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by Jee Choe
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From brown sugar to cinnamon, these flavored simple syrups are easy to make from scratch at home.
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Homemade Simple Syrup
Simple syrup is a liquid sweetener made of water and sugar. Sugar is dissolved in water to create liquid sugar. They’re great to use in iced drinks since it can be mixed into cold beverages easily, unlike sugar which will sink to the bottom of the cup.
Flavored simple syrups are made by adding ingredients to change the taste. For example, adding vanilla extract to sugar and water creates vanilla syrup.
They’re incredibly quick and easy to make at home with just 2-3 ingredients, taking about 5 minutes. If you can heat water on the stovetop, you can make your own simple syrup.
It’s easy to store in the refrigerator, so make a batch and use it to flavor and sweeten iced drinks for several days.
RELATED: How to Buy Starbucks Syrups at Starbucks
Expert Tips
- The basic recipe is sugar and water but you can replace the sugar with any type of sweetener you like. It can be brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or date syrup.
- Use filtered water if possible for a better tasting syrup.
- You don’t need to have the water come to a boil to make simple syrup. Just heat water hot enough so that the sugar can dissolve.
- Make batches of syrup and store in the refrigerator in airtight containers. Flavored syrups will last 2 weeks and regular simple syrup will last about a month.
RELATED: Frappuccino Base Syrup
17 Easy Simple Syrup Recipes
1. Simple Syrup
If you enjoy making coffee and tea drinks at home, learning how to make a basic simple syrup is essential. Simple syrup makes it easy to sweeten iced drinks, as it will dissolve better than regular sugar.
The recipe calls for just 2 ingredients, sugar and water. The process also takes just 4 minutes to prepare on the stovetop. One batch will make enough simple syrup for 8 drinks.
Ingredients: Sugar, water
SIMPLE SYRUP
2. Brown Sugar Syrup
For a deeper flavor profile, make simple syrup with brown sugar instead of white. It will add a tasty caramelized flavor to your drinks.
You can use brown sugar simple syrup in both hot and iced drinks. It's especially useful in cold drinks, as the liquid consistency will easily dissolve.
To elevate the flavor even more, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the 4-minute recipe.
Ingredients: Brown sugar, water
BROWN SUGAR SYRUP
3. Cinnamon Syrup
With this 3-ingredient cinnamon simple syrup, you can flavor and sweeten drinks at the same time.
The flavor comes from cinnamon sticks, which are simmered in sugar and water then taken out. This infuses the syrup with a spicy and warm taste.
It's especially delicious in drinks made with pumpkin, chocolate, and vanilla.
Ingredients: Water, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks
CINNAMON SYRUP
4. Vanilla Syrup
A quick 5-minute recipe, this vanilla simple syrup is so easy to prepare at home on the stovetop.
It's flavored with vanilla extract, which is added at the very end. This ensures the heating process doesn't cook off the flavor.
Since vanilla pairs well with many ingredients, you'll find yourself using this syrup often. See how to make it with just 3 ingredients.
Ingredients: Water, sugar, vanilla extract
VANILLA SYRUP
5. Chocolate Syrup
A rich and decadent recipe, this chocolate simple syrup takes 10 minutes to make from start to finish.
It combines a basic simple syrup made of water and sugar with cocoa powder, which adds a delicious chocolate flavor.
For the best taste, use a high-quality cocoa powder without extra ingredients or additives.
Salt is added because it enhances the natural sweetness of cocoa powder. You can leave it out, but the syrup won't be as good.
Ingredients: Water, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE SYRUP
6. Starbucks Classic Syrup
Classic syrup is an unflavored liquid sweetener at Starbucks that's used to sweeten hot and cold drinks.
It's different from standard simple syrup because it uses more sugar. This makes it a sweeter option.
The sweetener is ideal for cold drinks, as the liquid consistency will dissolve better.
Once made, this copycat Starbucks classic syrup will last 3 weeks in the refrigerator. Be sure to store it in an airtight container.
Ingredients: Water, granulated white sugar
STARBUCKS CLASSIC SYRUP
7. Starbucks Liquid Cane Sugar Syrup
The liquid cane sugar at Starbucks also contains turbinado sugar, which is why it has a brown color and a light molasses flavor.
This copycat recipe yields a full bottle of syrup that can be mixed into any of your favorite drinks.
Ingredients: Sugar, turbinado cane sugar, water
STARBUCKS LIQUID CANE SUGAR SYRUP
8. Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Turn any drink into a fall-inspired treat with this pumpkin spice syrup. The recipe is so simple, taking just 7 minutes to prepare.
All you need to do is boil water, sugar, pumpkin puree, and different spices in a pot.
The result is a flavored liquid sweetener that can be added to hot and iced drinks, such as coffee and chai.
Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix. Pumpkin puree is made of nothing but pumpkin, while pumpkin pie mix has added ingredients.
Ingredients: Water, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves
PUMPKIN SPICE SYRUP
9. Mint Syrup
Turn any drink into a minty treat with this 3-ingredient mint syrup. It's a basic simple syrup infused with peppermint tea.
You'll need to let the peppermint tea steep in the syrup for about 15 minutes. This will ensure the flavor is fully extracted.
Either peppermint tea bags or loose peppermint tea can be used in this recipe.
Ingredients: Water, sugar, loose peppermint tea
MINT SYRUP
10. Strawberry Syrup
From plain milk to iced tea, almost any drink will taste better with this homemade strawberry syrup.
The recipe calls for fresh strawberries, which provide color and flavor. Use ripe, bright red strawberries that are free of mushy spots.
When heating the simple syrup, don't forget to mash the berries. This will help release their juices.
Keep your homemade strawberry simple syrup in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Ingredients: Water, white sugar, fresh strawberries
11. Rose Syrup
Floral and sweet, this simple syrup is infused with dried rose petals. This gives it a natural pink color.
The syrup will enhance many types of drinks, including green and black tea. You could also use it in rose tea to intensify the floral flavor.
It's especially tasty in coffee or matcha lattes, as the sweetness can help tone down the more earthy flavors.
Always use food-grade rose petals when making this syrup.
Ingredients: Water, sugar, dried rose petals
12. Honey Syrup
Honey is a popular natural sweetener for coffee and tea. However, it can be difficult to mix into drinks, especially iced.
This syrup is a simple solution. It combines honey with water, which dilutes the honey and makes it easier to stir.
Feel free to use any type of honey, including local products. Choose raw honey if you want something more natural.
A batch of this honey simple syrup recipe makes one cup, about enough for 8 drinks.
Ingredients: Water, honey
HONEY SYRUP
13. Lemon Syrup
If you enjoy adding lemon and sweetener to your drinks, make this lemon simple syrup. It's an easy way to use both at the same time.
The recipe makes enough syrup for about 8 drinks. You'll only need 1 or 2 tablespoons of syrup per drink.
It's especially tasty in tea, including green tea and fruit teas. The acidity will also change the color of butterfly pea tea from blue to purple.
See how to make it in 4 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients: Lemon juice, sugar, lemon zest
14. Peach Syrup
All you need is 3 ingredients to make this tasty peach simple syrup. It uses real peaches for the best color and flavor.
The recipe starts by making peach puree in a blender. To do this, simply combine diced peaches and water.
You then heat the peach puree with sugar, then strain the syrup. Save the leftover pulp for smoothies.
Enjoy this quick peach syrup in tea, lemonade, seltzer, and even coffee.
Ingredients: Water, diced peaches, sugar
15. Lavender Syrup
Learn how to make lavender simple syrup with this easy 3-ingredient recipe.
Always use food-grade dried lavender when making simple syrup. It should say "food-grade" on the packaging.
Don't worry if your lavender syrup is more beige. The color depends on the lavender you have.
It will still taste good in tea and coffee, even if it's slightly beige.
Ingredients: Water, sugar, dried lavender
16. Hibiscus Syrup
Elevate your drinks with this 3-ingredient hibiscus syrup. It's the perfect combination of floral and sweet.
If possible, use hibiscus tea bags instead of loose hibiscus flowers. It will make cleanup easier.
As a form of liquid sugar, hibiscus syrup will dissolve quickly in both cold and hot drinks. Try in milk to make a hibiscus latte.
Ingredients: Water, sugar, hibiscus tea bags
17. Rosemary Syrup
Easy to make at home in just minutes, this 3-ingredient rosemary syrup adds a lovely woodsy aroma to teas, co*cktails, and more.
Rosemary is an aromatic herb that gives this simple syrup a woodsy flavor with notes of pine and lemon. It's especially popular in the fall and winter months and adds a botanical, herbaceous aroma to dishes and drinks.
Ingredients: Fresh rosemary sprigs, sugar, water
Questions You May Have
What’s in simple syrup?
Basic simple syrup is made of one part sugar and one part water. Any kind of sweetener and flavoring can be used to make a variety of simple syrups. Honey and water is honey simple syrup or honey syrup. Cinnamon, sugar, and water is cinnamon simple syrup, or cinnamon syrup.
Do I need to refrigerate simple syrup?
Yes, to make sure the syrup doesn’t go bad, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Simple sugar with just two ingredients will last 3 weeks but flavored simple syrup lasts 2 weeks.
Is it cheaper to make my own simple syrup than buying it?
Yes! Making your own syrup will save you money for sure. A store-bought bottle of simple syrup will cost at least $6 but the homemade syrup will cost at least less than half that.
Does simple syrup need to boil?
The longer and hotter the water and sugar get, the thicker the syrup will get as it cools. I like to make it easily pourable so I like to only let the sugar dissolve on a simmer and never to a full boil.
Related
- French Vanilla Creamer
- Best Starbucks Syrups
- Starbucks Iced Coffee Copycat Recipes
- Easy Hot Chocolate Recipes
- Iced Mexican Coffee
- Iced Vanilla Latte
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17 Simple Syrup Recipes
Author: Jee Choe
From brown sugar to cinnamon, these flavored simple syrups areeasy to make, including this Brown Sugar Syrup below.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 4 minutes mins
Total Time 4 minutes mins
Course Drinks
Yield8 servings
INGREDIENTS
- ¾ cup water
- ¾ cup brown sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
Brown Sugar Simple Syrup
Put brown sugar and water in a saucepan and simmer. Take off heat and cool.
Stir to make sure sugar dissolves completely.
Pour syrup into an airtight container.
The syrup will keep for 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
NOTES
17 Simple Syrup Recipes:
- Simple Syrup
- Brown Sugar Syrup
- Cinnamon Syrup
- Vanilla Syrup
- Chocolate Syrup
- Starbucks Classic Syrup
- Starbucks Liquid Cane Sugar Syrup
- Pumpkin Spice Syrup
- Mint Syrup
- Strawberry Syrup
- Rose Syrup
- Honey Syrup
- Lemon Syrup
- Peach Syrup
- Lavender Syrup
- Hibiscus Syrup
- Rosemary Syrup
NUTRITION
Calories: 78 | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 27mg | Sugar: 20g | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
6 thoughts on “17 Simple Syrup Recipes”
Thank you for a concise group of simple syrups. I’ve tried a few, and look forward to trying them all. Peace and all good.
Reply
Can these be frozen like ice cubes?
Reply
Hi Poppy, unfortunately no, since there’s too much sugar in the syrup to freeze properly.
Reply
so simple! thanks for compiling these.
Reply
Can these be used like flavour shots for hot coffee?
Reply
Yes!
Reply