Honey Onion Syrup

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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.

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.

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

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

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