Make Dr. Pepper

The formula for Dr. Pepper is a true mystery—rumor has it that the company even stores the recipe in a limited access vault in Plano, Texas. For years, however, curious fans have attempted to duplicate the taste of this popular soda at home. Some attempts come closer than others.

Ingredients

Old Fashioned Dr. Pepper

Makes 7 oz (210 ml) of soda

• 7 oz (210 ml) cold carbonated water
• 0.1 oz (3 ml) raspberry vinegar
• 1 minim (0.06 ml) vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 grains (65 mg) citric acid, food grade
• 1/2 minim (0.03 ml) almond extract
• 3/8 grain (24.375 mg) phosphoric acid, food grade
• 10 minims (650 mg) burnt or caramelized sugar
• 1 oz (30 ml) simple syrup

Shortcut Dr. Pepper

Makes 20 oz (600 ml) soda

• 20 oz (600 ml) bottle of cola
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) almond extract
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) vanilla extract

Copycat Diet Dr. Pepper

Makes 1 cup (250 ml) soda

• 8 oz (250 ml) cold soda water
• 40 drops cola stevia
• 1-1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) cherry flavoring

Natural Dr. Pepper

Makes 1 qt (1 L) soda

• 8 oz (225 g) cinnamon sticks
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) barley
• 1/8 tsp (0.625 ml) lemon flavoring
• 4 large pieces of rock sugar
• 3 ripe red bell peppers, roughly chopped
• 1 qt (1 L) cold carbonated water

Steps

Method One: Old Fashioned Dr. Pepper

1. Make a simple syrup. The simple syrup should consist of two parts sugar and one part water. Heat the two ingredients together until the sugar is completely dissolved. Note, however, that the amount of simple syrup called for in this recipe is too small to make on its own, so you might need to make more than necessary.
   • To Make-Simple-Syrup, begin by boiling 1/4 cup (60 ml) water in a small saucepan set on the stove over high heat.
     • Once the water is boiling, add 1/2 cup (120 ml) sugar to the pan. Stir well.
     • Stir the mixture constantly as it continues to boil and cook. When ready, there should be no visible grains of sugar left and the liquid should look clear.
   • Set aside 2 Tbsp (30 ml) of this simple syrup for your Dr. Pepper recipe. Save the rest in a sealed plastic or glass container stored in the refrigerator.
2. Caramelize the sugar. You caramelize sugar by heating it until it melts and turns brown. As with the simple syrup, the quantity called for in this recipe is too small to make on its own, so you might need to make more than required.
   • To Caramelize-Sugar, begin by sprinkling 1/4 cup (60 ml) white granulated sugar on the bottom of a small, heavy saucepan. Spread the granules out so that they form an even layer.
     • Place the saucepan on the stove and heat it on medium.
     • As the sugar begins to brown around the edges, stir it with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to distribute the heat more evenly. If you do not stir the sugar, some may burn before the rest has a chance to caramelize.
     • Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the sugar melts and takes on a dark amber color. The caramelized sugar should begin to smoke slightly immediately before you remove it from the heat.
   • When done, immediately set aside 10 minims (650 mg) of caramelized sugar for use in your drink. You can save the rest, if desired, by transferring it to a non-reactive sealed container and storing it in the refrigerator.
3. Combine the ingredients. Place all of the ingredients, minus the carbonated water, in the bottom of a drinking glass. Stir well with a stirring rod or spoon to mix thoroughly.
   • Let the caramelized sugar and simple syrup cool to room temperature before you combine the ingredients.
   • When purchasing citric acid and phosphoric acid, use food grade quality only.
   • Note that this formula was printed in 1912, back when Dr. Pepper was still used as a pharmaceutical remedy for digestive problems. As such, this recipe will not taste like contemporary Dr. Pepper purchased in the store. If you want to know what the original drink tasted like, however, this recipe will give you a good idea.
   • The original recipe called for hydrocyanic acid, which is not readily available for commercial purchase. Since this solution tastes like almonds, almond extract has been substituted in its place.
4. Add cold soda water. Slowly pour the water directly over the flavors in the bottom of the glass. The bubbles produced by the carbonation should blend the flavors for the most part, but to ensure that all the flavors get mixed into the drink, slowly mix the contents of the glass with a stirring rod or spoon several times.
   • Do not stir the drink too rapidly since doing so will release more bubbles and may cause the drink to go flat before you can drink it.
   • Use cold soda water if possible. If you chill the soda water before you add it to the flavoring ingredients, you should not need to chill the finished drink before drinking it.
5. Chill and enjoy. If the drink is already cold enough, you do not need to refrigerate it. Otherwise, refrigerate the drink for 15 minutes or so before enjoying.
   • Originally, Dr. Pepper did not contain caffeine, which is why this supposedly original recipe does not contain caffeine, either.

Method Two: Shortcut Dr. Pepper

1. Combine all three ingredients. Open your bottle of cola and pour the almond extract and vanilla extract directly inside. Let the mixture rest for a few minutes so that the ingredients can combine on their own.
   • There is some debate concerning the exact type of cola you need to use for this recipe to turn out right. The majority opinion is that Pepsi-Cola works better than Coca-Cola or any other off-brand cola variety. You can experiment with different types, however, and make that determination for yourself.
   • Use cold cola. Doing so will prevent you from needing to chill the finished drink before enjoying it.
   • If you want to drink your beverage from a drinking glass, pour the extracts into the glass first, followed by the cola.
2. Do a taste test. Sip on the new drink. If you want a sweeter taste or a stronger flavor, add up to an additional 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) of both extracts to the drink.
   • Alternatively, if the sweetness is already too strong, you could water it down by adding another 1/2 cup (125 ml) cola to the drink. Doing so will require you to pour the drink into a separate drinking glass, however.
3. Chill and enjoy. If your soda is already cold, you can enjoy it now. If not, close the cap and refrigerate the pop until it feels cold enough to enjoy as usual.

Method Three: Copycat Diet Dr. Pepper

1. Combine the flavorings in a glass. Pour the cola stevia and cherry flavoring into the bottom of a glass. Mix well with a spoon or stirring rod to blend the flavors.
   • Note that stevia is a natural sweetener that grows as a plant. Cola stevia is a liquid stevia extract flavored with a generic cola taste.
2. Fill the glass with soda water. Pour 8 oz (250 ml) of cold, carbonated soda water into the glass. The carbonation should begin to combine the flavoring ingredients.
   • Carbonation alone may not be enough to combine the ingredients evenly, though. To ensure more even flavor distribution, use a stirring rod, spoon, or straw to gently and slowly mix the drink a few times. Work carefully so that you do not cause too many bubbles to form and do not cause the drink to go flat.
   • Use cold cola water to reduce the likelihood of needing to chill the drink before enjoying it.
3. Chill and enjoy. Ideally, the drink should already be cold enough to enjoy. If you want it to be colder, however, refrigerate it for 15 minutes or so before drinking.

Method Four: Natural Dr. Pepper

1. Crush the ingredients together. Place the cinnamon sticks, barley, lemon flavoring, rock sugar, and red bell peppers in a food processor. Pulse until well-combined.
   • If you do not have a food processor, use a mortar and pestle to crush the ingredients. A blender may also work.
   • You may need to break the cinnamon sticks into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces or smaller before adding them to the food processor.
   • The resulting mixture does not need to be a smooth paste or puree. You only need to crush and combine the ingredients well enough to release their flavors.
2. Add the cold soda water. Place the flavoring ingredients in a non-reactive resealable container. Pour the soda water over the ingredients and mix lightly with a spoon or stirring rod to partially combine.
   • Use cold soda water to reduce the amount of time the concoction will need to chill for.
   • Keep this mixture in a sealed pitcher or other airtight container. An airtight container will slow the production of bubbles, thereby preventing the drink from going flat. If you use an open container, the drink might go flat before you have a chance to drink it.
3. Steep for 3 hours. Seal the container and place the concoction in your refrigerator. Let the ingredients seep into the soda water for a minimum of 3 hours.
   • You could let the ingredients steep for a longer period of time, but understand that the drink will continue to go flat as it sits in the refrigerator. A longer steeping time might produce a stronger flavor but may ultimately result in a less palatable drink.
4. Strain and serve. Pour the drink through a wire strainer, removing any whole ingredients in the process. Discard the strained solids and save the remaining liquid. This strained liquid is your finished mock Dr. Pepper.

Tips

• Dr. Pepper contains 23 different flavors. This is a closely guarded secret formula and these flavors are not definitively listed anywhere, but commonly speculated flavors include: amaretto, almond, blackberry, black licorice, carrot, clove, cherry, caramel, cola, ginger, juniper, lemon, molasses, nutmeg, orange, prune, plum, pepper, root beer, rum, raspberry, tomato, and vanilla.
• If none of the recipes provided here come close enough for your liking, experiment with the previously mentioned flavorings until you find a combination that tastes more suitable.

Warnings

• Try the recipes provided here at your own risk. Since no one outside of the company knows the actual recipe for Dr. Pepper, no true copycat recipe can be found in print or online. Any recipes you do find will only be derived from speculation and experimentation.

Things You'll Need

Old Fashioned Dr. Pepper

• 2 small saucepans
• 2 wooden mixing spoons
• Drinking glass
• Spoon or stirring rod

Shortcut Dr. Pepper

• Drinking glass (optional)

Copycat Diet Dr. Pepper

• Drinking glass
• Stirring rod or spoon

Natural Dr. Pepper

• Food processor or blender or mortar and pestle
• Sealed pitcher or airtight container

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make Butterbeer
• Quit Soda Pop
• Make Cream Soda
• Use a Soda Fountain
• Make Fake Ginger Ale Using Soda
• Carbonate a Beverage
• Make Carbonated Water
• Make a Slushie
• Make a Slurpee
• Brew Your Own Soda Pop

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