At the first sign of a cough or sniffle, skip the trip to the corner drugstore and make up a batch of this All Natural DIY Pineapple Cough Syrup ~ it’s effective, and delicious!
*Note: If you have a serious or persistent cough, see your doctor. This natural cough syrup will not take the place of prescribed medications, and is meant to be used to soothe and help alleviate symptoms.
I have to confess, I’m a big fat sissy when it comes to medicine. I’d much rather suffer a cough than down some of that nasty stuff they sell over the counter. I cringe just thinking about it. So when I read about the surprising cough suppressing benefits of pineapple, I was all over it.
The deal is that pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain, which is a natural anti-inflammatory, and it’s been proven to help control coughing and mucus. I mixed it with ginger, another natural anti-inflammatory, honey, a throat soother, warming chili pepper, and astringent lemon to make a potent but delicious cough remedy. At the first sign of a tickle in your throat, mix up a batch and keep it in the fridge. Take it as often as needed; it will give you a nutrition boost with each dose! It’s easy to mix up in a blender, and it will keep in the fridge for at least a week or more.
This is a real godsend if you have kids who aren’t keen on yucky cough syrup, or if you are just trying to avoid the extra ingredients and side effects of mass produced medications. The proportions in this recipe are approximate, so you can play with them to suit your taste. Young children may not want the cayenne, and some adults might appreciate even more than I’ve added.
TIP: Be sure to use fresh pineapple — you can juice it if you have a juicer, or process it in a blender or food processor. Canned or pasteurized juice won’t have the same benefits.
There’s quite a bit of controversy about whether pharmaceutical cough medications have any effect at all, and lots of professionals have come out and recommended simpler, homemade remedies as being just as effective, and cheaper. This one has the added benefit of being delicious!
I have other soothing recipes on the blog to help you through the flu season ~
- DIY HIBISCUS AND LEMON COUGH DROPS are another natural way to ease a cough and sore throat.
- My TURMERIC TEA is a nurturing tea that soothes, and de-stresses, too.
- My GREEN GODDESS IMMUNE BOOSTING SOUP is a delicious way to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to staying healthy.
Don’t let a cough ruin your holidays, mix up a batch today!
Ingredients
- 2 thick slices of fresh pineapple, peel removed, but core intact (about two good cups)
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (omit or reduce for children)
- a thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced or rough chopped
- juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Give the pineapple a rough chop, including the core, which is not only edible but particularly healthy.
- Blend everything up in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Use as is, or push the mixture through a mesh strainer to get a smoother syrup.
- Keep in the refrigerator and take as needed.
notes:
- Do not give anything with honey to children under 1 year old.
- If you have a persistent cough, seek medical attention.
don’t forget to pin my all natural pineapple cough syrup!
Other homemade remedies to try—
Homemade Cough Remedy | Barefeet in the Kitchen
Honey Thyme Cough Syrup | Cafe Johnsonia
Onion Honey Cough Syrup | The Clean Dish
Honey and Lemon Tea | Simply Recipes
Garlic Honey Sore Throat Remedy | Healthy Green Kitchen
DIY Honey Cough Drops | Bakeaholic Mama
Hibiscus and Lemon Cough Drops | The View from Great Island
Cough-Be-Gone Tea | The Clean Dish
84 Comments
MsLinda
September 17, 2019 at 7:23 pmThis is great. Thank you. I remember something similar our Grandma used to make when we were kids. I think hers had a bit of cinnamon too. I’m making a batch of this for myself and my grandkids because between elementary school germs and preschool germs we gonna need all the remedies we can get around here.
Sue
September 17, 2019 at 7:32 pmGosh I don’t miss that stage one bit, those germs are nasty!
Kate
November 24, 2018 at 5:15 pmI knew that pineapple helps with coughs, but I didn’t know that if you blend this concoction together then you get a cough syrup. I will have to try this because I have had a cold lately and it might help.
Yolanda
October 12, 2018 at 11:09 amHow long will this last in the fridge?
Sue
October 12, 2018 at 12:00 pmAbout a week to 10 days.
RAKHI VIKRAM SARAPH
January 9, 2019 at 7:28 amIs it okay to have it at night before sleeping??
Sue
January 9, 2019 at 8:57 amI use it before bed for sure.
Leaf
November 9, 2018 at 7:26 amI love this pineapple cough syrup!! First sign of sniffle, cough and sore throat I made this and had some and right away I could feel it working. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Sue
November 9, 2018 at 7:27 amYay, so happy to hear that.
Stacy
April 11, 2018 at 2:22 pmDo you think I could add oil of oregano?
Sue
April 11, 2018 at 4:16 pmI’ve never used that Stacy, but if it’s food grade then I don’t see why not.
Rick
March 9, 2018 at 9:24 amCan you use frozen pineapples for this cough syrup?
Sue
March 9, 2018 at 9:50 amI assume so!
Ashley
February 8, 2018 at 10:08 amAww this was great I actually ate a few pineapple pieces I had in the freezer and my sore throat was instantly relieved so I made this for my toddlers and myself and it was great. Such a relief for us all. Of course I omitted the cayenne
Sue
February 8, 2018 at 10:36 amHope you’re all on the road to recovery Ashley <3
Doreen
January 23, 2018 at 9:21 amThanks Sue for this recipe. I have been experimenting with different cough mixtures and I leave out ingredients that I don’t want. e.g. cayenne which is too hot. I use ground black pepper instead. I do however understand the benefits of using cayenne which also has healing properties. I have pineapple every day in smoothies so I am happy now to use this as the base for my new cough preparation. I was surprised to read that the bromelain is in the core. Good to know. I already use the core. I use the whole pineapple.
I will process the pineapple and ginger but will add the pepper and honey at the end so as not to liquidise the honey. I want it thick. Thank You
Sue
January 23, 2018 at 10:40 amYou’re so welcome, and I think the black pepper will help in a similar way to the cayenne.
Kay
January 15, 2018 at 6:44 amAfter dealing with an allergy cough for the last six months I decided to try this remedy. The good news is that it really kicked my cough! The bad news is that it tore up my stomach. I did add a little extra ginger and I did not add the cayenne pepper. I used it for two days fairly regularly and also was eating some fresh pineapple as well. Maybe I just got too much. However, my grown son made some as well and he had the same results – cough gone – stomach upset. Disappointed since it really did take care of the cough.
Sue
January 15, 2018 at 6:49 amThat’s too bad, Kay. Maybe the extra pineapple was too much. It’s strange because pineapple is actually know to ease stomach upsets, and stomach pain from eating pineapple is usually from an allergy of some kind. I wonder if you and your son are sensitive to pineapple and didn’t know it?
Amanda
December 19, 2017 at 4:28 amIs it meant to be fiery? Just made this and it’s really hot!!!
Sue
December 19, 2017 at 7:31 amThe heat is part of its effectiveness, Amanda, but absolutely tone it down to taste.
Doreen
January 23, 2018 at 9:00 amI cannot use cayenne pepper as it is too hot, and I am used to eating hot food. I use black pepper instead
SHIRISH AGARWAL
April 13, 2017 at 8:46 amThanks, Great recipe! I added half a teaspoon of turmeric for an anti-inflammatory boost and used 6 whole peppercorns instead of cayenne to improve absorption of curcumin.
Sue
April 13, 2017 at 9:02 amNice! Thanks Shirish!
Pauline
December 11, 2016 at 8:39 amHi! How long does it take to cure the cough?
Sue
December 11, 2016 at 8:55 amThis isn’t a cure, Pauline, but it will ease the symptoms. It should act right away to sooth the throat and calm a cough.
Amanda Hampshire
December 10, 2016 at 9:06 pmHi sue I just finished Making this and making my husband and 1.5 year old take it too as they both have dry coughs. But how much for adult and how muchfor little ones. Thank you again.
Sue
December 10, 2016 at 9:46 pmHi Amanda ~ since this is a natural food product the amount to take is up to you, see what helps, and know that you can’t over-do it! Hope they feel better :)
Vicky Deese
December 8, 2016 at 3:41 pmHi Sue, my pediatrician is now recommending pineapple juice and honey and I am so thrilled to see your recipe. His is just 2 tbsp. juice to same amount of honey and take 2 tbsp every 4 hours. Yours sounds so much better. Wondering though, does it need to be refrigerated?
Many thanks, Vicky
Sue
December 8, 2016 at 3:45 pmThat’s so cool Vicky ~ and yes, it should be refrigerated for longer term storage, although you could leave it out all day without a problem.
Irene
October 21, 2016 at 5:13 amHi,
Do you think it would work the same if I use two cups of frozen pineapple instead ?
Sue
October 21, 2016 at 7:05 amI believe that the raw pineapple is best, Irene, but you could certainly try it.
Cynthia
May 13, 2017 at 7:32 amI used frozen pineapple that I had cut and frozen myself. I think it worked wonderfully! My family and I really enjoyed the coolness of the frozen pineapple, it helped our throats! This worked with the fresh pineapple I had a few days ago and it worked with the frozen also.
Sue
May 13, 2017 at 7:38 amI’m so glad to hear that Cynthia ~ I love the idea of the cooling effect of the frozen fruit, did you make it like a smoothie type thing?
KC
September 21, 2016 at 9:46 amThis looks great…however for those using it for children, please remember kids under 1 year should not have raw honey!
Sue
September 21, 2016 at 10:35 amI mention that in my notes, KC, but it can’t be said enough!
Nickoel
September 17, 2016 at 12:37 pmI just made this! Added turmeric instead of cayenne and a lil shot of apple cider vinegar. The kids loved it!
Sue
September 17, 2016 at 12:48 pmHere’s to a cough-free season!
nammi
September 6, 2016 at 11:26 pmThis is one yummu tasting cough remedy :) both my boys are down with a nasty cold and cough should try to see if it works
Sherri
February 23, 2016 at 9:08 pmHello:
I am excited as I am making this for my daughter, and just wondering… Does heating it up make the active ingredients less effective?
Sherri
Sue
February 24, 2016 at 5:49 amI think you could heat it gently, but I wouldn’t cook it.
Judy
February 6, 2016 at 5:52 amHi my husband Has a cough and refuses to go to the Dr. I read about pineapples are good for a cough but was misinformed. I gave him the pineapples from a can including the juice and of course it didn’t work. I will go shopping to try your remedy which seems to make sense to me. Thank you so much for this info.
Judy
February 6, 2016 at 5:57 amMy husband is seventy years old, how much should I give him?
Sue
February 6, 2016 at 7:18 amYou’re welcome Judy, coughs can be so annoying and worrisome, especially when they hang around too long. Fresh pineapples will be better than the canned, but if your husband’s cough gets worse, better drag him to the doc ;) Hope he feels better soon, and as for the dose, he can have as much as he likes.
Ana Silva
February 4, 2016 at 6:27 pmHi Sue, can I use frozen chunks? I don’t have a fresh pineapple handy and my house is one big cough town!
Sue
February 4, 2016 at 6:32 pmI think that should be fine Ana — hope everybody feels better soon <3
Sarah
January 17, 2016 at 12:23 amHello :) I’ve had an on/off wet and dry cough for over a werk now. I’ve tried everything, and have decided to try essential oils. But I’m going to try this first. When making it can I put the pineapple/ginger/lemon in the juicer then add the pepper and honey after?
Sue
January 17, 2016 at 7:31 amYes, absolutely, and hope you feel better Sarah.
Suresh
December 16, 2015 at 3:50 amHi Sue,
The cold and cough terrible at winter season and I had it now. I tried having the pineapple and I can see the effect of it.
My mom was surprised when I asked for pineapple :)
Thanks
Suresh
Fiona
December 16, 2015 at 3:02 amhi sue, thank you so much for this receipe, it is absolutely delicious! How much could I give my 21 month old? She is very mucousy and has a wet cough at the moment. Her doctor says it will clear up of its own accord, which is great but would love to give it a help along! I blame the dreaded teething process :) Could I give her 2 tbsp twice per day? Or more? That’s if I don’t drink it all myself :))))
Sue
December 16, 2015 at 8:33 amI really think you can give it as needed, Fiona, nothing in it will hurt your daughter — hope she feels better!
Fiona
December 18, 2015 at 6:59 amThanks a million Sue!
audrey
October 20, 2015 at 6:25 amJust wondering what is the correct amount to give my 4 year old or even a adult
Sue
October 20, 2015 at 7:39 amSince this is a natural, real food, solution, Audrey, it’s really up to you, you can take as much as you need. I’d start with a few tablespoons for your 4 year old, but give more as needed.
Flo
September 24, 2015 at 9:01 amthis is so good, instead of having a cold for weeks, this took it away in just a few days, thanks for sharing. I added 9-10 drops of thieves oil to give it that extra added boost, it made it a bit too strong so next time may only add 5 drops of thieves oil…lol
Sue
September 24, 2015 at 9:42 amThanks for the feedback Flo — I’m so glad it helped. I’ve never heard of thieves oil, I’ve got to look it up!
Diane Espinoza
October 30, 2016 at 9:46 pmFlo, please do some research on ingesting essential oil. Thieves oil has some very irritating ingredients.
Be very careful . Good luck
April Huntley
September 20, 2015 at 8:18 pmJust wondering if I could freeze the whole mixture…..I can’t think of a reason why not, but thought someone mighy have an opinion that I haven’t thought of!! Thanks so much!!
matt
August 14, 2015 at 12:02 pmi am SO excited to share this wonderfully creative solution that is food sourced, rather than mysteriously emanating from a factory/lab and packaged in plastic (with a plastic shrinkwrapped seal, for our safety, of *course!*) and cardboard! my mother has been fighting like a warrior against her chronic bronchitis complicated seriously by losing her kidneys to PKD over a decade ago. ~=°`~=°`~=°` i DO have a comment re: your statement about pharmaceutical cough preparations and some pros claiming negligible efficacy. *-* dextromethorphan Hbr is an antitussive (robiTUSSIN, anyone?) that is in most combosymptom OTC products in the us. its chemical makeup and effects are quite close to more than one abused substance; PCP and the opioids (morphine etc) are the most notable. the really glaring problem with the statement you made was that it was sourced from Wikipedia and the source questioning the usefulness of “cough medicine” was skewed because it was made in reference number a study about children ONLY. sadly, many parents believe that they are relieving their suffering children’s discomfort, when rather they are hijacking a beautiful process that until only very recently in human history (so very similar to the marketing of soaps and razors and on and on…like this comment ?) needed much more than TLC and i am glad to see alternatives like this that CAN be consumed as needed, opposed to dextromethorphan Hbr, a drug well known to be abused by teens because other, much less toxic drugs aren’t available because it, by itself or combined, is the ONLY OTC drug that definitively reduces cough in adults. thanks for your help!
Sars
July 17, 2015 at 7:53 amGreat recipe! Do you think freezing the pineapple would effect the healing properties?
Sue
July 17, 2015 at 8:14 amI’m not sure, Sars, sorry!
April Huntley
September 20, 2015 at 8:15 pmI always take a portion of the fresh pineapple that I buy and freeze it in case I need to make this recipe. It seems to work just fine!
Rebekah
March 21, 2015 at 5:29 amMy son is on the Autism Spectrum and also has Sensory Processing Disorder. He will not take medicines and we try to keep everything he gets as natural as possible I am heading to the store now to get the things to make this. Poor kid woke up coughing.
Sue
March 21, 2015 at 7:31 amSo sorry Rebekah, this should give him some relief. I know what it’s like to have a kid who refuses medicine!
Laurena
March 18, 2015 at 7:06 pmWhat is the shelf (fridge) life of this? How long before it needs to be used up or thrown out?
Sue
March 18, 2015 at 8:59 pmAbout a month, Laurena.
Cathy
January 2, 2015 at 2:59 pmI just made this and gave it to my 6yr old as he has strep. My only caution, it is spicy! So maybe omit the cayenne or reduce it.
Sue
January 2, 2015 at 3:06 pmGood point, Cathy. I’ll make a note of that in the recipe, thanks!
Cathy
January 2, 2015 at 3:25 pmWell, it might be spicy, but he is now passed out asleep and no more coughing than OTC meds! I just told him it’s like taking meds, just drink it. Other kids might not be as easy as mine though when it comes to medicine. Thanks for posting!
lulu
December 18, 2014 at 9:51 pmWhat is the dosage? 1 tsp? More?
Sue
December 19, 2014 at 5:40 amThere’s no set dose, I drink a small juice glass of it as needed!
frank
December 14, 2014 at 6:44 pmSounds delicious. I wanted to point out that the bromelaine is located almost entirely in the core of the pineapple, so 8t is crucial not to leave the core out.
Christina
December 14, 2014 at 1:35 pmSo much better than chemicals!!!
cheri
December 12, 2014 at 12:53 pmHi Sue, I have been battling a nasty cough for about 3 weeks now, the doctor prescribed something but I’m afraid to take it and drive in the day time, will try this.
Toni Dash
December 11, 2014 at 8:04 pmI love this Susan. I usually get a cough a few times a year as does my son and it takes f-o-r-ever to kick. I definitely will be back when the next round passes through our house to try this. So creative too.
Sue
December 11, 2014 at 8:16 pmI get that kind of thing, too, Toni. I know a lot of people who do, too, and it’s so frustrating when it goes into the third week or so of non stop coughing…hopefully this will help!
Jennifer @ Also Known As...the Wife
December 11, 2014 at 7:52 pmWe’ve all had annoying coughs on and off for the last month. I’ll gladly use this then the medicated stuff just for scratch throats. Thanks!
Susan
December 11, 2014 at 9:39 amWhat a great idea! Next cold I have I’m going to try it. So much tastier and healthier than the alternative.
Sue
December 11, 2014 at 9:48 amAgreed :)
Andi
December 11, 2014 at 7:16 amWe feel the same way about medicine chez nous and always try for homeopathic and natural remedies first, I have never heard of this application for pineapple – and I love it! I am going to use the next time we have coughs – brilliant!
Sue
December 11, 2014 at 7:29 amSupposedly Andi it’s 5 times better than over the counter cough medicine at calming a cough. Definitely worth a try!
Amanda
December 11, 2014 at 6:06 amI’m so glad you posted this, amazing!
Chris+@+The+Café+Sucré+Farine
December 11, 2014 at 6:02 amThis is pretty cool Sue, I just like you and can’t stomach those nasty cough medicines. Taking those is much worse than being sick to me :) My husband always says that’s the one area I’m quite wimpy in. I might even put this on ice cream!
Sue
December 11, 2014 at 7:15 amMy husband gets so frustrated with me when i won’t take medicine, but I agree, sometimes it’s worse than being sick ;)