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    Home » Simple Syrup

    Jun 18, 2023 · Modified: May 21, 2024 by Kristin. This post may contain affiliate links. · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Simple Syrup Recipe

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    Simple syrup in a bowl on a wooden table next to a bar spoon.

    Many different beverages really benefit from having a little sweetener added in. When regular sugar won’t do, whip up a batch of this easy to make simple syrup instead. This sweetener is a liquid that easily dissolves in different beverages to give them that little touch of sweetness that everyone loves.

    Simple syrup being scooped by a spoon.

    What is Simple Syrup?

    Simple syrup is a sweetener typically used in beverages, but can also be used on foods. It is really easy to make as it is just a one-to-one ratio or equal parts of sugar and water dissolved together.

    Really all you have to do to make this sweetener is heat your sugar and water together until they are well combined. Then, give them a little time to cool off and get ready to add it to all the drinks.

    One of the great things about simple syrup is that it is a better sweetener to use in beverages than regular sugar. The reason for this is that since it’s liquid it dissolves more easily and evenly than granulated sugar. This also results in a less gritty drink.

    It’s important to note that while this is called a syrup, it’s not as thick as a honey or a maple syrup. It is more like a slightly thick liquid.

    Here are some of the reasons why this recipe works so well:

    • It’s inexpensive. All you need for this is sugar and water. Water is typically free and sugar is really inexpensive. You can make a large batch of this recipe for hardly any money at all.
    • You only need a few minutes. With only two ingredients and just a little heating required this is a super easy to make recipe. The thing that takes the longest is just heating your ingredients together. If you got about 10 or 15 minutes then you should be able to have this ready to go.
    • It dissolves easily. Being that it’s a liquid sweetener it dissolves so easily into beverages. Making it a much better choice to sweeten them than regular sugar.

    Equipment

    • Saucepan
    • Wooden Spoon (or any long handle spoon)
    • Mason jar or Small Pyrex
    • Measuring Cup

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup Sugar
    • 1 cup Water
    An empty pot next to bowls of sugar and water.

    Instructions

    Step one

    Gather up everything you’ll need in order to make this syrup including sugar, water, measuring cup, wooden spoon, saucepan and jar with a lid.

    Pouring sugar into a pot.

    Step two

    Measure out one cup of sugar. Then pour that into the saucepan.

    Pouring water into a pot with sugar.

    Step three

    Measure out one cup of water. Then, pour that into the saucepan.

    Step four

    Heat everything together on the stove top at medium heat. You’ll want to simmer the mixture for about 8 to 10 minutes.

    While it heats, make sure to stir it frequently.

    Step Five

    Once everything is heated and dissolved remove it from the stove top. Then, pour your syrup from the saucepan into your jar.

    Cover the jar with the lid and place the syrup into the refrigerator for about 2 hours so that it has time to cool and thicken some.

    How to Use Simple Syrup

    You can really put this liquid sweetener and just about any beverage and a lot of different foods. Here are a few things to consider using it with:

    • Lemonades and limeades. Use this to mix with a little lemon juice and water or lime juice and water and you have an easy and refreshing lemonade or limeade. These can also be easily turned into flavored lemonades and limeades like this cherry limeade.
    • Iced tea. This works well as a sweetener for plain iced tea or for a wide variety of other flavored and fancy teas.
    • Coffee drinks. You can add a smidge of this just to your plain coffee instead of sugar for a better sweetener. Or, you can use plain simple syrup or a wide variety of flavored syrups to make fancy flavored and sweetened coffees.
    • Cake moistener. Brush this between the layers of any cake to add a little sweetness and keep it moist all at the same time.
    • Sweetened cocktails. The list of cocktails that use uses simple syrup is a mile long. A few of the popular ones include a whiskey sour, a mojito or a margarita.
    • Add it to mocktails. Add a little sweetness to your next fancy mocktail with this syrup. Like this virgin mojito or virgin lime rickey.
    • Drizzle over fruits. Add a little extra sweetness to your next fruit salad or fresh fruit platter by drizzling some syrup over it.

    Variations

    If you’re looking for a few ways to customize this recipe, here are some potential suggestions. They all use the same process as this plain simple syrup, just with different ingredients for different flavors.

    • Brown Sugar Simple Syrup – 1 cup of water and 1 cup of brown sugar
    • Vanilla simple syrup – 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
    • Mint simple syrup – 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water, 1 cup of mint leaves. Strain out the mint leaves before adding to container or bottle.
    • Honey simple syrup – 1 cup of honey and 1 cup of water.
    • Peppermint simple syrup – 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon peppermint extract.
    • Chocolate simple syrup – 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of cocoa powder.
    • Cinnamon simple syrup – 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar, 3 sticks of cinnamon.
    • Jalapeno simple syrup – 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water, ½ cup of sliced jalapenos. Make sure to strain the jalapenos out before bottling.
    • Coconut simple syrup – 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water, 1 cup of shredded coconut. Make sure to strain the coconut out before bottling.
    • Ginger simple syrup – 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water, 1 cup of ginger root. Make sure to strain the ginger root pieces out before bottling.

    Top Tips & Storage

    Make sure to take note of these process and storage tips so that you can maximize your recipe success:

    • No boiling. While you want to heat the ingredients together, you don’t want to let them actually boil. A simmer is fine. Boiling can cause water evaporation which will change the ratios of the ingredients and it can also cause it to potentially burn.
    • Keep stirring. During heating you want to make sure that you are stirring frequently. This helps the sugar to fully dissolve and also make sure that it heats evenly with no scorching on the bottom of the pot.
    • Store it. For storage you can keep this up to about 4 weeks. That’s as long as you keep it in optimal conditions which would be in the fridge in an airtight container with a lid.
    • Freeze it. If you won’t have all of this used up by that 4 week., Then you should freeze it to store it for longer. This is really easy to do in an ice cube tray. Simply pour your syrup in the tray and let it freeze. Then, pop your cubes out and keep them in a freezer bag until you’re ready to use.

    Recipe

    Simple syrup being scooped by a spoon.

    Simple Syrup

    Simple syrup takes only 2 ingredients and about 15 minutes to make. It's a great liquid sweetner for any drink or to brush on baked goods.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Chill Time 2 hours hrs
    Total Time 15 minutes mins
    Course Drinks
    Servings 1.25 Cups

    Equipment

    • Saucepan
    • Measuring Cup
    • Wooden Spoon
    • Small Pyrex or Mason Jar
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 Cup Water
    • 1 Cup Sugar

    Instructions
     

    • Measure 1 cup of sugar and add it to the pot.
    • Measure 1 cup of water and add it to the pot.
    • Put the pot on the stovetop at medium heat.
    • Simmer it on medium for about 10 minutes.
    • Stir it often as it heats.
    • Take it off the stovetop and pour it into the jar or pyrex.
    • Stick it in the fridge for 1 – 2 hours so that it can cool off and thicken up.

    Notes

    Tips
    • While heating, stir it often to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
    • Give it 1 – 2 hours to cool in the refrigerator before using it.  This allows it to thicken up.
    • Try not to let it rapidly boil while heating.  You can turn down the heat if need be.
    Storage
    • Keep it closed in an airtight container (such as a mason jar).  It should be kept cool in the fridge.  It can be kept for 2 -4 weeks.
    • If you won’t use it all in 2 – 4 weeks, freeze it in an ice cube tray.
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    Nutrition information provided is just an estimate and may vary based on specific ingredients used.

    More Simple Syrup Recipes

    • Lemon simple syrup in a bowl on a saucer with lemon wheels next to it and the syrup being scooped by a spoon.
      Lemon Simple Syrup
    • Scooping brown sugar simple syrup from a bowl with a spoon.
      Brown Sugar Simple Syrup
    • Ginger simple syrup in a bowl being scooped by a bowl.
      Ginger Simple Syrup
    • Spoon scooping pumpkin spice syrup.
      Pumpkin Spice Simple Syrup

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