How to Make Elderberry Lozenges at Home (Without Fancy Molds)

If you’ve ever wanted to turn your elderberry syrup or infusion into something portable and long-lasting, elderberry lozenges are a fantastic option. These little herbal drops are great for sore throats, tickly coughs, or just supporting immunity through cold and flu season.

They’re also a great way to keep elderberry on hand when you don’t want to deal with liquid remedies.

I recently made a batch using a combination of an herbal recipe and my own tweaks based on what I had in the kitchen. They turned out surprisingly well, and I’ll definitely be making them again.

Ingredients

• ½ cup granulated sugar (I used plain cane sugar)
• ¼ cup rice syrup
• ¼ cup strong elderberry infusion or decoction

NOTE: You can use fresh or dried elderberries. I used dried and simmered them in water to make a strong decoction before measuring.

Tools You’ll Need

• Small saucepan
• Candy thermometer
• Silicone candy molds or powdered sugar + slippery elm powder (more on that below)
• Wooden spoon
• Small plate for testing

Instructions (from the Herbal Academy’s recipe):

1. Make your elderberry decoction
   Simmer dried elderberries in water (about 1 tablespoon per ½ cup of water) for 20 to 30 minutes. Strain and measure out ¼ cup.
2. Combine your ingredients
   Pour the sugar, rice syrup, and elderberry decoction into a small saucepan. Heat slowly and stir to combine.
3. Cook the mixture
   Bring the mixture to a steady boil, and attach a candy thermometer to the side of your pan. You’re aiming for the soft crack stage — about 280°F. Stir frequently (I didn’t stir constantly, just often enough to prevent burning). This took me about 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Test the consistency
   Drop a small bit of the mixture onto a cold plate. If it hardens quickly, you’re ready to move on. If it stays soft or sticky, let it cook a little longer.
5. Pour into molds (or make your own)
   I didn’t have candy molds, so I got creative. I made indentations in a thick layer of powdered sugar mixed with slippery elm powder and used a tablespoon to press out shallow wells. Next time, I’ll use a teaspoon to make them smaller. I also tested the old-school method from the recipe — just dropping small spoonfuls onto a plate dusted with slippery elm. That worked fine too, though the shapes weren’t as pretty.
6. Let them cool and store
   Once hardened, store the lozenges in an airtight container in a cool place. You can toss them in extra slippery elm powder or rice flour to keep them from sticking.

Notes and Tips

• I originally planned to take the syrup all the way to the hard crack stage (300°F), but around 280°F, it started to smell a bit too close to burning. I pulled it off the heat and poured immediately.
• Slippery elm powder is soothing for sore throats and makes a great coating to prevent stickiness.
• If you don’t have molds, powdered sugar or cornstarch trays can work just as well. Just make little indentations and pour carefully.

Wrap-Up

These elderberry lozenges are herbal, soothing, and surprisingly easy to make with basic ingredients. They’re perfect for immune support on the go, and you can adapt the recipe by adding other supportive herbs like echinacea, ginger, or licorice root.

Have you tried making your own lozenges or candies? I’d love to hear what herbal blends you’re working on.