How to Make Simple Syrup: 8 Recipes and Suggested Uses

How to Make Simple Syrup: it’s fast and easy. A basic recipe and seven flavored recipes that are great for cocktails, gifts and other uses you may not have thought of!

Simple syrup is a basic ingredients in many cocktails but did you know you can make it yourself? AND that cocktails are just the start of how it’s used?

This guide answers all your questions about how to make simple syrup with eight easy recipes!

What IS Simple Syrup?

Also known as ‘sugar syrup’, it is a liquified version of sugar used most commonly in cocktails.

It is easy to make and can be infused with many flavors!

Because it’s liquified, simple syrup mixes easily into drinks (cold drinks especially) and other liquids.

This ensures full mixing of the desired sweetness into a cocktail or other liquid, and avoids undissolved sugar settling into the bottom of a drink.

Ingredients in Simple Syrup

There are only two ingredients: granulated sugar and water. That’s it!

Why Make Simple Syrup?

Though simple syrup can be purchased at liquor stores, there are some advantages of making it yourself:

• Make any size batch you need due to the simple ratio relationship between the ingredients. It’s easy to size a batch.
• It’s easier to keep a fresh batch available when making it at home.
• It’s inexpensive!

Change Up the Sugar!

Typically, simple syrup made with granulated white sugar is clear.

Both the color and the flavor change when different types of sugar are used.

Try Demerara or Turbinado sugar to make a golden color and more light caramel flavor.

Brown sugar makes a deeply flavored syrup great for winter drinks.

How to Make Simple Syrup – Three Easy Steps

This is the easiest recipe ever!

1. Combine equal parts of granulated sugar and water in a saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Remove from the heat and allow to cool fully before using.

What is Rich Simple Syrup?

Sweeter than regular simple syrup, Rich Simple Syrup is made using twice as much sugar to water.

How to Store Simple Syrup

Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

How Long Does Simple Syrup Last in the Refrigerator?

When stored in a sealed container the simple syrup should last up to 1 month.

How to Make Flavored Simple Syrups

One of my favorite ways to create custom cocktails is to make flavored simple syrups.

The sky is the limit in terms of flavor options (some of my favorites are listed later).

How to Make: 

• The flavor item (vanilla bean, cinnamon sticks, other whole spices, herbs or fruits) is added to the base/regular simple syrup recipe and allowed to ‘infuse’; transferring flavor to the simple syrup.
• Allowing the ingredients to simmer together than cool fully creates a rich depth of flavor.

Great Gift Idea!

Flavored simple syrups in particular are perfect for gift giving and affordable to make!

Custom flavored syrups cannot be purchased at the store and are better homemade too.

What to Do with Simple Syrup

Now that you’ve made your simple syrup how to use it? Most definitely the most common use is in making cocktails but that’s not all:

• In cocktails (some recipe ideas below)
• To sweeten cold drinks like iced tea, lemonade or iced coffee (since it is a liquid it blends quickly and well)
• To moisten cakes! A long-known bakers’ trick to keep cakes moist by either soaking the cake layers before assembly or using a squeeze bottle to drizzle it over small holes made in the cake layers
• Poaching fruit. Pears in particular!
• Add it to a sorbet recipe
• Drizzle over a fruit salad for some extra sweetness (especially if you’ve infused the simple syrup)
• Though it is not thick like traditional syrup, it can be drizzled over pancakes and waffles for extra sweetness
• Drizzle over plain yogurt
• Add a bit to sparkling water for a whole new drink
• Use it in oatmeal
• Give for gifts
• Add it to a marinade for a sweet-savory ingredient mix

Recipes Using Simple Syrup

These refreshing Costa Rican cocktails all use plain simple syrup: Watermelon Mojito, Basil Mojito and the Iguana!

Persimmon Margaritas with Homemade Cinnamon Simple Syrup is a delicious winter cocktail choice.

Cinnamon Simple Syrup also makes Spiced Apple Cider Whisky Sours an extra pop of flavor.

Raspberry Simple Syrup is a hit in these Valentine’s inspired Love Potion #9 cocktails!

Cranberry Moscow Mule is a refreshing winter or holiday cocktail changed up by adding Cranberry Simple Syrup.

The Sunfire Cocktail

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How to Make Simple Syrup (and Flavored Simple Syrup recipes)

Simple syrup is fast and easy to make at home. Infuse it with different ingredients to change the flavor completely!

Course Cocktails, Cocktail Syrup

Cuisine American

Keyword flavored simple syrup recipe, how to make simple syrup

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 24 1 tablespoons servings approximately(aproximately 1 1/2 cups total)

Calories 32 kcal

Author Toni Dash

Ingredients

Simple Syrup (regular - unflavored)

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water

Flavored Simple Syrups (NOTE: regular recipe PLUS ingredients listed per type)

Cinnamon Simple Syrup

• 1 Cinnamon Stick

Vanilla Simple Syrup

• 1 Vanilla Bean slit lengthwise and opened

Cranberry Simple Syrup

• 1 ½ cups fresh Cranberries

Lavender Simple Syrup

• 1 tablespoon dried Culinary-grade Lavender

Mint Simple Syrup

• 1 cup fresh Mint Leaves

Rosemary Simple Syrup

• 1/4 cup fresh Rosemary Leaves

Raspberry Simple Syrup

• 2 1/2 cups fresh Raspberries (2 6-ounce cartons)

Instructions

Simple Syrup (regular - unflavored)

1. Combing the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil stirring to dissolve the sugar.
2. Remove from heat and allow to fully cool.

3. Store in a sealed container for up to 1 month in the refrigerator. NOTE: regular and flavored simple syrups should be stored in this way.

Cinnamon Simple Syrup

1. Add the cinnamon stick to the regular simple syrup while boiling. Boil 3 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and allow to fully cool.

3. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick. 

Vanilla Simple Syrup

1. Add the prepared vanilla bean it to the sugar and water for the regular recipe.

2. Follow the regular recipe. Remove the vanilla bean after cool.

Cranberry Simple Syrup

1. Add the fresh cranberries to the regular recipe. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

2. Allow to simmer until the berries have popped (2-3 minutes) and remove from heat. Cool fully.

3. Strain through a fine sieve.

Lavender Simple Syrup

1. Combine lavender with the sugar and water. Follow the instructions in the regular recipe.

2. When cooled, strain the lavender out of the simple syrup using a fine sieve.

Mint Simple Syrup

1. Add the fresh mint leaves to the regular recipe. Allow to simmer 2 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and allow to cool fully, at least 30 minutes.
3. When cooled, strain the mint out of the simple syrup using a fine sieve.

Rosemary Simple Syrup

1. Add the fresh rosemary leaves to the regular recipe. Allow to simmer 1 minute.

2. Remove from heat and allow to cool fully, at least 30 minutes.

3. When cooled, strain the rosemary leaves out of the simple syrup using a fine sieve.

Raspberry Simple Syrup

1. Add thes fresh raspberries to the base recipe. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.

2. Reduce to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes; smash the raspberries with a mixing spoon or whisk while simmering to break them up.

3. Remove from heat and allow to steep until cool (approximately 1 hour).

4. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. 

Nutrition Facts

How to Make Simple Syrup (and Flavored Simple Syrup recipes)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 32

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 0g 0%

Saturated Fat 0g 0%

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 0mg 0%

Total Carbohydrates 8g 3%

Sugars 8g

Protein 0g 0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.