This is my homemade Dr Pepper-style syrup: brown sugar simmered with cherries, citrus peel and warm spices, then finished with vanilla and almond and mixed with sparkling water. It is a copycat aimed at how Dr Pepper tastes, not the real formula. The actual recipe is a trade secret that Keurig Dr Pepper has never published, as I explain in what the 23 flavors of Dr Pepper are. If you want the real thing as a syrup, that is sold too; see where to buy it below.
This is my own starting-point copycat formula, built around the flavors fans associate with Dr Pepper, and I have not taken it through my own kitchen yet. What I am aiming for is something in the Dr Pepper family, cherry, vanilla, almond and spice, not a perfect match, and the batch size and number of drinks are estimates.
Is there an original Dr Pepper recipe?
There is, but nobody outside the company has it. The canned ingredient list shows only "natural and artificial flavors" where the 23-flavor blend sits, and the story of the recipe being split between two bank vaults has never been confirmed. Any "original Dr Pepper recipe" online, including this one, is a guess at the flavor from the outside. The full story, including the 2009 notebook that briefly looked like it had cracked it, is in my 23 flavors article.
How do you make your own Dr Pepper syrup?
My approach is to melt brown sugar, loosen it with water, and simmer it for about 10 minutes with frozen cherries, orange, lemon and lime peel, cinnamon, star anise, black pepper, ginger, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg. Strain it, stir in vanilla and almond extract, and cool. Mix 2 to 3 tablespoons with a cup of cold sparkling water over ice.
I chose the spices from the fan list of 23 flavors: cherry, vanilla, almond (amaretto), anise, black pepper, ginger, citrus, clove, cardamom and nutmeg are all on it, and brown sugar stands in for the caramel and molasses. That list is itself a fan guess, so this is a guess built on a guess.
Can you buy real Dr Pepper syrup?
Yes, but mostly in food-service sizes. Real Dr Pepper fountain syrup is sold in bag-in-box packs for soda fountain machines; for example, Costco Business Delivery lists a 5-gallon Dr Pepper bag-in-box syrup that it describes as compatible with Coke and Pepsi fountain machines. Restaurant supply stores and online sellers carry the same bag-in-box format. Five gallons of concentrate is a lot for a home kitchen, and it is meant to be run through a dispenser that mixes it with carbonated water, so check the mixing directions on whatever you buy.
Several soda-maker and syrup brands also sell their own "pepper" style syrups under different names. Those are their own recipes, not Dr Pepper, in the same way this homemade one is not.
What can you make with it?
- Homemade soda: 2 to 3 tablespoons per cup of sparkling water over ice.
- A float: pour the soda over vanilla ice cream, the way I do in the Dr Pepper float.
- A dirty soda: add coconut syrup, a splash of cream and lime, as in the dirty Dr Pepper.
- Over pancakes or ice cream: simmer it a few minutes longer so it thickens.
More drink ideas are in the Dr Pepper drinks guide and everything else in the Dr Pepper recipes.
Frequently asked questions
Does Dr Pepper sell syrup?
Real Dr Pepper syrup is sold for soda fountains, in bag-in-box packs such as the 5-gallon size listed by Costco Business Delivery. It is aimed at businesses with fountain machines rather than small home bottles.
Is homemade Dr Pepper the same as real Dr Pepper?
No. The real 23-flavor formula is a trade secret, so every homemade version is an approximation. This one aims for the cherry, vanilla, almond and spice character, but it will not taste identical.
What ingredients are used to make Dr Pepper?
The can lists carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, phosphoric acid, natural and artificial flavors, sodium benzoate and caffeine. The 23 flavors are inside "natural and artificial flavors", which is why nobody can copy it exactly. The breakdown is in the 23 flavors article.
How much syrup do you use per glass?
Start with 2 tablespoons of syrup to 1 cup of sparkling water, taste, and go up to 3 tablespoons if you like it sweeter. At that rate the estimated 1 1/2 cups (24 tablespoons) makes 8 to 12 drinks.
