Calling all coffee lovers! Ever wondered how much coffee syrup to use in your cup of coffee or which flavored simple syrups are good? Whether it’s hot coffee, iced coffee, or espresso, I’ve got answers!

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Sweetening your coffee drink with a flavored syrup is a great choice! Not only do you get the sweetness, but you can also customize the flavor in an infinite amount of ways.
How Much Syrup to put in Coffee
Coffee Beverage | Amount of Syrup |
Per Single Shot of Espresso | 2 Pumps of Syrup (equal to 1 tbsp) |
Per 8 Ounces of Coffee | 3 Pumps of Syrup (equal to 1 ½ tbsp) |
Important Note: How much flavored syrups or coffee syrup to use in your coffee will be determined by your personal preference. I tend not to prefer an overly sweet cup of coffee, just sweetened enough to hide that bitter bite. When visiting coffee shops, I always ask how many pumps there are in their drinks. Usually, I ask for 1 or 2 pumps less than what they typically add.
If you enjoy the super sweet drinks from the local coffee shop, or even ask for extra pumps, you will probably prefer more pumps in your coffee beverages.
On the flip side of that, if you do not have a major sweet tooth, you will probably think the above recommendations call for way too much syrup. It is always a good idea to start small with the amount of syrup, and taste as you go!
Additional note on the Measurements: I have these syrup pumps from Amazon. This is where I took my measurement from and determined the tablespoons of syrup per pump. I assume most coffee syrup pumps are all similar but they could be slightly different.

How to use Flavored Simple Syrup in Coffee
Using coffee syrup in your coffee is super easy and can add so much excitement when using flavored syrups! First, add your syrup of choice into your cup or mug. Add your coffee on top of the syrup and stir to incorporate. Then add your cream or milk of choice!
I would recommend using a plain cream or milk rather than a pre-sweetened coffee creamer. The pre-sweetened creamers from the store are loaded with sugar and would probably overload your coffee drink with too much sweetness if combined with a syrup.
Amount of Syrup in Hot Coffee vs. Iced Coffee
After many cups of “research” coffee, I have determined that you should use the same amount of syrup in a hot coffee compared to an iced coffee. I have never found that the temperature of the beverage changes the bitterness or sweetness preference for the drink.
The beauty of a simple syrup is that it dissolves in liquid no matter if it is hot or cold! If you were to use granulated sugar in a cold liquid, it would take longer to dissolve than it would in a hot liquid. Simple syrups dissolved instantly and combine super easily no matter the temperature!
Do the Different Flavors of Syrup Matter?
There are so many different flavors of syrup to choose from! When using flavored syrups in your coffee like caramel syrup, vanilla syrup, chocolate syrup, etc., they will all have a similar sweetness level per ounce of coffee syrup. The only thing that changes is the flavor!

How Do You Make Simple Syrup?
Simple syrup is exactly as it sounds… simple! A simple syrup is made up of equal parts sugar and water. That is it! It truly is that simple.
Once you start playing around with the different flavors of syrup, that’s where you can really get into some fun!
Why Should I Make Homemade Simple Syrup?
Let’s be honest, running to the grocery store to snag a few bottles of flavored syrup is super quick and convenient. But if we are also honest about the ingredients that are often in those store bought syrups… My personal preference is to avoid them and make my own. Plus, with how quick and easy simple syrup comes together (and with ingredients I always keep on hand), it’s really a no-brainer to make it at home!
However, if you don’t have the time or desire to make your own, I highly recommend the flavors of Torani Syrup brand. They have so many different flavors and they are all delicious! Monin Syrup is another great brand. Both brands are available on Amazon and linked below.
The Best Way to Make an Iced Vanilla Latte at Home
The vanilla latte was actually the first coffee drink I ever had. It was obviously love at first sip! Vanilla is such a simple and classic flavor, and the creaminess of the latte just completely stole my heart! Okay, that seems super dramatic… but, I know you coffee lovers out there know what I’m talking about!
My favorite way to make an iced vanilla latte at home is as follows:
- Brew a double shot of espresso over two ice cubes.
- Add 4 pumps of vanilla syrup (equal to 2 tablespoons of vanilla syrup)
- Stir vigorously until the ice cubes are almost completely melted
- Cold froth 1 ¼ cups of fresh raw milk
- Pour the milk over top the (now cold) shot of espresso, then add the foam
- Drop in 2-3 additional ice cubes
- Savor every sip!
Alternative to Coffee Syrup (Simple Syrup)
One of my favorite ways to flavor my coffee drink is with pure maple syrup! Pure maple syrup is an all natural sweetener and it is super sweet! Because of this, when using real maps syrup, I use less than the recommended simple syrup amounts. I use about half the amount of real maple syrup compared to simple syrup.
If you think about it, simple syrup is one part sugar to one part water. The sugar is literally being watered down to create the syrup consistency. To me, this makes perfect sense as to why I would need less of the pure maple syrup to sweeten my cup of coffee.
Pros and Cons of Flavored Simple Syrups
Cons of Coffee Syrup
Let’s get the negatives out the way first! The biggest con of flavored syrups is obviously the sugar content. It is basically pure sugar. This is why I highly suggest starting with small amounts of syrup and tasting until you reach the sweetness level you prefer. Hopefully this is the least possible amount of sugar you need to add in order to enjoy your cup of coffee.
Another con, if you are using store bought coffee syrup, is that there are additional additives that are not great for your health. Sometimes there are preservatives, food dyes, or “natural and artificial flavors” (we all know that just means a bunch of secret chemicals they don’t want to disclose). Overall, not the best for our health and should definitely be enjoyed in moderation.
Pros of Coffee Syrup
On to the positives! Contrary to the previous paragraph, a homemade syrup will contain a much more simple and clean ingredient list than store bought. You have complete control over what goes into your coffee syrup and can eliminate all those weird additives that no one wants.
Secondly, you can customize your coffee flavor to literally anything. If you can think it up, you can make it! There truly are endless possibilities and you are not limited to the few flavors on the shelf at the grocery store. Making your own coffee syrup is a great way to get creative at the coffee bar and have fun experimenting with flavored syrups!
Also, if you are making it homemade, you will likely always have the ingredients on hand (as long as you keep sugar in your pantry) and therefore, can whip up a delicious simple syrup in hardly any time at all without having to make a trip to the store!
Lastly, another store bought item that is pretty terrible for your health, is coffee creamer. If you can replace a store bought creamer with fresh milk and a homemade syrup, you are on the fast track to turning your health around… lol okay that is super dramatic. Personally, once I started making things from scratch, I caught the bug for figuring out how to swap store bought things for homemade ones. I quite literally have turned my entire life in a new direction just by starting with a few simple swaps like creamer for homemade syrup and fresh milk!
Ingredients for Making Flavored Simple Syrups
1 cup Sugar (I prefer cane sugar, but white sugar works as well)
1 cup Water
1-2 tsp Flavored Extract of your Choice

Instructions for Making Flavored Simple Syrups
First, add your sugar and water to a pot on the stove over medium heat.
Stir the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Once dissolved, bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and immediately add Flavored Extract of Choice.
Let the mixture cool to room temperature before moving to storage.
Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 weeks or in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. (Shelf life will be determined by the temperature and humidity of your home. In the summer months, when our house is consistently above 72 degrees Fahrenheit, my syrup begins to grow mold after the third week on the counter. In the winter months, when our house is consistently lower than 65 degrees Fahrenheit, it will last on the counter more than a month. For best results, store in the refrigerator.)

What is your Favorite Coffee Syrup Flavor?
Let me know in the comments below what your favorite syrup flavor is. Are you using any crazy or interesting combinations of flavors? I am always looking to try new flavor combos!
Do you have any ideas for a coffee syrup flavor, but aren’t sure how you would make it? Let me know in the comments! I would love to be challenged to come up with some delicious syrup recipes to share with other coffee lovers!
I also adore this caramel coffee syrup recipe.. I make it frequently!
Interested in other recipes? Check out my page on Homemade Meals!
I hope you enjoyed this peek into Life at Metzger Acres!
Shop my Favorite Coffee Syrups and Accessories on Amazon
Jordan’s Skinny Syrups (Sugar free)

Flavored Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup Water
- 1 cup Sugar (granulated)
- 1-2 tsp Extract Flavor of your Choice
Instructions
- Add your sugar and water to a pot on the stove over medium heat.
- Stir the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Once dissolved, bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and immediately add Flavored Extract of Choice.
- Let the mixture cool to room temperature before moving to storage.
- Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 weeks or in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
Notes

These are great simple syrups! And you can use them for so much more than coffee.. I drink herbal tea instead abd this would be delicious in my roasted dandelion tea! Thank you!!!
Oh, I love syrups in my coffee but always cringe at the price of them when I’m in the store. I will definitely be making some syrups of my own now for my morning coffee!