A rich, caramelized banana syrup made with real ripe banana, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Tastes like banana bread in liquid form. Perfect for lattes, cold brew, matcha, iced coffee, and pancakes. Homemade, no extract, no artificial flavor.
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Fine-mesh strainer or sieve
- Bottle or jar
Ingredients
- 2 medium ripe banana black-spotted for best flavor
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 cup water filtered
- 1/4 ground cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Mash the banana roughly in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft, jammy, and caramel-scented.
- Add the water, brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer for 3 minutes until the sugar is fully dissolved and the syrup looks glossy.
- Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and salt. (If using cinnamon stick, add here and steep for 20 minutes as the syrup cools).
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean jar, pressing the banana solids gently. Discard solids and cinnamon stick.
- Leave the lid off until fully cool before sealing. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Use a genuinely ripe banana, the more black spots the more sugar and better caramelization.
Cook the banana before adding water. Adding liquid too early steams rather than caramelizes it.
Don’t boil. A gentle simmer is all you need; boiling thickens it too fast.
Strain while warm, not piping hot because it's easier to handle and gives a cleaner result.
Seal only once fully cool to avoid trapped steam watering down the syrup.