A buttery, vanilla-sweet syrup that tastes like a sugar cookie, for hot and iced lattes.
A Note From My Kitchen
Sugar cookie lattes are everywhere once the holidays start, and I wanted a syrup I could make with what I already had at home. Most of the recipes I found used butter extract, which I never have in the pantry, so I worked out how to get that buttery cookie flavor from real butter instead.
Almond extract is strong, so taste the syrup once it’s in a drink before adding more. A little makes it taste like a frosted sugar cookie, but too much and it’ll overpower everything. I ended up going with ¼ teaspoon, but you can adjust it to your taste.
What Is Sugar Cookie Syrup?
Sugar cookie syrup is a sweet coffee syrup that tastes like a classic sugar cookie: buttery, vanilla-sweet, with a hint of almond. It’s what flavors a sugar cookie latte.
Most versions use butter extract for the buttery flavor. This one uses browned butter and toasted milk powder instead, so you can make it with everyday ingredients.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It tastes like a real sugar cookie. Brown butter, vanilla and a little almond give it that buttery, bakery-cookie flavor.
- It’s quick. Everything happens in one small pan in about 10 minutes.
- It works hot or iced. Stir it into a hot latte or pour it over ice.
- It’s a small batch. One jar makes about ⅔ cup (160ml), so it’s easy to use up while it’s fresh.
What Does It Taste Like?
It tastes like a buttery sugar cookie: sweet and vanilla-forward, with a toasty, brown butter note from the milk powder and a soft almond flavor in the background.
In coffee and milk, the sweetness softens and the butter and vanilla come through, so the latte tastes like a sugar cookie dunked in coffee.
Ingredient Notes
The exact measurements are in the recipe card further down the page.
Unsalted Butter
Butter gives the syrup its buttery, cookie-like flavor. Unsalted butter lets you control the salt, and the pinch of salt in the recipe brings out the sweetness.
Milk Powder
Milk powder is the key ingredient here. Butter only has a small amount of milk solids, which are the part that browns. Adding milk powder gives it more to toast, so you get a deep brown butter flavor from just a tablespoon of butter.
Granulated and Light Brown Sugar
Granulated sugar keeps the syrup sweet and light, like a sugar cookie. A little light brown sugar adds a gentle caramel note.
Vanilla and Almond Extract
Vanilla gives the syrup its main sugar cookie flavor. Almond extract is what makes it taste like a bakery-style sugar cookie. Both go in after the pan comes off the heat to keep the flavor strong.
Equipment You’ll Need
You’ll need a small saucepan, a spatula or spoon for stirring, and a clean jar with a lid for storing the syrup.
How to Make Sugar Cookie Syrup
The full ingredient quantities and timings are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
1. Brown the Butter and Milk Powder
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the milk powder and keep cooking, stirring constantly, for a few minutes until the butter and milk powder turn golden brown and smell toasty.
Watch it closely, as it goes from golden to burnt quickly. As soon as it’s golden, take the pan off the heat and let it cool for a minute or two. Light-colored pans make it easier to see the color change.
2. Add the Sugars and Water
Add the granulated sugar, light brown sugar and salt, then carefully pour in the hot water. Letting the butter cool first means it won’t spit as much, but it may still sizzle a little. Put the pan back over medium-low heat and cook for a few more minutes, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and everything is smooth and combined.
3. Add the Extracts and Store
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and almond extract. Pour the syrup into a clean jar and let it cool before sealing it and storing it in the fridge.
How to Use Sugar Cookie Syrup
Use it in any hot or iced coffee or latte, the same way you’d use a café syrup. Add a little, taste, and add more if you’d like it sweeter.
For iced drinks, warm the syrup first or lift off the butter layer (see Make Ahead and Storage below), so no bits of cold butter end up in your drink.
For my favorite way to use it, try my iced sugar cookie latte.
Tips for the Best Sugar Cookie Syrup
- Keep stirring while it browns. Milk powder sinks to the bottom of the pan and catches quickly, so keep it moving.
- Let the browned butter cool slightly before adding the water. The pan stays hot enough to keep toasting the milk solids at first, but A minute or two off the heat will help stop the browning and means the water will spit less when you add it to the pan.
- Add the extracts off the heat. Their flavor is strongest when they go in at the end.
Make Ahead and Storage
Store the syrup in a clean jar with a lid in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Because it’s made with real butter, the butter firms up in the fridge and forms a layer on top. You can deal with it in one of two ways:
- Warm it before using. Stand the jar in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes, then stir until the butter melts back in and the syrup is smooth again. This keeps all the buttery flavor.
- Lift the butter layer off. Once the syrup has chilled and the butter has set, lift the layer off with a spoon and discard it. The browned milk powder stays in the syrup, so it still tastes like brown butter, just a little less rich. You won’t need to warm it again after this.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Make Sugar Cookie Syrup Without Butter Extract?
Yes, that’s what this recipe does. Browning real butter with milk powder gives the syrup its buttery, baked-cookie flavor, so you don’t need any extract.
Can I Use Salted Butter?
Yes. Leave out the pinch of salt if you do.
Does Sugar Cookie Syrup Need to Be Refrigerated?
Yes. It’s made with butter and milk powder, so keep it in the fridge and use it within 2 weeks.
More Café-Style Recipes
For more homemade coffee syrups, try my gingerbread syrup, cookie butter syrup or banana bread syrup.
And if you’d like a dessert-inspired iced coffee, my iced gingerbread latte and iced cookie butter latte are both topped with a sweet cold foam.
Sugar Cookie Syrup
A homemade sugar cookie syrup for coffee, made with browned butter, toasted milk powder, vanilla and a hint of almond. No butter extract needed, and it works in hot and iced lattes.
- 2 minprep
- 8 mincook
- total
- about ⅔ cup (160ml)servings
ingredients
8 ingredients- 15g unsalted butter (1 tbsp)
- 1 tsp milk powder
- 70g granulated sugar (¼ cup + 1 tbsp)
- 30g light brown sugar (2 tbsp + 1 tsp, packed)
- Pinch of salt
- 125ml hot water (½ cup)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract, or to taste
method
7 steps- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Stir in the milk powder and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until the butter and milk powder are golden brown and smell toasty.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for a minute or two.
- Add the granulated sugar, light brown sugar and salt, then carefully pour in the hot water.
- Return the pan to medium-low heat and cook for a few more minutes, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup is smooth and combined.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and almond extract.
- Pour into a clean jar and let it cool, then seal the jar and store it in the fridge.
notes
- Watch the butter and milk powder closely as they brown. They go from golden to burnt quickly, so take the pan off the heat as soon as they turn golden.
- Almond extract is strong. Start with ¼ tsp and add more to taste once you've tried the syrup in a drink.
- If using salted butter, leave out the pinch of salt.
- Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- The butter firms up into a layer on top in the fridge. Stand the jar in hot water for a few minutes and stir until smooth before using in a drink, or lift the set butter layer off and discard it.
tools
3 tools- Small saucepan
- Spatula or spoon
- Jar with a lid
comments
Questions, tips, and kind notes are welcome.