Top 5 DIY E-liquid Flavour Mix Recipes UK 2026
With the UK vape tax adding £2.20 per 10ml to bottled e-liquid from October 2026, DIY mixing is about to become 3–4× cheaper than buying pre-made. Below are five proven DIY e-liquid flavour mix recipes covering all skill levels, from absolute beginner one-shots to cloud-chaser sub-ohm blends. Each recipe uses flavour concentrates only — add your own UK-legal nicotine shot (max 20mg/ml under TPD rules) to your finished mix if you want nicotine.
Before You Start: DIY Mixing Basics
Every recipe below lists flavour concentrates as a percentage of total volume. Fill the remaining percentage with your chosen VG/PG base split. A typical mix is:
- MTL / nic salt style: 50% VG / 50% PG — for pod kits, standard coils, tight draws
- DTL / cloud chasing: 70% VG / 30% PG (or 80/20) — for sub-ohm tanks, RDAs, high-wattage devices
- Steep time: How long the mix needs to rest before vaping. Fruit mixes are often shake-and-vape; custards and tobaccos need 1–2 weeks to develop.
Weigh or measure by mL using a syringe or a 0.01g scale. Always shake thoroughly and label bottles with the date and recipe.
1. Simple Strawberry Custard (Beginner One-Shot-Style)
Skill level: Beginner · Base: 50VG/50PG · Steep: 3–5 days
The gateway DIY recipe. Two concentrates, zero guesswork, and a finished juice that tastes like every premium strawberry-custard e-liquid on the market.
- Capella Sweet Strawberry — 8%
- Capella Vanilla Custard V2 — 6%
- Base (50/50 VG/PG) — 86%
Notes: Shake vigorously, leave in a dark cupboard for 3–5 days. The custard needs time to round out the strawberry. Great in MTL pods, refillable pod kits, or low-wattage sub-ohm tanks.
2. Classic Blueberry Sour Raspberry (Beginner MTL)
Skill level: Beginner · Base: 50VG/50PG · Steep: Shake and vape
A home clone of the UK’s most-searched pre-filled pod flavour. Perfect for refillable MTL pod kits or any device that takes a tighter, nicotine-salt-style draw.
- FlavourArt Blueberry — 4%
- Inawera Raspberry — 2%
- FlavorWest Sour — 1%
- Base (50/50 VG/PG) — 93%
Notes: Inawera concentrates are potent — don’t go above 3% on them. Add 0.5% koolada or WS-23 for an “Ice” version. Vape within a day of mixing.
3. Cherry Ice Nic Salt Mix (Nic Salt MTL)
Skill level: Intermediate · Base: 50VG/50PG · Steep: 2–3 days
A Cherry Ice clone designed specifically for refillable pod kits running nic salts. Matches the flavour profile of the most popular UK pre-filled Cherry Ice pods at a fraction of the cost per ml.
- FlavourArt Black Cherry — 4%
- Capella Sweet Cherry — 2%
- TPA Koolada 10% — 1%
- Capella Super Sweet — 0.5%
- Base (50/50 VG/PG) — 92.5%
Notes: Koolada delivers a cleaner “ice” finish than menthol for nic salt mixes. Replace with 0.5–1% WS-23 for a colder hit. Ideal for Xros, OXVA Xlim refillables, and any 0.8Ω+ pod.
4. Tobacco RY4 (Intermediate, All Device Types)
Skill level: Intermediate · Base: 50VG/50PG (MTL) or 70VG/30PG (DTL) · Steep: 2 weeks minimum
RY4 — tobacco, caramel, and vanilla — is the classic ex-smoker DIY recipe. Tastes exponentially better after a proper 2-week steep.
- Inawera Tobacco Reserve — 2%
- FlavorWest Vanilla Custard — 3%
- Capella Caramel V2 — 2%
- TPA Brown Sugar — 1%
- Base (your chosen split) — 92%
Notes: Do not shortcut the steep — fresh RY4 tastes harsh and one-note. After 2 weeks the tobacco integrates with the caramel and vanilla into something that actually replicates the tobacco-dessert category of premium UK e-liquids.
5. Tropical Mango Pineapple (Cloud Chaser / Sub-Ohm)
Skill level: Intermediate · Base: 70VG/30PG · Steep: 5–7 days
A DTL recipe built for big-cloud sub-ohm tanks and RDAs. High VG for dense vapour, bright tropical fruit profile, and low enough throat hit to handle 6mg or lower nicotine.
- Capella Sweet Mango — 5%
- FlavorWest Pineapple — 4%
- Inawera Cactus — 1%
- FlavourArt Passion Fruit — 2%
- Capella Super Sweet — 0.5%
- Base (70VG/30PG) — 87.5%
Notes: Inawera Cactus is the secret — it makes fruit taste “juicier” even at 1%. For maximum cloud production and flavour, vape at 50–70W through a 0.2Ω mesh coil.
How to Add Nicotine to Your Finished Mix
If you want nicotine in your e-liquid, the safest UK-legal method is to mix your recipe as a zero-nicotine base, then add a TPD-compliant nicotine shot (typically 18mg/ml in a 10ml bottle) to a larger bottle of zero-nic base. This keeps you clear of handling concentrated nicotine base, which is a skin-absorption hazard at high concentrations.
For a 50ml bottle at 3mg/ml nicotine: mix 10ml of 18mg shot into 40ml of your zero-nic recipe. For nic salts, use a UK-sold nic salt shot following the same principle. Always check the strength and volume on your bottles — don’t mix nicotine by eye.
DIY E-Liquid Mixing FAQ
Is DIY e-liquid legal in the UK?
Yes. The TPD regulates the sale of pre-filled nicotine-containing e-liquid at 20mg/ml maximum in bottles of 10ml or less. Mixing your own for personal use is legal. Selling home-mixed nicotine e-liquid is not.
How much cheaper is DIY compared to buying e-liquid?
After the October 2026 vape tax, a 60ml DIY bottle costs roughly £2–£4 in concentrates and base versus £15–£20 for the equivalent bottled e-liquid. Savings compound quickly if you vape daily.
Do I need special equipment?
For simple mixes, just syringes or a 0.01g scale, mixing bottles, and your concentrates and base. No heat, no distillation, no complicated gear.
Which brands should I start with?
Capella, FlavourArt (FA), The Flavor Apprentice (TPA/TFA), FlavorWest, and Inawera (INW) cover 95% of popular recipes and are widely stocked in the UK.
Recipes are starting points — adjust percentages to your taste. Full DIY e-liquid brand guide coming soon on the site.
