Simple Syrup Recipe | So Quick, Easy and Versatile! (2024)

Homemade Simple Syrup is easy and cheap to make at home. It’s the perfect way to sweeten your co*cktails, a cup of coffee, or to brush on top of a freshly baked cake to keep it moist.

Table of Contents

• A co*cktail Staple You Can Make Yourself!
• What Is Simple Syrup Made Of?
• How to Make Simple Syrup
• Does Simple Syrup Need to Boil?
• Tips for Success
• How to Use Simple Syrup
• Storing and Freezing
• Get the Recipe
• Even More co*cktail Recipes

A co*cktail Staple You Can Make Yourself!

Some things aren’t that easy to make at home, like wine, beer, puff pastry, wedding cakes… Sure, you can do it yourself, if you’re committed and get all of the supplies you need. But most of us purchase those things instead. That’s also the case with a lot of co*cktail ingredients.

But if you sweeten your co*cktails with simple syrup, you should know that this is one co*cktail ingredient that you can easily make at home. There’s no reason to buy fancy bottles of this basic item – it’s so much cheaper to quickly whip up yourself!

What Is Simple Syrup Made Of?

Simple syrup is very accurately named. It is probably the simplest thing you’ll ever make! All you will need are…

• Water: Nothing fancy, just ordinary drinking water.
• Sugar: You can use almost any sugar. I use white sugar, but raw sugar, brown sugar, and even coconut sugar will all work. More on that later in the “Tips for Success” section!

How to Make Simple Syrup

Making this simple syrup recipe is just as minimal and basic as the list of ingredients. Just grab your favorite saucepan, and you’ll be done in no time.

• Combine the Water and Sugar. Place the water and sugar together in a saucepan, and set it over medium high heat.
• Stir and Boil the Ingredients. Let the mixture come to a boil, stirring it as you go, until the sugar has dissolved.

• Cool and Store. Take the saucepan off of the heat. You can use the syrup immediately, or allow it to cool first, or chill it. (If you’re using it for cold drinks, you’ll definitely want to chill it.)

Does Simple Syrup Need to Boil?

The food blog world was all abuzz not too long ago, with the idea that you actually don’t have to cook your simple syrup at all. After all, sugar dissolves in water without any heat. So, to boil or not to boil – that is the question.

The answer sort of depends on your situation. Do you need this to be done fast? If so, you will probably want to heat it. Otherwise, be prepared to wait 15 to 45 minutes for your sugar to dissolve completely in unheated water.

On the other hand, if you don’t have to be quick, you can easily make this without boiling. Just combine the ingredients, stir, and wait.

For me, the best reason for boiling syrup is to make sure that it’s safe to store. Boiling simple syrup kills germs and bacteria that might be present in the ingredients. I like to make a large batch of simple syrup at once to store in my fridge for whenever I need it.

Tips for Success

Tips? We got ‘em! Check out this section for handy tips on making additional variations of simple syrup, and cooling it down efficiently for quicker use.

• Demerara Syrup: For drinks with a tropical twist, try making this recipe with brown demerara sugar. This gives the final result a rich, toasty taste that goes well with tropical flavors.
• Vanilla Syrup: For vanilla simple syrup, just drop a vanilla bean into the sugar and water as it cooks.
• Fruity Simple Syrup: Add a cup or so of your favorite fruit to the mixture while it cooks, and then run it through a fine mesh strainer afterward. Pro tip: don’t mash the fruit as you strain the mixture – it will cause fiber from the fruit to run into your jar, which will make the syrup cloudy instead of clear.
• Rich Simple Syrup: This recipe uses a traditional 1:1 ratio. That’s one part sugar to one part water. But you can double the amount of sugar for a 2:1 ratio, also known as “rich” simple syrup. This will be thicker and sweeter, and the added texture adds a pleasant mouthfeel to co*cktails.
• Ice Bath: If you need to cool it down in a hurry, you can pour it into a small mixing bowl instead of a jar, and then nestle that into a larger mixing bowl containing an ice bath. Stir it occasionally as it cools down to help cool it faster. Once it’s cool, use it and store it.

How to Use Simple Syrup

Speaking of using the simple syrup and storing it, let’s talk about that! First things first. What can you use homemade simple syrup for?

• co*cktails. This is a big one, obviously. Some co*cktails that use this sweet, sticky ingredient include mojitos, like this Blueberry Mojito, margaritas (here’s my favorite Frozen Margarita recipe), and for summer, this White Peach Sangria. And those are just for starters! The list is truly endless.
• Iced Coffee: If you like to make iced coffee, you should definitely keep some simple syrup on hand. It makes sweetening a glass so easy!
• Desserts: This can be brushed over the top of a freshly baked cake to keep it moist or drizzled over “poke cakes” to moisten them. Flavored syrups are great for giving cakes and ice cream more flavor.

Storing and Freezing

Store this simple syrup in an airtight container. I like to use a jar with a tight-fitting lid. It will keep for up to 1 month in the refrigerator. Fruity syrups will keep for just a few days.

For longer storage, try freezing the simple syrup. It will keep for 2 – 3 months in the freezer.

Even More co*cktail Recipes

• Carajillo (Mexican Coffee co*cktail)
• Fresh Grapefruit Paloma
• Mexican Candy Shot
• Puerto Rican Coquito
• Aperol Spritz co*cktail
• Peach Moscow Mule
• Best Mojito Recipe

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