Coffee-shop syrup
Hazelnut Syrup
Toasted hazelnuts steeped in simple syrup. Nutty, toasty and made from real nuts.
- 1 hr 22 min total
- 1½ cups350 ml
- Keeps 2 weeks
Quick answer
Hazelnut syrup is simple syrup infused with toasted hazelnuts. Toast and skin 1 cup hazelnuts, simmer them in 1 cup sugar and 1¼ cups water for 5 minutes, steep for an hour, strain, and use 2 tbsp per 12 oz latte.
Toasting is what makes this work: raw hazelnuts taste green and beany, while toasted ones give the warm, praline-like flavor you expect from a hazelnut latte.
Real-nut syrup is softer and more natural-tasting than bottled versions, which rely on flavorings. If you want that bolder café punch, a few drops of hazelnut extract get you there.
Tastestoasted nutpralinebrown sugar
The recipe
Hazelnut Syrup
Ingredients for 1½ cups350 ml
You’ll need: small saucepan, kitchen scale, fine-mesh strainer, nut-milk bag, pump bottle, espresso machinesmall saucepan, kitchen scale, fine-mesh strainer, nut-milk bag, pump bottle, espresso machine
Method
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Toast the nuts
Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast at 175°C/350°F for 10–12 minutes, until the skins crack and the centers are golden. (Or toast in a dry skillet over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, shaking often.)
1 cup140 g raw hazelnuts
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Skin and chop
Tip the hot nuts into a clean kitchen towel and rub vigorously to remove most of the papery skins, which taste bitter. Chop coarsely.
-
Simmer
Combine the nuts, both sugars, water and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
¾ cup150 g granulated sugar4 tbsp50 g light brown sugar, packed1¼ cups300 ml water
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Steep
Remove from the heat, cover and steep for 1 hour. For a stronger syrup, refrigerate overnight with the nuts in.
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Strain and bottle
Strain through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or a nut milk bag, pressing lightly on the nuts. Stir in the vanilla, bottle and refrigerate.
½ tsp½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Storage. Keeps about 2 weeks sealed in the fridge. Nut oils can turn stale or rancid after that. Discard if it smells off, looks cloudy or shows mold. Label the bottle for anyone with a nut allergy.
Per 1 tbsp (15 ml): about 33 kcal, 8.5 g sugar (estimate).
How to use it
Hazelnut latte
2 tbsp (30 ml) per 12 oz latte: stir into 2 shots of espresso, add steamed milk.
Iced hazelnut shaken espresso
Shake 1½ tbsp (22 ml) with 2 shots (60 ml) espresso and ice; top with 4 oz (120 ml) oat milk.
Hazelnut mocha
1 tbsp (15 ml) hazelnut syrup plus 1 tbsp chocolate syrup per 12 oz mocha.
Cold brew
1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) per 12 oz glass with a splash of cream.
Hazelnut Espresso Martini
¼ oz (7 ml) with 1½ oz (45 ml) vodka, 1 oz (30 ml) fresh espresso and ½ oz (15 ml) coffee liqueur. Shake hard, strain.
Gear for this recipe
Glass Coffee Syrup Dispensers with Pumps (16.9 oz, set of 2)
A pump gives the same dose every press, so every latte tastes the same. Glass washes clean between flavors.
Best for Home coffee bars
Zulay Kitchen Handheld Milk Frother
Best for Lattes and cold foam on a budget
Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine
Best for Real espresso lattes at home
Takeya Deluxe Cold Brew Coffee Maker (1 qt)
Best for Iced coffee all week
More gear for this recipe (4)
Escali Primo Digital Kitchen Scale (11 lb)
Best for Exact ratios, every batch
Cuisinart Fine Mesh Stainless Strainers (set of 3)
Best for Every infused or fruit syrup
Ellie's Best Pro Quality Nut Milk Bag (12 x 12 in)
Best for Orgeat and pulpy fruit syrups
Cuisinart Chef's Classic 1.5 qt Stainless Saucepan with Lid
Best for Every stovetop syrup
Tips for the best batch
- Chop the nuts coarsely, not finely. Hazelnut 'flour' clouds the syrup and is hard to strain.
- Don't worry about every bit of skin. Getting most of it off is enough to avoid bitterness.
- For a bolder, coffee-shop flavor, add ¼ tsp hazelnut extract after straining.
- Save the strained nuts: spread them on a tray and bake at 160°C/325°F for 10 minutes for candied hazelnuts to top oatmeal or ice cream.
Variations
Toffee nut
Use all brown sugar, toast the nuts a shade darker and add an extra pinch of salt for a holiday-style toffee nut syrup.
Chocolate hazelnut
Whisk 20 g cocoa powder into the syrup as it simmers for a spread-inspired chocolate-hazelnut syrup.
Quick extract version
No nuts? Stir 1–1½ tsp hazelnut extract into a cooled batch of classic simple syrup. Less nuance, but ready in 5 minutes.
Questions people ask
Do I need to remove the skins from hazelnuts?
Mostly, yes. The papery skins are bitter. Rub the warm toasted nuts in a towel; whatever doesn't come off easily can stay.
Why doesn't my homemade hazelnut syrup taste like store-bought?
Bottled syrups use concentrated flavorings, so they taste louder. Homemade is subtler and more natural; add ¼ tsp hazelnut extract if you want more punch.
How much hazelnut syrup goes in a latte?
About 2 tbsp (30 ml) for a 12 oz latte and 3 tbsp for 16 oz. Adjust to taste.
How long does homemade hazelnut syrup last?
About 2 weeks in the fridge. Nut infusions spoil faster than plain syrup because of the natural oils.
Can I use roasted or salted hazelnuts?
Unsalted roasted hazelnuts work. Skip the toasting step. Avoid salted nuts, or leave out the pinch of salt in the recipe.
Keep going
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