How can I make my own Cinnamon Cola at home?
The simplest way is to make a cinnamon syrup from sugar, water and cinnamon sticks, then add a spoonful to cola or to soda water and cola syrup. A full homemade cola uses kola nuts, caramel, lime and spices and takes several steps plus cooling time. Both give a cinnamon cola without special equipment.
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Cinnamon cola: two ways
You can make a cinnamon cola the easy way, with a cinnamon syrup added to cola, or from scratch with a homemade cola syrup. The first is a general method that works with any cola; the second follows a published recipe.
Easy method: cinnamon syrup and cola
- Simmer equal parts sugar and water (for example 1 cup of each) with 2 cinnamon sticks until the sugar dissolves.
- Take off the heat and let the sticks steep for about 30 minutes. Whole sticks give a cleaner flavor than ground cinnamon.
- Strain, cool and refrigerate. Recipe sites commonly say cinnamon syrup keeps about two weeks in the fridge.
- Pour cold cola over ice and stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of syrup per glass, to taste.
Quantities are a starting point. Because cola is already sweet, you may want less syrup, or you can use a pinch of ground cinnamon instead. Warm syrup can scald, so cool it before tasting.
From scratch: homemade cola with cinnamon
A homemade cola recipe from Tasting Table builds a caramel from about two-thirds cup sugar and a third cup of water with 4 allspice berries and 1 lightly crushed cinnamon stick, cooked to a deep brown and thinned with boiling water. Separately, 2 tablespoons of kola nuts simmer in 1 cup of water for 15 minutes, then lime zest, lime juice, citric acid, vanilla, more sugar and the caramel go in. After another 10 minutes of simmering and cooling, the syrup is strained and kept in the fridge for up to one month. To serve, mix about a quarter cup of syrup with soda water.
Kola nuts can be hard to find, and hot caramel is dangerous, so go carefully. If you skip kola, you get a spiced cola syrup without the traditional bitterness and caffeine.
Tips
- Add the cinnamon syrup only after the cola is cold and poured, so it does not foam up.
- A squeeze of lime balances sweetness.
- Stir gently to keep the bubbles.
Common mistakes
- Using too much ground cinnamon, which turns gritty and bitter.
- Storing syrup for months; keep it cold and use it within a couple of weeks.
People also ask
How do I make cinnamon coke?
Make cinnamon syrup (sugar, water, cinnamon sticks), cool it, and stir 1 to 2 teaspoons into a glass of cold cola.
How long does homemade cinnamon syrup last?
Recipe sites commonly say two weeks to a month in a clean sealed container in the refrigerator; two weeks is the safer choice.
Do I need kola nuts to make cola?
For a traditional homemade cola, yes. For cinnamon cola at home, flavoring ready-made cola with syrup works fine.
Sources
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