Homemade Orgeat Syrup Recipe

5 from 1 vote

While you can always use commercially prepared orgeat syrup and its substitutes, learning how to make your own orgeat syrup can help ensure you can stock up on the syrup whenever you want to.

Prep Time20

Cook Time3 30

Total Time3 50

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Western

Servings: cups

Calories: 1112kcal

Author: Val

Equipment

Oven
Small saucepan
Food chopper or processor
Large bowls
Fine-mesh colander
Baking sheet
Parchment Paper
Cheesecloth

Ingredients

1 cup whole raw almonds
1.5 cups warm water (around 100F or 38C)
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon each of rose water and orange flower water
2 tablespoon vodka or brandy, or vodka or ¼ teaspoon citric acid (optional)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400F or 205C.
Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the almonds on the baking sheet, making sure they're spread out and evenly spaced.
Put the baking sheet with the almonds inside your preheated oven and toast the almonds for four minutes.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow to cool for five minutes.
Once cool, put the toasted almonds in your food chopper or processor.
Pulse to chop until the almonds turn into coarsely ground powder, much like almond flour.
Transfer the ground almonds to your bowl and add warm water until covered.
Allow the ground almond to soak for one to three hours. The longer you soak it, the stronger the almond flavor.
Once done, place cheesecloth in your colander and place it over another bowl.
Slowly pour the soaked ground almond, making sure the bowl under the colander catches the water.
Wrap your ground almond with the cheesecloth and gently press to release the remaining liquid. Do this until the ground almond is almost completely dry. You will have approximately more than a cup of liquid.
Put the liquid in your saucepan and warm it up over medium-low heat.
Once warm, add the sugar and stir using your whisk for about three minutes or until all the sugar is dissolved.
Once done, remove the pan from the heat.
Put two layers of new cheesecloth in your colander and place the setup over a bowl.
Slowly pour the solution over it and allow it to drain in your bowl.
Once all the solution is in your bowl, add the orange flower water essence (and vodka, brandy, or citric acid) and stir using your whisk.
Allow your orgeat syrup to cool.
Once cool, transfer your homemade orgeat syrup to a glass container, seal tightly, and store in your fridge.

Notes

Your homemade orgeat syrup with any of the preservatives (alcohol or citric acid) has a shelf life of two months. If none, it will last for up to one week.

If you need to make your own orgeat syrup quickly, use blanched almonds instead of roasted ones.

Simply soak the raw almonds, with or without the skin, in water for 30 minutes and then drain the water before grinding the nuts in your food processor or chopper. Then proceed as above.

Naked almonds will produce clear syrup with a mild bitter almond flavor. Almonds with their skin on will produce golden-colored, slightly bitter orgeat syrup.

Nutrition information is calculated for rose water and vodka only.

Nutrition