Boiling water is the main event in simple syrup recipes. Simple syrup is just equal parts granulated sugar and water, which more than lives up to its name.
Homemade simple syrup can be infused with fresh herbs like lavender, mint, or rosemary. Although it can be used as a sweetener in cooking and baking, cocktails and mocktails are where it’s most frequently found.
Make simple syrup at home instead of buying it from the store using certain ingredients that you might already have.
Sugar Syrup Recipe
White sugar and water are the two main ingredients in simple syrup. However, you shouldn’t just use your simple syrup for mocktails! According to Allrecipes, this simple syrup can also be used to make sorbet, sweeten tea and lemonade, and maintain the moistness of cakes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water.
- Over medium heat, bring to a boil while stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Let it cool.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to a month after pouring it into a clean jar and covering it with a tight-fitting lid.
Lavender Simple Syrup
Using lavender syrup is a great method to give a range of beverages a floral fragrance with a hint of sweetness. Like the non-alcoholic lavender martini, mocktails will benefit from its aromatic sweetness. Add some to your tea or lemonade for a floral twist, drizzle it on top, or make your lavender soda by adding seltzer like how The Spruce Eats would.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons fresh or dried lavender flowers
- 2 cups sugar
Instructions
- In a saucepan, bring the lavender and water to a boil.
- Add the sugar and whisk until it is completely dissolved.
- Simmer for about 15 minutes or so.
- Once the flavor is to your liking, turn off the heat and let it cool and steep for at least an hour.
- The lavender should be strained.
- Place the bottle of lavender syrup in the fridge after pouring it.
- Enjoy your favorite drinks after adding this lavender simple syrup to them.
Mint Simple Syrup
Mint simple syrup is just as simple to create and use as conventional simple syrup, and you can change the part sizes to get the volume you want.
Once prepared, the syrup recipe from Liquor.com can be incorporated into any drink to give it a minty, refreshing kick, like mocktail Mojitos and non-alcoholic Mint Juleps. The only limits are set by your creativity and for how long your mint supply will last.
Ingredients
- ½ cup turbinado sugar
- ¾ cup fresh mint leaves
- ½ cup boiling water
Instructions
- Mint leaves and sugar should be combined in a heat-resistant basin.
- Once the water is boiling, add the sugar and whisk until it dissolves.
- Mint leaves should be steeped for 15 minutes.
- Strain into a jar, cover, and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Rosemary Simple Syrup
This rosemary simple syrup from The Gastronom can often be added to drinks, including non-alcoholic Rosemary’s Pear, French Tart, and Rio Rose. You can infuse simple syrups with anything, so get creative and craft your flavors!
Ingredients
- Water
- Sugar
- 4-6 rosemary spears
Instructions
- Boil the water.
- Stir in sugar and let it melt.
- The rosemary spears should be added after 60 seconds of the infusion boil.
- After taking the pan from the heat, let the tea steep for 30 minutes – 1 hour, depending on how strong you prefer.
- Pour the chilled syrup into an airtight container, preferably made of glass, through a mesh sieve.
Honey Simple Syrup
This fantastic, nutritious substitute for ordinary simple syrup also works as a quick fix to loosen up old, too-thick honey for use in vinaigrettes, marinades, and mocktails. Feasting At Home advises altering your measurements and adding a little more honey than is required because the honey is diluted.
Ingredients
- 1 cup honey
- ½ – 1 cup warm water
Instructions
- Place honey and warm water in a clean squeeze bottle, cover the opening with your finger, and shake vigorously.
- If your honey is particularly dense and/or hard, blend it with the water in a small pot over very low heat while stirring constantly.
- Pour into a squeeze bottle after cooling.
Vanilla Simple Syrup
In essence, vanilla syrup is simply simple syrup that has been condensed and flavored or vanilla beans added. This simple syrup recipe from I Am Baker is a tasty homemade sweetener that can be used for various beverages, including coffee and mocktails.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (62.5 g) water
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add water and sugar to a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat.
- Stir and bring to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add vanilla extract after removing from the heat, and stir to blend.
- Give the syrup time to cool. After that, put it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge.
- This vanilla simple syrup can produce roughly 112 cups.
Brown Sugar Simple Syrup
The ideal accompaniment to specialty coffees, boba, and mocktails is this brown sugar simple syrup from Sugar and Soul! It’s a quick and simple technique to give drinks a sweet, rich brown sugar flavor using only three ingredients and a burner.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine the water and dark brown sugar.
- Cook over medium-high heat, occasionally stirring, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the sugar dissolves.
- Add vanilla extract after turning the heat off.
- For about an hour, allow the syrup to cool to room temperature in the pan.
- Pour into an airtight container, then keep it there for up to a month.
Ginger Simple Syrup
This fresh ginger simple syrup by Burrata and Bubbles will give your mocktails, lemonade, and homemade sodas the ideal spice kick! The ginger is added to a traditional simple syrup and steeped in before being blended to produce an even more flavorful syrup than merely infusing a can.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup fresh ginger root peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
Instructions
- Add the water, sugar, and ginger to a small pan.
- Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil while stirring regularly to dissolve the sugar.
- Turn off the heat after it boils and the sugar has dissolved, then let it steep for at least 15 minutes.
- Fill a blender with the entire contents of the pot, and blend until smooth. (You may skip the blending step and just steep and strain if you like a softer ginger flavor, but a stronger, spicy ginger flavor in the syrup makes it stand out more in drinks when you add other components.)
- Put a basin underneath a fine-mesh sieve in the sink. Blender contents should be poured into the sieve to separate liquid from particles.
- Let your ginger simple syrup cool by keeping it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
- Shake before using. Enjoy!
Strawberry Simple Syrup
The simplicity of this 3-ingredient strawberry simple syrup makes it perfect for any homemade beverage or mocktail. Fifteen Spatulas recommends using this in strawberry iced tea.
Ingredients
- 8 oz strawberries, stems removed and sliced (1.5 cups, measured)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Strawberries, water, and sugar should all be combined in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is deep red and the strawberries are mushy.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer.
- Avoid pressing down on the strawberries as you strain them from the simple syrup. If not, your syrup will be hazy.
- Enjoy the strawberry simple syrup after chilling it in the refrigerator for a few hours or until it is cold.
Lemon Simple Syrup
Lemon – the most useful component in your kitchen. This lemon simple syrup from Alphafoodie only calls for two whole ingredients. The best part? Lemons include a lot of fiber and vitamin C and may also assist in controlling your blood pressure.
Ingredients
- 11 oz white sugar 1.5 cups
- 5 large lemons 1.5 cups/360 ml lemon juice
Instructions
- To a small pot, add sugar and lemon juice. Let the mixture softly boil over medium heat. Stir regularly to ensure that the sugar dissolves in the lemon juice (and prevent burning the pan bottom).
- When the syrup thickens, reduce and then simmer for around 10 minutes.
- After allowing the lemon mixture to cool, strain it. This will remove residual lemon pulp and catch any seeds that may have inadvertently fallen in.
- Place the syrup in a refrigerator-safe bottle or container after pouring it there.
Sugar-Free Simple Syrup
Making Keto Sugar-Free Syrup
This sugar-free, low-carb version of simple syrup is perfect for adding to beverages and mocktails! It’s made with only two ingredients and is ideal for non-alcoholic beverages. There are only 2 grams of net carbohydrates in each serving of this keto simple syrup recipe from The Big Man’s World.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sweetener of choice I used allulose
- ⅛ teaspoon xanthan gum
Instructions
- The granulated sweetener and water should be combined in a small pot and heated slowly. Whisk the mixture frequently until the sweetener dissolves.
- After the syrup starts to simmer, mix in the xanthan gum and turn off the heat.
- Before pouring the syrup into a glass bottle or jar, let it cool fully.
Cinnamon Simple Syrup
Use cinnamon simple syrup to make homemade versions of your favorite coffee shop traditional mocktails, or drizzle it over ice cream. The cinnamon flavor can be obtained from cinnamon sticks or ground cinnamon. However, MasterClass says that the latter produces a stronger flavor faster.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar (white sugar or brown sugar)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Combine the water, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla essence in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Boil the syrup for 30 seconds or until the sugar is dissolved.
- Put the ground cinnamon in a measuring cup with a spout after straining it (or leaving it in the syrup).
- The homemade cinnamon syrup should be stored in the refrigerator after being transferred to an airtight container, such as a jar with a cover.
Blueberry Simple Syrup
Simple syrups can easily be flavored with fresh fruit, especially in the summer when berries are in season. This method by A Flavor Journal works well for creating concentrated, small-batch homemade blueberry syrup for mocktail recipes!
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- 8 oz. fresh blueberries
- pinch of salt (Sea Salt or Kosher)
Instructions
- Half a cup each of sugar and water should be added to a small pot set over medium heat. Two minutes of stirring is required for the sugar to dissolve.
- Stir the blueberries in the sugar water after adding the cup of blueberries and a dash of salt to the saucepan.
- Set the heat to medium-low.
- For about 10 minutes, let the blueberries simmer over low heat. Avoid stirring them.
- Turn off the heat and remove the pot. Allow the blueberries and syrup to cool completely to room temperature in the saucepan.
- Pour the syrup through a fine mesh filter into a glass container that has been sterilized. In the strainer, avoid pressing down on the berries.
- The blueberries should be thrown away (or save for smoothies or milkshakes).
Jalapeño Simple Syrup
In search of a creative way to liven up your mocktails? Just three items are needed to produce this homemade jalapeño simple syrup from We Are Not Martha, and it’s incredibly simple to do!
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup sliced jalapeño (from 1-2 jalapeño peppers)
Instructions
- Bring to a boil the water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Add thinly chopped jalapeños.
- Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes or more until the syrup thickens.
- Pour the mixture into a heat-resistant bowl or mason jar (strain the peppers to reduce the spice).
- Before using, put the bowl or jar in the refrigerator to chill.
Cranberry Simple Syrup
Making this simple syrup recipe from Casual Foodist at home couldn’t be simpler, and flavoring it is a terrific way to upgrade your favorite beverages and treats. Cranberry simple syrup, tart and vibrant, enlivens everything it touches, from your morning cup of tea to some of your favorite traditional mocktails.
Cranberry simple syrup is simple to create and ideal for the holiday season with only three ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 12 oz bag cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 cup sugar
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and cranberries. Heat to a simmer. 15 minutes of simmering is required to dissolve the sugar and soften the cranberries completely.
- Through a filter with fine mesh, pour the mixture.
- Serve the syrup as desired after pouring it into glass containers.
Basil Simple Syrup
You may use basil simple syrup to add flavor to iced tea, basil lemonade, mixed drinks, and basil popsicles. The flavorful basil transforms an often uninteresting beverage by adding a lovely flowery accent to the simple syrup.
Recreate this basil syrup recipe from Keeping It Simple and savor it for several weeks.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups of water
- 1 ½ cups of sugar
- large bunch of fresh basil leave
Instructions
- Over medium heat, add water and sugar to a medium pot.
- The mixture must be heated until the sugar dissolves.
- When the sugar has dissolved, turn off the heat, stir in the fresh basil leaves, and cover with a lid.
- While the basil leaves are steeping in the simple syrup, allow cooling.
- Once the syrup has cooled, take out the basil leaves and transfer them to a jar for either immediate use or refrigeration.
Blackberry Simple Syrup
If you recently bought some blackberries but were way too tart just to eat plain, you can use some of them to make this blackberry simple syrup. This simple syrup from For The Love Of Cooking can flavor lemonade, Italian sodas, and non-alcoholic beverages.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh blackberries
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine the blackberries with the water, sugar, and lemon juice on medium-high heat.
- Use a potato masher to smash the berries after bringing to a boil.
- Allow the flavors to meld for ten minutes after turning off the stove.
- Through a very fine strainer, transfer the mixture into a glass jar.
- Keep refrigerated and tightly sealed. Enjoy.
Raspberry Simple Syrup
This raspberry simple syrup infuses your favorite beverages and mocktails with the sweet flavor and color of raspberries. My Dominican Kitchen suggests adding a squeeze of lemon juice and a slice of lemon to upgrade the flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raspberries
- ¾ cup ganulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 cup water
- 1 lime slice
Instructions
- Heat the raspberries, sugar, water, lemon slice, and lemon juice in a small skillet over medium-high heat.
- When it begins to boil, turn the heat down.
- Until the raspberries have melted, let it simmer for around 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and give it a few minutes to cool.
- Strain the liquid through a strainer, then place it in a closed container in the refrigerator.
Orange Simple Syrup
Using only three ingredients, orange simple syrup can be a simple but grand condiment. The additional flavor enhances a beverage and can be used in desserts. With a strong citrus flavor and various uses, this orange simple syrup recipe from Three Olives Branch is perfect for the holidays.
Ingredients
- 6 inches orange peel (½ an orange)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
Instructions
- Set a little pot on medium-high.
- Using a vegetable peeler, remove the orange’s skin while avoiding the majority of the pith underneath.
- In the pot, mix the orange peel, sugar, and water.
- Heat to a rolling boil, then turn down to a simmer for 15 minutes.
- Take the syrup off the heat, and let the orange peel steep for at least an hour.
- If preferred, strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer to remove the peel.
- The syrup should be kept in a container. For up to one month, keep the syrup in the fridge.
Rhubarb Simple Syrup
Create a simple syrup that has been infused with spring rhubarb for use in mocktails. Tori Avey notes that a thicker syrup for pancakes and waffles requires more cooking time.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds rhubarb
- 4 cups water
- 1 ¾ cups sugar
Instructions
- Wash the rhubarb thoroughly.
- The rhubarb should be cut into small pieces after trimming the ends. In a medium saucepan, add the chopped rhubarb. Put a lid on it and boil the water.
- For about 20 minutes, reduce the heat to a medium simmer while letting the rhubarb cook. The foam should be skimmed off the top.
- The rhubarb will lose its color and become mushy after about 20 minutes. The water will be a vivid pink or red color. Turn off the heat.
- Separate the rhubarb from the liquid by pouring the rhubarb liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a different, clean pot. The resulting liquid will be slightly more opaque since rhubarb decomposes faster than raspberries or strawberries.
- Discard the rhubarb after straining the rhubarb liquid.
- To the rhubarb liquid, add 1 ¾ cups of sugar. Stirring regularly will help the sugar dissolve into the syrup as it is brought back to a boil. To completely dissolve the sugar, let the syrup simmer for 5 minutes while skimming off any further foam that accumulates on top.
- Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool fully.
- Pour the mixture into a glass jar, then seal and chill. The syrup can last for a few weeks.
Rose Simple Syrup
Real roses are used to create this exquisitely flowery and aromatic rose simple syrup from SugarYums. Simple to create, this syrup only needs three ingredients. Ideal for cakes, pancakes, milk teas, mocktails, iced drinks, and much more!
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried rose buds or petals
- 1 cup water, filtered
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Mix the sugar, water, and edible roses in a medium saucepan. Cook until the water begins to boil on high heat.
- After boiling, boil the heat to a simmering level for five minutes.
- Use a fine mesh strainer to drain the liquid and get rid of the flowers.
- Add the liquid to the stove and let it simmer for 10 minutes. The syrup must have a consistency similar to that of maple syrup.
- Simmer the syrup for 5-8 minutes longer for thicker pancake syrup.
Simple Syrup Recipes FAQs
Simple syrup is just equal parts granulated sugar and water, which more than lives up to its name. Homemade simple syrup can be infused with fresh herbs like lavender, mint, or rosemary. Although it can be used as a sweetener in cooking and baking, cocktails and mocktails are where it’s most frequently found.
Boiling water is the main event in simple syrup recipes. Additionally, white sugar and water are the two main ingredients in simple syrup.
Actually, the science is quite simple. At ambient temperature, water easily dissolves sucrose (granulated sugar), so the syrup doesn’t really need to boil unless you’ll be adding other ingredients to it.
When you double the amount of sugar in a standard simple syrup recipe, you’ll get a thicker, sweeter syrup that makes sweetening your favorite tea, iced coffee, and lemonade simple!
