How to Make Homemade Cough Drops

Making your own homemade cough drops is not always a money saver compared to buying a big box store’s generic version of some brand name cough drops.

But there are plenty of other reasons you might want to do it: to make use of herbs you grow yourself, to avoid the “what the heck is that” ingredients found in most commercial ones, to get a flavor you can’t find in stores, or just for fun.

Designing Your Own Cough Drop Recipes

Making cough drops is like making hard candy. You need water, sugar and or honey, plus any herbal ingredients or colors or flavors you want to add, and you cook them into a syrup, and then let them cool and harden into little drops.

Essential Ingredients

To make your own cough drops at home, you’ll need to gather a few key ingredients.

Sweetener

The primary ingredient in cough drops is a sweetener, which helps create the desired texture and flavor.

Honey – Honey is a natural antimicrobial and soothing agent that can help coat and calm an irritated throat. It’s a great base for cough drops.
Maple Syrup – Pure maple syrup adds a rich, sweet flavor and provides natural antioxidants.
Corn Syrup – While not as healthy as the previous options, corn syrup helps give cough drops their signature chewy texture.
Sugar – Regular granulated sugar is another common sweetener used in cough drop recipes.

Acid

Adding a small amount of an acidic ingredient, such as lemon juice or citric acid, helps balance the sweetness and provide a tart flavor. It can also be soothing on the throat.

Herbal Extracts and Essential Oils

For added therapeutic benefits, you can incorporate various herbal extracts and essential oils into your cough drops, such as:

Peppermint: Derived from peppermint, menthol has a cooling, soothing effect that can temporarily relieve cough and throat irritation.
Ginger: natural anti-inflammatory properties that can help soothe a sore throat.
Eucalyptus: The refreshing aroma of eucalyptus oil can help open up airways and provide decongestant-like relief.
Thyme: contains thymol, a compound with antimicrobial and expectorant properties that can help loosen mucus.
Horehound: helps break up congestion.
Mullein: good for “chesty” coughs. Helps loosen the congestion.
Eucalyptus: expectorant and infection preventer
Marshmallow: soothing, reduces inflammation, has a nice flavor
Licorice: ditto marshmallow, except it also has a cough-suppressing effect, and is not recommended for people with high blood pressure
Slippery Elm: my personal favorite. Coats and soothes irritated membranes. Excellent for dry coughs.
Elecampane: expectorant and cough suppressor
Coltsfoot: a natural expectorant.
Echinacea: boosts the immune system for coughs that are cold or flu related.

Binding Agent

To help the cough drops hold their shape, you can add a binding agent such as gelatin or agar agar. This isn’t necessary if you prefer to leave it out.

Anti-Sticking Agent

A small amount of an anti-sticking agent, like cornstarch or powdered sugar, will prevent the cough drops from sticking together. You dust it on after they’ve cooled.

Here’s a basic lemon and honey cough drop recipe that shows you how it all comes together.

Now that you see the basic ingredients and process to making them, let’s look at some other recipes, and then we’ll talk about what kind of ingredients you might want to add.

Elderberry Cough Drops

It’s easy to make your own Elderberry Cough Drops at home. They are honey based with no artificial ingredients. They have a unique and wonderful flavor, they will definitely soothe your throat, and some studies indicate elderberry can help your body fights colds.

Super Simple Honey and Herb Recipe

These cough drops from Frugal Farm Wife are made of honey and herbs and… well, water. Seriously, that’s about it. And for the herbs, she chose things you’re likely to already have in the kitchen.

I like that approach because most of us don’t live near a shop that sells specialty herbs in bulk. You don’t even need to buy a candy mold because you can just drop them on parchment paper and let them cool.

Honey Lemon Cough Drops with Ginger

ThankYourBody has a recipe for cough drops I’d eat as candy. It’s honey, lemon, and ginger root, and you can optionally dust it with some sugar if you like.

Horehound

Homemaking Homesteader has a great recipe for horehound cough drops. Now, if you like her process but not the flavor of horehound, you can change out the herbs.

Customizing Your Cough Drops

One of the best things about making your own cough drops is the ability to customize them to your specific needs and preferences. Here are some ideas for how you can personalize your homemade cough drops:

Flavor Variations

As mentioned earlier, the flavor possibilities for homemade cough drops are endless. Here are some tasty flavor combinations to try:

Honey Lemon – Combine honey and lemon juice for a classic cough drop flavor.
Ginger Peach – Add fresh grated ginger and a touch of peach puree or extract.
Peppermint Mocha – Infuse the cough drop mixture with peppermint and cocoa powder.
Citrus Burst – Use a blend of orange, lemon, and lime juices and zests.
Herbal Medley – Incorporate a mix of herbal extracts like thyme, eucalyptus, and sage.

Therapeutic Additions

To enhance the soothing and healing properties of your cough drops, you can add various herbs, spices, and essential oils, such as:

Menthol – For a cooling, decongestant-like effect
Ginger – To help reduce inflammation and soothe a sore throat
Turmeric – For its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits
Elderberry – To support immune function
Echinacea – To help fight off cold and flu symptoms

Texture Variations

The texture of your cough drops can also be customized. For a softer, chewier consistency, you can use more sweetener and less binding agent. For a harder, sucking-style cough drop, use less sweetener and more binding agent.

Dietary Restrictions

If you have any dietary restrictions, you can easily change the recipe to accommodate them. For example, you can make vegan cough drops by using maple syrup or agave instead of honey, and agar agar instead of gelatin.

If you need to avoid even natural sugars, erythritol or stevia will work instead.

Tips for Storing and Using

Storage

Store the cough drops in an airtight container at room temperature, away from direct sunlight or heat sources. They should keep for 2-3 weeks this way.
If you used perishable ingredients like fresh fruit or dairy, store the cough drops in the refrigerator and consume them within 1 week.
Avoid storing the cough drops in the freezer, as this can cause them to become hard and brittle.

Usage

Suck on the cough drop slowly, allowing it to gradually dissolve in your mouth to maximize the soothing and therapeutic benefits.
For a persistent cough, try taking a cough drop every 2-3 hours as needed.
If you have a sore throat, let the cough drop sit on the back of your tongue to coat and soothe the irritated area.
Avoid chewing or biting down on the cough drops, as this can cause them to break apart.
Monitor any potential allergic reactions, especially if you’ve used herbs or essential oils, and discontinue use if any irritation occurs.