Lavender Simple Syrup
This homemade lavender simple syrup uses just 3 ingredients and comes together in under an hour.
If you’ve never tried this floral simple syrup, you definitely need to make a batch. It’s delicious in everything from your morning lavender latte to a pitcher of summer lemonade.
If you have made lavender syrup before and ended up with something bitter or soapy, I’ve got you covered. A few small tweaks make a big difference.
Kim’s Tips for the Best Lavender Simple Syrup
Your syrup isn’t purple: Homemade lavender syrup is not purple. It comes out golden brown to light amber, and that’s completely normal. The purple you see in coffee shops almost always comes from food dye. To add a purple tint, stir in a drop of blueberry juice or a pinch of butterfly pea flower powder.
There’s a soapy taste: Lavender is potent, so don’t use more than listed in the recipe. If it came out overwhelming, dilute it with a little plain simple syrup before using.
Fresh lavender instead of dried: You can used fresh lavender instead of dried culinary lavender, but it’s much less potent. Triple the amount of buds, reduce the steep time, and skip the stems and leaves.
How to Make Lavender Simple Syrup
Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves, about 3–5 minutes.
Remove the pan from heat completely before adding the dried lavender to keep the syrup from tasting bitter. Also, make sure you’re using culinary (food-grade) lavender. Look for it in the spice aisle, at Whole Foods, or online.
Stir in the lavender, then let it steep for 15 to 20 minutes. You can go a little longer, but it will start to taste bitter the longer it steeps.
Pour through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth to catch the small bits. Don’t press or squeeze the lavender down into the strainer; let it drip naturally. Pressing the buds can push through bitter compounds and a murky texture.
Transfer to a sealed mason jar and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
How to Use Lavender Simple Syrup
Once you have a jar of this in the fridge, you’ll find yourself reaching for it constantly. Here are my favorite ways:
In a Lavender Latte: Add 1–2 tablespoons to a shot of espresso over ice, then top with oat milk or your milk of choice. It’ll save you from buying that $7 latte from a coffee shop. For a base iced coffee to build from, check out our iced coffee recipe.
In Lemonade: Swap out some (or all) of the plain simple syrup in your favorite lemonade recipe for this lavender version. It pairs especially well in a boozy lemonade, so try it in our tequila lemonade for a floral version on the classic.
In Cocktails: It works anywhere you’d use a plain simple syrup in a light floral cocktail. Gin and lavender are a particularly good match.
On Cake Brush it over a cooled cake layer before frosting to add moisture and a hint of floral flavor. It’s subtle but lovely.
In Sparkling Water or Soda Add a tablespoon or two to a glass of sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon for a quick mocktail.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight mason jar for up to 2 weeks.
Freezer: Pour into an ice cube tray, freeze, then transfer the cubes to a zip-top bag. Keeps for up to 2 months and you can pop a cube directly into a warm drink or let it thaw for cold ones.
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons culinary lavender, dried, food-grade lavender
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Instructions
- Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan.1 cup granulated sugar1 cup water
- Heat over medium-high heat, and stir until the sugar dissolves (about 3-5 minutes). Remove from heat, and stir in the lavender.3 tablespoons culinary lavender
- Let the simple syrup steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Taste it, and steep a few minutes longer if you want it stronger. Be careful not to let it go too longer, or it will get bitter.
- When the syrup finishes steeping, strain it through a fine mesh sieve. It’s helpful to line the strainer with a cheesecloth to make sure all the smaller pieces don’t slip through.
- Store in a sealed mason jar until ready to use.
