Caramelly, toasty, and rich, Demerara Syrup is the simplest way to level up your cocktail arsenal. Made with just 2 ingredients in about 5 minutes, this delightfully dark simple syrup will add delicious toffee-flavored goodness to everything it touches!
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What is Demerara Sugar?
Named for the Dutch (and then British) colony where it was first produced in what is now considered Guyana in South America, demerara sugar is one among many “raw” sugars like turbinado, jaggery, and piloncillo.
Made from sugarcane, demerara is a light amber color with a medium-coarse grain and flavor profile that evokes notes of molasses, caramel, and toffee. It is often used as a garnishing sugar to add crunch to muffin tops and cookies, but can also be simmered down into demerara simple syrup for making cocktails and mocktails.
Traditionally, demerara sugar is made by cutting sugarcane into pieces, extracting its juices, simmering the juice down into a dark syrup that is basically unrefined molasses, then crystallizing the syrup by adding “seed crystals.”
The syrup and crystals are then separated in a centrifuge, washed to remove all but a predetermined amount of the molasses, and then filtered through screens to ensure that each grain is between 0.3 - 0.5mm.
Since demerara sugar is minimally processed (it is only crystallized once, as opposed to granulated sugar or brown sugar which is crystallized twice), it retains more trace nutrients like calcium, magnesium, iron, and several of the B-vitamins.
That said, while many would prefer to think of demerara as a “healthy” sugar, it’s still sugar. Calorically speaking, it is the same as white sugar. It also has roughly the same glycemic index as regular sugar, which means it affects blood sugar levels in the same way.
About This Recipe
Made with just 2 ingredients — demerara sugar and water — this deliciously rich simple syrup is a snap to make. Simply simmer equal amounts of the two ingredients by volume until the sugar dissolves and voila! You’ll have a rich demerara syrup that’ll add tons of flavor to cocktails (like my Pear Brandy Sour or Rye & Cynar Cocktail), mocktails, and desserts.
It’s an essential ingredient in many old-school tiki cocktails (it pairs especially beautifully with rum), though demerara syrup can also be used as a more flavorful substitute for regular simple syrup in any number of recipes like an old-fashioned with a caramel hint!
Aside from being fast and easy to whip up, this rich demerara syrup can also be flavored in various ways by adding dried herbs or spices. Try jazzing things up by adding a vanilla bean, whole cloves, bark cinnamon, star anise, or whole cardamom pods.
Ingredients & Substitutions
As promised, you only need two ingredients to make this demerara syrup recipe and take your cocktails to the next level with delicious caramel notes. Here’s your shopping list:
- Demerara Sugar - Substitutes include turbinado sugar, muscovado sugar, jaggery, or piloncillo. You can also swap in regular brown sugar, though it won’t have the same level of complexity as some of the less refined sugars.
- Water - If possible, I suggest using filtered water for the best flavor.
Equipment
This demerara syrup recipe is easy and doesn’t require much equipment. Here’s what I suggest you grab:
- Heavy-Bottomed Small Saucepan - Heavy-bottomed cookware distributes heat more evenly, which helps to prevent scorching.
- Squeeze Bottle & Funnel - While this is technically not essential for making demerara syrup, it is by far the best way to store it in the fridge and/or use in cocktail recipes. Once the syrup cools enough to handle, use the funnel to add it to the squeeze bottle and store for up to 2-4 weeks in the refrigerator.
How To Make Demerara Syrup
Making simple syrup of any kind is an easy endeavor, including when you use demerara sugar. Let's get started!
Step 1: Pour your measured water and raw sugar into a saucepan and heat on medium
Step 2: Cook, stirring the mixture until your larger sugar crystals has completely dissolved.
Step 3: Cool. Remove from heat and let cool. Pour into a clean bottle and refrigerate for up to 2-4 weeks.
CONTINUE IF INFUSING —
Step 4: Add desired infusion ingredients and continue heating for 30 seconds before removing from heat.
Step 5: Steep. Allow syrup to infuse for half an hour as the simple syrup cools completely and comes to room temperature. Strain syrup into an airtight container and store it in the fridge.
Optional Variations
As with any type of simple syrup, there are boatloads of ways to add flavor. Here are some of my favorite demerara syrup variations:
- Vanilla Bean
- Clove
- Ginger
- Star Anise
- Cardamom
For even more ideas, check out my simple syrup recipe post on 15+ Simple Syrup Infusions to Master!
Expert Tips
- Store in a squeeze bottle. It makes it easy to squirt out just the right amount into a cocktail jigger or over top of your favorite cake layers.
- Add vodka to extend the shelf life. Adding about ½ shot of vodka to the cooled demerara syrup will help to make it last longer.
Demerara Syrup Cocktails
Head on over to my Pear Brandy Sour recipe or Rye & Cynar Cocktail post made with demerara syrup to give your syrup a try!
Frequently Asked Questions
While both are considered “raw” sugars because they have only been crystallized once, demerara sugar has a more potent caramel-toffee flavor than turbinado. That said, they are good substitutes for one another, as they both have a light amber hue and a nice crunchy consistency.
Brown sugar is more processed than demerara sugar, with an extra crystallization step. Brown sugar is granulated white sugar that has molasses added back to it. Brown sugar is also much finer than coarse demerara sugar.
If you want to use brown sugar to make this syrup recipe, I suggest opting for dark brown sugar because it has a more pronounced molasses flavor. That said, it won’t have the same level of complexity as demerara.
I’d suggest using turbinado, muscovado, or dark brown sugar to make a rich toffee-flavored simple syrup. You can also swap in regular simple syrup, though the flavor of the final result will be less nuanced than if you used demerara syrup.
Craft Cocktails and Beverages to Try
More DIY Recipes
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Demerara Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 g) Water
- 1 cup (200 g) Demerara Sugar
Instructions
- Pour your measured water and demerara sugar into a saucepan and heat on medium1 cup Water, 1 cup Demerara Sugar
- Cook, stirring the mixture until your sugar has completely dissolved.
- Remove from heat and let cool.
- Pour syrup into an airtight container and store in the fridge.
Notes
- Store in a squeeze bottle. It makes it easy to squirt out just the right amount into a cocktail jigger or over top of your favorite cake layers.
- Add vodka to extend the shelf life. Adding about ½ shot of vodka to the cooled demerara syrup will help to make it last longer.
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