Almond syrup is one of the most versatile sweeteners you can keep next to your coffee kit, and learning how to make almond syrup at home takes only about twenty minutes of hands-on time. To make it, you simmer a 1:1 sugar-and-water syrup, steep it with toasted almonds (or stir in a few drops of almond extract for a shortcut), add a splash of orange-flower water for the classic French version, then strain it into a clean bottle. The result is a sweet, nutty, subtly floral syrup you stir into a latte, iced coffee, cold brew or steamed milk.
This is a syrup, not almond milk: it is a sweet concentrate you add by the spoonful, not a dairy alternative you pour by the cup. If you want the wider family of coffee sweeteners, our guide to coffee syrups lays out how they all work; here we focus on getting one great bottle of almond syrup.
What almond syrup is (and why it is called orgeat)
Almond syrup's traditional name is orgeat (often said "or-zhat"), a French and Mediterranean almond syrup that has flavoured drinks for centuries. Classic orgeat is built from almonds, sugar and a whisper of orange-flower water, which gives it that unmistakable floral edge. It became famous in tiki cocktails and in the almond sodas and coffees of southern Europe, but it is just as at home stirred into a morning cup.
At its simplest, almond syrup is a flavoured simple syrup — sugar and water — carrying almond flavour. How you get that flavour in is the big fork in the road, and it is worth understanding before you start.
Real steeped almonds vs the extract shortcut
There are two honest ways to make almond syrup. A real steeped-almond syrup gets its flavour from toasting almonds and letting them infuse the hot syrup; it tastes rounder, toastier and more natural, and it is what true orgeat is. A quick extract version skips the nuts and leans on a few drops of almond extract, which is faster but reads sweeter and more one-note. Both are valid — pick based on your time and what you have on hand. If you enjoy the idea of a steeped nut syrup, the same method carries straight over to our hazelnut syrup.
How to make almond syrup, step by step
Here is the full method for how to make almond syrup the classic way, with the extract shortcut noted where it fits. This almond syrup recipe — really an orgeat syrup recipe once you add the orange-flower water — makes roughly one small bottle.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Granulated sugar | 1 cup (about 200 g) | Sweetness and body — the syrup base |
| Water | 1 cup (about 240 ml) | Dissolves the sugar into a pourable syrup |
| Blanched almonds, toasted | 3/4 cup (about 100 g) | The real, natural almond flavour |
| Almond extract (shortcut option) | 1/4 to 1/2 tsp | Fast almond flavour if you skip the nuts |
| Orange-flower water (optional) | 1/2 tsp | The floral note that makes it true orgeat |
| Fine salt (optional) | Small pinch | Rounds the sweetness and lifts the flavour |
Method
- Toast and chop the almonds. Warm the blanched almonds in a dry pan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden, then roughly chop them. Toasting is what gives a homemade orgeat its deep, nutty character.
- Make the syrup base. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring, until the sugar fully dissolves. You do not need a hard boil — a steady simmer is plenty.
- Add the almonds. Tip the chopped toasted almonds into the syrup and simmer gently for 5-10 minutes so the flavour starts to draw out.
- Steep off the heat. Take the pan off the heat and let the almonds steep in the warm syrup for about 30 minutes; longer, up to an hour, gives a stronger flavour.
- Strain. Pour the syrup through a fine sieve, or a sieve lined with a clean cloth, to catch every bit of nut. Press gently to release the last of the syrup.
- Finish and flavour. Stir in the orange-flower water and the pinch of salt while the syrup is still warm. Taste, and add a few extra drops of orange-flower water if you want it more floral.
- Cool and bottle. Let it cool completely, then pour into a clean, sealable bottle or jar.
Extract shortcut: to skip the nuts entirely, make just the sugar-and-water base, take it off the heat, and stir in 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract plus the orange-flower water. Start with less extract and taste as you go — it is potent, and a little carries a long way. That gives you an almond syrup recipe you can finish in under ten minutes.
Getting the texture right: a 1:1 sugar-to-water ratio gives a light, pourable syrup that mixes easily into cold drinks. If you prefer something thicker and more clingy, closer to a coffee-shop syrup, use a 2:1 sugar-to-water ratio and simmer a minute or two longer. Either way, resist the urge to boil hard, which can push the syrup toward caramel and mute the delicate almond and floral notes you worked to build.
How to use your almond syrup
Almond syrup shines anywhere you want a sweet, nutty, faintly floral note. A few favourites:
- Almond latte: stir 1-2 teaspoons into a shot of espresso before adding steamed milk. For the full build, see our guide to making a latte at home.
- Iced coffee and cold brew: it dissolves instantly because it is already liquid, so there is no grainy undissolved sugar at the bottom of the glass.
- Steamed milk: a spoonful turns plain steamed milk into a warming, nutty nightcap.
- Sodas and spritzers: orgeat with sparkling water and a squeeze of citrus is a classic non-alcoholic refresher.
Start with about a teaspoon per cup and adjust to taste — homemade syrup is usually less aggressively sweet than store-bought, so trust your own palate.
How to store almond syrup
Keep almond syrup in a clean, sealed bottle in the refrigerator and use it within about two weeks. Because a steeped-almond version carries real nut solids and no preservatives, it will not keep as long as a plain sugar syrup. Pour from the bottle rather than dipping a used spoon into it, which keeps the syrup clean for longer. If it ever smells off, looks cloudy or shows any sign of mould, discard it — when in doubt, throw it out.
A word on the tree-nut allergen
This part matters: almond syrup contains almonds, which are a tree nut. It is not suitable for anyone with a nut allergy, and even the extract-based shortcut is usually made from almond, so treat both versions as containing nuts. If you are serving it to guests, say so plainly. Beyond the allergen, the care points are simple food-safety ones: make it in a clean pan, bottle it in a clean container, keep it refrigerated, and throw it out if it smells or looks wrong. Responses to any food vary from person to person, and this is general guidance, not medical advice.
With one bottle of homemade orgeat in the fridge, you have a nutty, floral upgrade ready for almost any coffee. Once you are comfortable with the method, branch out — the same steep-and-strain approach opens up a whole shelf of syrups you can call your own.