Stovetop Raw Honey Cough Drops
Last Updated on December 9, 2025 by Kiersten James
Easy homemade cough drops made on the stovetop with raw honey, lemon, and ginger. A simple remedy for hacking coughs without dyes or corn syrup.
There comes a point in sick weeks when I’ve handed out every liquid remedy, propped every pillow, run every humidifier, and the coughing will…not…stop.
At that point, I go straight to the stove and make a batch of these raw honey cough drops. They’re simple, they work, and the ingredient list doesn’t read like a science experiment.
These aren’t the chalky things from the store that weld themselves to the bottom of your purse. These are the old school, melt-in-your-mouth ones made with raw honey, a squeeze of lemon, and just enough ginger to settle that annoying tickle.
The Ingredients:
Raw Honey
Raw honey coats and soothes the throat, eases cough spasms, and is widely used for its antimicrobial properties. And yes, raw honey is okay to heat for a short stovetop recipe like this. It still ends up more nourishing than anything from the cough drop aisle.
Lemon
Brightens the flavor and helps cut through phlegm. Also gives you that “this tastes like it should work” feeling.
Ginger
Warms the chest and settles that irritating, nonstop tickle that turns into an all-night coughing fest.
Cinnamon
Adds warmth, supports circulation, and gives the drops a nice winter flavor.
Read This Before You Start!
Because no one wants to remake cough drops at midnight.
How to Make Raw Honey Cough Drops On the Stove
Ingredients:
- 1 cup raw honey
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (can substitute 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger)
- pinch of cinnamon
Instructions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put it aside.
In a small pot, combine the raw honey, lemon, and ginger.
Bring to a steady simmer over medium heat. Make sure you stay close! Honey goes from fine to a boiling over, foamy mess really fast.
Stir continuously and cook until the mixture reaches 300°F (the hard crack stage). This can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes.
The honey mixture will hover around 250 degrees for what seems like a while, but once the water content boils off and the syrup thickens, the temperature will rise quickly to 300. A candy or digital thermometer makes this much less annoying.
Once it reaches temperature, remove it from the heat immediately.
Spoon small drops onto the parchment. They’ll be messy at first but firm up as they cool.
Dust lightly with powdered sugar or arrowroot powder to keep them from sticking together, then store in an air-tight container. You can also use corn starch if you don’t have anything else.
What to Use With Raw Honey Cough Drops
Cough drops are great, but they work even better when they’re part of a little support system.
Stovetop Raw Honey Cough Drops
These easy homemade cough drops are made on the stove with raw honey, lemon, and ginger. A simple remedy we use for calming coughs without dyes, corn syrup, or other weird ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw honey
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (can substitute 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger)
- pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put it aside.
- In a small pot, combine the raw honey, lemon, and ginger.
- Bring to a steady simmer over medium heat. Make sure you stay close! Honey goes from fine to boiling really fast.
- Stir occasionally and cook until the mixture reaches 300°F (the hard crack stage). A candy thermometer makes this painless and much less annoying.
- Once it reaches temperature, remove it from the heat immediately.
- Spoon small drops onto the parchment. They’ll firm up as they cool.
- Dust lightly with powdered sugar or arrowroot powder to keep them from sticking together, then store in an air-tight container.
Notes
Save It For Later!
