Last Updated on 20th July 2023 by

Red Bull is a common pick-me-up that is sold everywhere. For people who don’t want the sophistication of coffee and would prefer not to struggle with giving the barista their order when they are tired, they can simply chug a Red Bull. The brand name is synonymous with a quick energy boost, though it doesn’t have the cultural cache and perceived refinement of coffee.

It might be helpful to be able to make your own Red Bull at home, using ingredients you have in your kitchen. This way, if you need that shot of energy but are averse to coffee or just don’t keep coffee on hand, you can try to make a Red Bull copycat that tastes similar. Most importantly, it will give you that boost you need to get going in the morning or to keep on going after a tough, long day of exertion.

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You’ll need to have some caffeine or a similar energy source for this to work. Your energy drink needs to have a boost to it, giving you a shot of energy the same way drinking Red Bull or another energy drink would. It’s tricky to get the caffeine levels and the taste just right. On top of that, there are chemicals used in Red Bull by the manufacturers that you probably won’t have easy access to.

We use some substitutes in our version and don’t use some of the chemicals and artificial substances that you would find in the real deal. We think that makes ours better, but you can be the judge of that when you try it out for yourself.

By making Red Bull on your own, you can control what goes into it, how healthy it is, how much caffeine it has, and other factors that might be important for you. If you want to know how to make coke then we have you covered with our updated guide on how to make cola at home.

Homemade Red Bull Recipe

Print Recipe

2.95 from 17 votes

Homemade Red Bull Recipe

Cook Time1

Keyword: energy drinks, homemade red bull, red bull

Ingredients

Sugar
Citrus peels
Ginseng
Caffeine
Taurine
Gingko Bilboa
Pear cider

Instructions

You’llstart by making an ole saccharum syrup. You combine citrus peels and sugar forthis, then let them ferment for two to three weeks. This is the big time sinkthat comes with this beverage recipe. Feel free to save yourself some time anduse a premade ole saccharum syrup, if you can find it. You’ll have a drink thatdoesn’t taste as good, though, so you’ve been warned.
Usecitrus peels and ginseng to make a tea. Once the tea is hot, add in sugar,taurine, and caffeine. Mix those and let them cool for about half an hour.
Mixin Gingko Bilboa as well as the fermented ole saccharum syrup.
Strainthrough a thin mesh and bottle. Then, add in pear cider and ice. Once the drinkis cold, you can serve it.

This is a natural version of a not so natural energy drink, so it’s not going to be quite the same, but we think the health benefits definitely pay off. How much caffeine you want in there, as well as sugar and taurine, is all up to you.

Not a single manmade chemical was used to make this drink, so you don’t have to feel half as guilty about drinking it. Of course, it is still packed with caffeine and taurine, so you need to watch your intake and not overdo it. Also, it’s a good idea to adhere to the same warnings that the regular Red Bull carries and keep this away from kids. It’s not very good for their heart health.

Make Your Own Energy Drink

Maybe Red Bull isn’t quite your cup of tea, or energy drink. In that case, you can make a more generic energy drink that isn’t as difficult to put together. Not everyone wants to wait a few weeks for their citrus peels to ferment, after all, so you can try this homemade energy drink recipe instead that gives you some more freedom and doesn’t require as much dedication and waiting.

Print Recipe

4 from 4 votes

Make Your Own Energy Drink

Keyword: energy drinks, homemade energy drink

Ingredients

Caffeine ( you can use NoDoz or other energy tablets)
Taurine (can be used in powder or liquid form)
Glucuronolactone
Liquid Vitamin B complex
Flavoring (flavor drops work really well, and you can pick a flavor that suits your tastes)
Ginseng (liquid or powder)
Gingko Bilboa
Sugar (or agave syrup, honey, or artificial sweeteners)
Carbonated water

Instructions

Boil water and then mix in taurine, caffeine, sugar, flavors, ginseng, vitamins, glucuronolactone, and Gingko Bilboa.
After everything is dissolved, you can let it cool.
Then, add in carbonated water until the drink is as fizzy as you like it. Taste test every so often to see if it is right.

When you put together your energy drink, you can play around with the amounts, but keep in mind that caffeine is powerful stuff. Keep the caffeine dose small and controlled so this doesn’t become a dangerous drink. A good amount for a single serving of energy drink is about 200mg.

Any powders you use need to be dissolved completely into the beverage, because no one wants a powdery drink.

Energy drinks can be way too strong if you aren’t careful with your proportions. It’s better to start out small and then add a bit more of anything you are using later on, if it is necessary. You can always add more of an ingredient you need, but it is tough to remove some.

If you overdo it with one of your ingredients, especially something potent like taurine or caffeine, then you will have to compensate by adding more liquid and more of the flavourings. That can be a mess and leave you with a strange-tasting concoction. That’s why we urge you to take things easy and start out slow, adding only what you think you need at first.

Red Bull Drink Recipes

Red Bull makes for a great addition to a number of drinks. It is often used in cocktails and other alcoholic drinks, but we want to share some non-alcoholic options with you that you might enjoy.

Peaches and Cream

Mix together half and half, Red Bull and peach syrup. For extra colour and texture, add in diced peaches.

This is light and fruity drink that is deliciously smooth and a great remedy for hot summer days. It will give you some pep and it feels like dessert in a cup. If you want to make it even more dessert-y, just add some whipped topping as a garnish.

Be sure to combine your ingredients in the correct order. If you get it wrong, then the drink will not taste smooth. Start with ice, add in the Red Bull, and then the half and half and your flavouring.

Sherbet Punch

Start with water and frozen juice concentrate. Mix them together to make a juice, and then add in some sherbet. I like to use the same flavour of ice cream as sherbet. So, I may use frozen strawberry fruit juice concentrate along with strawberry ice cream.

Keep stirring until the sherbet is dissolved and then add in the Red Bull.

This is something you can make with any flavour of ice cream or fruit juice, and you can use your own homemade Red Bull for it as well. Some people think the drink tastes better with a citrusy soda like a Sprite or Mountain Dew, so there are a few ways you can play around with this recipe and see what appeals to you.

When making drinks with Red Bull, be aware of how much of the energy drink you are using. It’s easy to add lots to your beverage in an attempt to make it more flavourful, but it can be better to use juice or flavouring syrup in heavier quantities for taste than to use Red Bull.

If you look at the ingredients for Red Bull, you will see that it has a lot of sugar. That’s something to be aware of as well, and you don’t have to make your drink super sugary. You can use a sugar-free version of Red Bull, sugar free ice cream, and sugar substitutes to make your drink healthier and to cut back on how much sugar you are consuming.

There are also flavoured versions of Red Bull to choose from, and you can match those in your homemade recipe and use flavourings or freshly squeezed fruits to imitate the different flavours of Red Bull. Flavoured Red Bull will change your drink recipe a bit, and you may not need as many other ingredients and yet you’ll still end up with a flavourful concoction.

We hope you get some inspiration from this post and feel brave enough to try to make Red Bull or another energy drink or yourself. Don’t be too worried about how potent these drinks can be, though. So long as you control your levels of taurine and caffeine, you will keep the potency and risk at reasonable levels. Be careful in your measurements and you should not have any problems.

3.3/5 - (10 votes)

Pauline

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I'm Pauline, a mother of four grown children, my passion for cooking stemmed from the joy i get cooking for my family. I love to try new dishes, especially when dining out but creating and sharing my own recipes is my favourite thing to do!