well-coated. 

    Honey and onion syrup after cooking.

    Step 3: Cook. Over low heat, cook for 1 hour while stirring every 20 minutes. The onions and garlic should be soft.

    Straining the onions and garlic from the honey.

    Step 4: Strain. Run the honey syrup with through a fine mesh strainer to remove the garlic and onion.

    Step 5: Cool and store. Allow the honey cough syrup to cool completely. Place it in a jar with an airtight lid.

    Honey and onion mixture in a jar with some of the onions on a spoon to the side.

    ⭐️ Hint: Add a couple more sliced garlic cloves if you want a touch more garlic flavor.

    If you love this recipe, you will also enjoy these Honey Glazed Onions.

    A spoon lifting out some of the onions from a jar of honey and onion cough syrup.

    Tips

    • Take every 2 hours. For best results, take 1 teaspoon of this onion honey cough syrup every 2 hours as needed.
    • Skip the garlic. This recipe can be made with only onions and honey if you prefer.
    • Storing: Store this honey onion syrup in the refrigerator. When strained, this will last up to 3 months. If the onions and garlic or added on top, it will last 1 week.
    • Ratio of onion and garlic. Stick with the golden ratio of even cups of onions and honey.
    • White or yellow onions. It's best to use yellow or white onions which have a milder flavor compared to red onions. When made with red onions the flavor can be a bit overpowering. Yellow or white onions provide a nice balance of sweetness and mildness when combined with honey for a soothing cough remedy.

    Recipe FAQs

    How long does onion and honey syrup last?

    This syrup recipe lasts 1 week in the refrigerator with the onions and garlic on top or 3 months in the refrigerator if they are strained out.

    What are the health benefits of onion?

    There are so many health benefits! Onions are naturally high in vitamin C, contain antibacterial properties, and are good for the digestive system, to name a few.

    What are the health benefits of garlic?

    Garlic is great for your immune system while helping lower blood pressure AND cholesterol.

    What are the health benefits of honey?

    Not only can honey be used as a cough suppressant, but it’s also full of antioxidants that help with inflammation. I love honey for a cough!

    A wooden spoon drizzling some of the onion honey back into the jar.

    Video

    YouTube video

    More Delicious Honey Recipes

    Do you like making recipes with honey? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.

    • A bun cut in half covered in Pecan Honey Butter or Maple flavored.
      Pecan Honey Butter or Maple
    • Honey mustard dip with a pretzel being dipped.
      Healthy Honey Mustard Dip
    • A jar of honey hot sauce on the table with a utensil in front and a white and yellow napkin in the back.
      Honey Hot Sauce
    • Smoked Carrots with Honey Glaze

    Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.

    A jar of honey onion syrup on the table with a spoon in the jar and a teal napkin to the side.

    Honey Onion Syrup

    Karin and Ken
    This homemade Honey Onion Syrup is a natural cough syrup recipe that will help you feel better as you fight off your sickness
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr
    Cooling Time 25 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
    Course Sauce
    Cuisine American
    Servings 140
    Calories 23 kcal

    Equipment

    • cutting board
    • Sharp knife
    • saucepan
    • mason jar
    • fine mesh strainer

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 small yellow or white onions about 3 cups
    • 1 clove garlic
    • 3 cups raw unfiltered organic honey
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions
     

    • Prepare the onions and garlic. Onions should be peeled, sliced and cut in half. Garlic should be thinly sliced.
    • In a small saucepan, combine the onions, garlic and honey and stir until well coated.
    • Cook on low temperature for 1 hour, or until onion and garlic are softened and fragrant. Stir every 20 minutes.
    • Use a fine mesh strainer to remove onion and garlic from honey and transfer into air tight jars.
    • Allow to cool to room temperature before placing an air tight lid on top.

    Video

    Notes

    • Take every 2 hours. For best results, take 1 teaspoon of this onion honey cough syrup every 2 hours as needed.
    • Skip the garlic. This recipe can be made with only onions and honey if you prefer.
    • Storing: Store this honey onion syrup in the refrigerator. When strained, this will last up to 3 months. If the onions and garlic or added on top, it will last 1 week.
    • Ratio of onion and garlic. Stick with the golden ratio of even cups of onions and honey.
    • White or yellow onions. It's best to use yellow or white onions which have a milder flavor compared to red onions. When made with red onions the flavor can be a bit overpowering. Yellow or white onions provide a nice balance of sweetness and mildness when combined with honey for a soothing cough remedy.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 23kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 0.04gFat: 0.002gSaturated Fat: 0.001gSodium: 0.4mgPotassium: 6mgFiber: 0.04gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 0.03IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 1mgIron: 0.03mg
    Keyword Honey and Onion Cough Syrup, honey onion syrup
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Share
    Pin48
    Post
    Email
    Share

    More Sauces, Marinades, and Butters

    • Rhubarb simple syrup in a jar with a spoon scooping some out.
      Rhubarb Simple Syrup
    • A bowl of ravioli topped with butternut squash ravioli sauce.
      Butternut Squash Ravioli Sauce
    • Lemon pepper sauce in a jar next to chicken wings on a plate.
      Lemon Pepper Sauce (for Wings and Chicken)
    • A bowl of pasta covered in cottage cheese alfredo sauce.
      Cottage Cheese Alfredo Sauce

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating





    Welcome!

    We are the kitchen divas: Karin and my partner in life, Ken.

    We have been attached at the heart and hip since the first day we met, and we love to create new dishes to keep things interesting. Variety is definitely the spice of life!

    More about us

    Most Popular July 4th Recipes!

    • A slice of red, white, and blue cheesecake on a stack of white plates.
      Red, White, and Blue Cheesecake
    • 4th of July candy chocolate bark leaned up against other chocolate bark.
      4th of July Chocolate Bark
    • A bowl of cheesecake fruit salad with a wooden spoon.
      Cheesecake Fruit Salad
    • A slice of red white and blue cake being held up by a metal spatula.
      Red, White, and Blue Cake

    More Red, White and Blue Desserts ➡️

    Summer Favorites

    • A slice of strawberry charlotte cake on a plate topped with fresh strawberries.
      Strawberry Charlotte
    • A slice of Oreo delight on a white plate garnished with an Oreo cookie.
      No-Bake Oreo Delight
    • A slice of Funfetti ice cream cake on a blue plate.
      Funfetti Ice Cream Cake for Birthdays & More
    • A stack of three frozen s'mores bars on top of each other.
      Frozen S’mores

    More Sweet Treats ➡️

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign up for emails and what's new!

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work With Us

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Kitchen Divas All Rights Reserved