Ingredients
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Check off ingredients as you prep.
- 3/4 cup filtered water, plus more for adjusting the final yield
- 2 teaspoons concentrated liquid sucralose labeled as equal in sweetness to 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon sugar-free caramel color
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1/4 teaspoon lime extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons citric acid
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/16 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 small pinch ground nutmeg
- 96 fluid ounces very cold water, for carbonating
Step by step
- Combine 3/4 cup filtered water, the citric acid, cinnamon, coriander, and nutmeg in a small saucepan. Bring it just to a simmer over medium heat, whisking until the citric acid dissolves, then remove it from the heat. Do not reduce it; we are building concentrate, not roofing tar.
- Let the mixture steep for 5 minutes. Strain it through a coffee filter or a fine-mesh strainer lined with a clean paper towel to remove the ground spices.
- Cool the liquid completely, about 20 minutes. Stir in the liquid sucralose, caramel color, vanilla extract, orange extract, lemon extract, and lime extract. Adding the extracts after cooling keeps their aroma in the syrup instead of sending it up with the steam.
- Pour the syrup into a measuring cup and add enough filtered water to make exactly 1 cup. Transfer it to a clean bottle and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.
- Carbonate 12 fluid ounces of very cold water per serving according to your SodaStream instructions. Always carbonate plain water, never the syrup mixture.
- Tilt the carbonated-water bottle and slowly add 2 tablespoons syrup. Cap and gently roll once or twice—do not shake unless you want cola on the ceiling. Pour over ice and serve cold. DUNZO!
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A little more about this recipe
Timing
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes, including cooling
Yield & storage
Original yield
Storage
Refrigerate the syrup in a clean, tightly sealed bottle for up to 2 weeks. Discard it if it develops cloudiness, pressure, mold, or an off odor. Shake gently before measuring.
From Tony’s kitchen
A dark, citrus-spiced cola concentrate with the sharp acidity and clean sweetness you want from Coke Zero. It is not the guarded factory formula, but it lands in the right neighborhood without sugar or a chemistry set.
Nutrition • per serving
Ingredient notes
Ingredients & allergen check
Major-allergen signals: None recognized automatically.
- Filtered water, plus more for adjusting the final yield
- concentrated liquid sucralose labeled as equal in sweetness to granulated sugar
- sugar-free caramel color
- pure vanilla extract
- orange extract
- lemon extract
- lime extract
- citric acid
- ground cinnamon
- ground coriander
- pinch ground nutmeg
- very cold water, for carbonating
Check every package label. Brands, substitutions, shared equipment, and cross-contact can change allergen exposure.
