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5.0 from 126 votes

Easy brown sugar syrup for milk tea recipe

An easy 2-3 ingredients brown sugar syrup recipe for milk tea and Starbucks drinks that can be made with light brown, dark brown and even WHITE sugar! This recipe helps you save money and is naturally vegan and Gluten-Free. I'll be showing you how to make a flavoured, thinner version for Starbucks drinks and the thicker, caramel-like one to create "tiger stripes"for Taiwanese milk tea!

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Servings: 1 bottle
Calories: 2262 kcal
Course: Dessert , Drinks
Cuisine: Fusion , American , Taiwanese

Ingredients

Brown sugar rich syrup (for bubble tea)
  • 1 Cup brown sugar You can use light brown, dark brown, gula Melaka, jaggery or even mix the types of sugars for a more complex flavor. Substitute: 1 Cup white sugar + 1 Tablespoon of molasses.
  • ½ Cup water
  • ½ tablespoons lime juice optional: to prevent crystallisation. Substitute: lemon juice or 1 teaspoon of corn syrup or honey
Starbucks brown sugar syrup
  • 1 Cup light brown sugar Substitute: 1 Cup white sugar + 1 Tablespoon of molasses.
  • ⅔ Cup maple syrup
  • 10 Tablespoons water This is equal to ½ Cup of water + 2 Tablespoons
  • 1 cinnamon stick Make sure it's true Ceylon cinnamon and not Cassia- Ceylon has thinner "quills"
  • Salt, pinch

Instructions

For thick brown sugar for milk tea.
    Cup of Yum
  1. Add the sugar to the pan and spread it out. Pour the water and lime juice onto the sugar- keep the rest by the side of the pot. Sugar can get very hot so be careful! (Note: DO NOT STIR if you don't want the syrup to crystallise.)
  2. Carefully heat over medium fire- you want to see the sugar melting at this stage and it will be bubbling. Once bubbling, you can reduce the fire to low.
  3. As we are not stirring, we need to pay attention and ensure the sugar doesn't burn- observe the sides of the sugar on the pot. if you see burning, use a damp heat-proof baking brush to brush off the burnt sugar.
  4. Simmer for up to 5 minutes- if not, your sauce will be too thin for the "tiger stripes". (You can simmer for a shorter period of time if you are happy with the sauce's consistency. Don't simmer for any longer than 5 minutes or your sauce will be too thick to use- don't forget, it will continue thickening as it cools.)
  5. Switch off the fire, allow to cool, then store in an airtight container. The syrup should be as thick as molasses now. (Sterilise the jar if you want to extend the shelf life of the syrup.)
  6. The syrup should last 2-3 weeks in the fridge but make sure there's no mold/ weird smells before using.
Starbucks brown sugar syrup
  1. Add all the ingredients to a small pot and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, till the sugar dissolves.
  2. Allow the syrup to cool then transfer everything (including the cinnamon stick) to an airtight glass bottle. (Sterilise if you want the syrup to last for longer.)
  3. Refrigerate- remove the cinnamon stick after 24hours. The syrup should last 1-2 weeks in the fridge but make sure there's no mold/ weird smells before using.

Notes

  • Always handle the sugar syrup very carefully as sugar gets VERY hot and can cause an awful burn.
  • For brown sugar simple syrup: reduce the sugar: water ratio to 1:1.
  • How to thicken the syrup: Either add more sugar or increase the cooking time. You can also try refrigerating it.
  • Nutritional info: note this is an estimate only and it is for BOTH the Starbucks brown syrup and the milk tea brown sugar syrup.

Nutrition Information

Calories 2262kcal (113%) Carbohydrates 580g (193%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 0.1g (0%) Saturated Fat 0.01g (0%) Monounsaturated Fat 0.01g Sodium 156mg (7%) Potassium 1092mg (31%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 556g (1112%) Vitamin A 14IU (0%) Vitamin C 2mg (2%) Calcium 643mg (64%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1bottle

Amount Per Serving

Calories 2262

% Daily Value*

Calories 2262kcal 113%
Carbohydrates 580g 193%
Protein 1g 2%
Fat 0.1g 0%
Saturated Fat 0.01g 0%
Monounsaturated Fat 0.01g 0%
Sodium 156mg 7%
Potassium 1092mg 23%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 556g 1112%
Vitamin A 14IU 0%
Vitamin C 2mg 2%
Calcium 643mg 64%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.