Honey and lemon cough syrup takes about 10 minutes to make, requires only a few pantry ingredients, and performs surprisingly well against coughs. In clinical comparisons, honey worked as effectively as the active ingredient in most over-the-counter cough suppressants for reducing nighttime cough in children, with no significant difference between the two. Here’s how to make it at home and get the most out of it.
The Basic Recipe
This recipe comes from the National Honey Board and makes roughly 1.5 cups of syrup.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup honey
- 1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh-squeezed works best)
- Zest of one lemon
- A thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, sliced
- 1 cup water
Steps:
- Combine the lemon zest, sliced ginger, and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes.
- Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a heat-proof measuring cup. Discard the solids.
- Rinse the saucepan, pour in 1 cup of honey, and warm it on low heat. Do not let it boil, as high heat breaks down the beneficial compounds in honey.
- Add the strained ginger-lemon water and the lemon juice. Stir until everything combines into a thick syrup.
- Pour into a clean glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.
If you want the simplest possible version, you can skip the ginger and zest entirely. Just warm the honey on low heat, stir in the lemon juice, and bottle it. You’ll lose some of the soothing effect from ginger, but the core combination still works.
Why This Combination Works
Honey is classified by the World Health Organization as a demulcent, meaning it physically coats and soothes irritated tissue in the throat and upper airway. When you swallow something sweet and viscous like honey, your body reflexively produces more saliva and airway mucus. That thin protective layer calms the nerve endings in your throat that trigger the cough reflex. There’s also evidence that the sweetness itself interacts with sensory nerve fibers through the central nervous system to dampen the urge to cough.
Lemon brings vitamin C, which your immune cells burn through rapidly when you’re fighting an infection. A 2016 study found that adequate vitamin C intake can shorten the duration of common colds and upper respiratory infections. Lemon juice also adds acidity that helps cut through the thick sweetness of honey, making the syrup easier to swallow. The vitamin C and antioxidants in lemon may further help by reducing inflammation in the throat.
Optional Add-Ins
Ginger is the most common addition and is already built into the recipe above. It adds warmth that feels soothing on a raw throat, and ginger has its own mild anti-inflammatory properties. Fresh ginger works better than powdered here because you’re simmering it to extract flavor.
Cinnamon is another popular choice. Adding one teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the syrup gives it a warming quality and has a long history of use in folk cough remedies. You can stir it directly into the warm honey before adding the lemon mixture. Some people also add a pinch of cayenne pepper, which temporarily increases blood flow to the throat, or a splash of apple cider vinegar for extra acidity.
How Much to Take
For adults, one to two tablespoons every few hours is a reasonable dose. You can take it straight off the spoon or stir it into warm water or tea. Avoid adding it to boiling liquid, which can degrade the honey’s active compounds.
For children between 1 and 5 years old, start with half a teaspoon to one teaspoon at a time. Kids aged 6 to 12 can take one to two teaspoons. Limit doses to no more than six times in a 24-hour period, spacing them a few hours apart.
Never give honey to a baby under 12 months old. Honey can contain spores of the bacteria that causes botulism, and an infant’s digestive system isn’t mature enough to handle them safely. The CDC is explicit on this point: no honey in any form for children younger than one year, including in food, water, formula, or on a pacifier.
Storage and Shelf Life
Refrigerate your homemade syrup in a sealed glass jar. The high sugar content of honey acts as a natural preservative, and the acidity from the lemon juice helps prevent bacterial growth. Stored in the fridge, the syrup keeps well for two to three months. If you notice any off smells, visible mold, or cloudiness, discard it and make a fresh batch.
You can also make a larger quantity and freeze portions in ice cube trays. Pop out a cube, let it thaw, and you have a ready dose without having to prepare a new batch each time you’re sick.
When Home Remedies Aren’t Enough
Honey and lemon syrup is a reasonable first step for a dry, irritating cough that comes with a common cold. But some coughs signal something more serious. Watch for thick greenish-yellow phlegm, wheezing, fever, shortness of breath, or a cough that lingers beyond a few weeks. Coughing up blood or pink-tinged mucus, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or chest pain all warrant immediate medical attention.