How Long Does Brown Sugar Syrup Last? Find Out Now!

Learning how long does brown sugar simple syrup last will help you to possibly consider better storage methods and techniques and help it last longer before you experience any loss of flavor.

Rather than draw out the answer, there is a quick, simple and uncomplicated answer for those that are in a rush: It will last for two weeks to one month depending on how you store it and the storage conditions.

Keep reading for more details, storage tips and a great recipe for making this tasty coffee syrup!

How Long Does Brown Sugar Simple Syrup Last?

A brown sugar simple syrup made with a sugar to water ratio of 1:1 will last for approximately one month when you are making a homemade version.

Starbucks brown sugar syrup or other commercially available brands will last longer, typically 6 months or more without any significant loss of flavor due to the preservatives added during its manufacture.

When you store your homemade syrup I advise that you use a mason jar or glass bottle due to the ease of pouring or getting a teaspoon and due to being airtight.

Also,

store your brown sugar syrup in your fridge, especially if it is homemade to help it stay well and maintain peak flavor for a little longer. It is not an absolute requirement to keep it in your fridge; it is just better that you do. At room temperature, your brown sugar syrup will last a week or two.

Your fridge will help you to get at least twice that, extending the duration by a further 2 weeks.

Read: How many calories in Starbucks apple brown sugar syrup?

Storing Brown Sugar Simple Syrup

You must store your brown sugar simple syrup in an airtight container to help prevent oxidation and help it to last longer. It is not 100% absolutely important that you use a mason jar or a glass container; just an airtight container is a must.

Personally,

I eliminate plastic from my life and encourage others like you to do so if not for the environment, for your health. Plastics contain xeno-estrogens which are foreign estrogens which have negative effects on your health and hormonal balance no matter your gender.

Storing in your fridge as stated is better, it’s all about getting more bang for your bucks or more milk per moo, and making your effort of making it last longer.

Homemade Brown Sugar Syrup For Coffee – How To Make Brown Sugar Simple Syrup

Making your own homemade brown sugar syrup for coffee is easy. Strictly speaking, only two ingredients are needed to make brown sugar syrup, brown sugar and water.

It is an obvious variation on simple syrup, a liquid sweetener made with equal amounts of brown sugar and water.

At Latte Love Brew, we strongly encourage you to use liquid sweeteners rather than solid-based ones as they give your beverage a better and more even distribution of sweetness, and you have no residue at the bottom of your cup of coffee.

Brown sugar syrup has a deeper flavor than white sugar with notes of toffee and caramel. It’s very popular in some Starbucks drinks.

Notably there are many different types of brown sugar, with light brown sugar and dark brown sugar being the two most commonly available types. Turbinado, raw sugar is an option too.

This recipe is made with light brown sugar due to this being the one that matches Starbucks brown sugar the most. Of course, you can experiment with all kinds of sugar.

Read: What does Starbucks brown sugar syrup syrup taste like? 

Simply weigh 150 grams (5 Ounces) of light brown sugar and measure 150 ml (5 fl Oz) of mineral water or filtered water.

Place your two ingredients into a saucepan and stir well until fully dissolved. Get as much of the sugar dissolved into your water before you start to heat it.

Heat on a low to medium heat and use a thermometer to measure temperature. It is important that you don’t take the temperature to more than 140F (60C).

At 60C (140F) your sugar will start to burn, and you will end up with burnt notes in your syrup. I advise heating to 55C (130F) and stirring well while your water is heating up. It is likely that all your sugar will be dissolved by the time it reaches this temperature.

Once the temperature has been reached I take my saucepan off the heat and shock the bottom of the saucepan by dipping it in a basin of cold water to prevent the latent heat from increasing the temperature.

Continue to stir well. Let your solution cool completely before transferring to a mason jar or glass container with an airtight lid for storage.

If you want to fully replicate the brown sugar syrup from Starbucks, add two teaspoons of maple syrup, a dash of sea salt and a cinnamon stick to your ingredients and mix well. Leave your cinnamon stick in your solution while it is cooling down and for 24 hours there after before removing it.

Read: Brown sugar syrup

Simple Syrup Brown Vs White Sugar

Brown sugar syrup and white sugar simple syrup produce different flavors.

Brown sugar will produce caramel notes and toffee-like hints which go very well in many coffee drinks like a latte, macchiato, shaken espresso and flat whites.

Classic syrup, which is made with white sugar, has a very bland one-dimensional flavor.

The difference is the sugar and the molasses, or in the case of white sugar the lack of molasses.

When sugar is highly processed and refined, the molasses are removed, and you end up with white sugar.

Molasses are completely natural and are added back into sugar to make light brown and dark brown sugar. The darker the sugar, the more molasses have been added.

Obviously, the lighter the color, the less has been added and the lighter the flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions About How Long Does Brown Sugar Syrup Last

Can Brown Sugar Syrup Expire?

Technically, syrup doesn’t expire if you store it well and can be kept indefinitely with no negative effects on your health if you use it.

Does Homemade Brown Sugar Syrup Go Bad?

The flavor of homemade syrup, be it homemade brown sugar syrup, stays constant over time and doesn’t particularly go bad. The peak flavor is one month after making it, after which there will be a little loss of flavor. After which the taste will remain constant.

How Can You Tell If Brown Sugar Simple Syrup Is Bad?

Simple syrup should be clear. If it’s cloudy, it has likely gone bad and should be discarded. If you notice a foul odor, the syrup has spoiled and should be tossed.

Does Brown Sugar Syrup Mold?

Normal simple syrup should be clear. If it starts to get cloudy and develops a foul odor, it is time to discard your syrup. This is rare and only occurs with poor storage.

Brown sugar syrup will not go cloudy but may become discolored and develop a foul smell if you fail to store it properly in an airtight container, in which case discard it.

How Do You Preserve Homemade Sugar Syrup?

You can preserve homemade sugar syrup by increasing the amount of sugar in it. Greater amounts of sugar will reduce the availability of water to microorganisms. Increase your sugar content by 50% to preserve it.

Another solution is to use alcohol. Just 20% alcohol will preserve the environment and reserve your homemade sugar syrup.

What Happens If You Use Old Syrup?

The texture and color of your syrup will change slightly but is not harmful to consume. The flavor will be less flavorsome, but not by much, when it was first purchased. It will also become thicker.

Can You Freeze Brown Sugar Syrup?

Yes, brown sugar syrup can be frozen and when made with a sugar and water ratio of 1:1 it will freeze as you expect it to, solid. Syrups of all flavors when made with a sugar to water ratio of 2:1 will not freeze.

Is Brown Sugar Syrup The Same As Molasses?

Brown sugar syrup is made with brown sugar, which is a combination of molasses and granulated sugar. It’s a good quality substitute for molasses and can produce a similar flavor.

Dark brown sugar has a stronger flavor than light brown sugar; both can be used as a substitute but are not the same.

Final Thoughts – How Long Does Brown Sugar Syrup Last?

Now that you know how long does brown sugar syrup last and have some storage tips, and a great recipe, all that is left for you to do is to make it and store it perfectly under optimal conditions.

Join our cool coffee community and share your own storage tips for homemade coffee syrups. Do you have a special technique that makes your syrups keep longer? Tell us all and spill the beans! Find us on Facebook/Meta.

Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location