Wondering how to give drinks and desserts a deliciously sweet light floral flavor? This Lavender Simple Syrup has so many uses and is incredibly easy to make with just 3 ingredients!
Next up in my simple syrup series is one of my absolute favorites... Lavender Simple Syrup!
Lavender is one of my favorite flavors for giving drinks and desserts a unique and fun flavor (like in these lavender lemon cookies!).
Some people get nervous about adding floral notes to recipes, but this simple syrup allows you to totally control the level of flavor and it's absolutely delicious!
Plus, it has a beautiful subtle lavender-colored hue. What more could you ask for in a simple syrup??
What is Simple Syrup?
Simple syrup is essentially just water and sugar heated in a saucepan and thickened into a syrup. Once it cools, it's an essential ingredient in many drinks and cocktails because it makes it so easy to add liquid sweetness.
Simple syrup also makes it easy to add flavoring to drinks (I've even added bubblegum flavor to one!). Lavender is a unique and wonderful flavor in so many cocktails, but you obviously don't want to drink a cocktail with bits of dried lavender in it!
Lavender simple syrup makes it easy to add the flavor in an easy-to-consume way. Follow my instructions in this post and also be sure to check out my video to see just how simple it is!
What is Lavender?
Lavender is an herb that has many uses. A lot of people love it simply for its pretty color and wonderfully floral fragrance.
But lavender is also known for its calming properties and it's often used in aromatherapy for reducing stress and anxiety and for encouraging sleep.
I personally love lavender as a flavor in drinks and desserts and think it makes an especially nice complement to lemon, honey, and thyme.
Simple Syrup Ingredients
The basic simple syrup recipe only uses 2 ingredients: water and sugar. This lavender simple syrup recipe just needs one more ingredient.
Here's what you need:
- Water
- Granulated Sugar
- Culinary-grade dried lavender
What Kind of Lavender to Use
When you're purchasing dried lavender for this recipe, be sure you buy culinary-grade lavender.
You'll be consuming the simple syrup and want to make it with lavender that's safe to eat, rather than lavender meant for ornamental purposes or potpourri. It should be labeled "culinary-grade" or "edible."
I've had good luck with this one and this one.
How to Make Lavender Simple Syrup
Like most simple syrups, making lavender simple syrup is easy to do! You can follow my easy instructions, but also be sure to check out my video to see just how simple it is.
To start, put water, sugar, and dried lavender in a medium saucepan, stir, and bring to a boil.
Lower to a simmer and let mixture simmer for about 10 minutes, until it thickens.
Now, remove saucepan from heat, put the cover on, and let steep for about an hour. This will allow the lavender flavor to really infuse into the syrup!
After an hour, push syrup through a mesh sieve to strain out lavender buds and into an airtight container. I like to use a mason jar.
Place syrup in fridge to cool.
It's as simple as that! And the result is a wonderfully floral simple syrup that has the essence of lavender, but isn't overpowering in any way.
Is Lavender Simple Syrup Purple?
As you can see from my photos, the lavender simple syrup has a slight purple tinge to it, but isn't a super vibrant color or anything. The color of your syrup will really depend on the lavender you use as some will result in a deeper purple color than others.
You can certainly add a drop or two of purple coloring (or a drop of red and a drop of blue) to make your simple syrup more vibrant.
I generally keep it as natural as possible, but I did add some coloring to the syrup in these lavender lemonade floats.
How to Use
My favorite thing to use lavender simple syrup for is in cocktails, but there are so many ways you can enjoy it!
Here are some of the best ways:
- Lavender Lemonade Mojitos (these are one of the most popular drink recipes on my blog and a great use for this syrup!)
- Coffee sweetener: Add a light floral flavor and some sweetness to your daily coffee or make these Iced Lavender Lattes.
- Mocktails: Add a little of this syrup to some lemonade or sparkling water for a sweet floral drink.
- Pancake topping: Drizzle a little over pancakes or waffles instead of maple syrup.
- Ice cream topping: Drizzle over vanilla ice cream or lemon sorbet for a unique dessert.
- Cake moistener: Lots of people brush simple syrup on cakes after they cool to make cakes extra moist. Flavored simple syrup will also add flavor to the cake and this lavender version would be especially delicious on lemon cake.
- Tea sweetener: Add lavender simple syrup to tea instead of sugar or honey for a yummy light floral flavor and some sweetness.
How to Make More
This recipe makes about 1 ¼ cups of simple syrup. But if you're planning to use the simple syrup in a big batch cocktail or just know you're going to go through it quickly, you may want to make more of it.
Luckily, it's easy! Simply double the ingredients and use the same method for cooking. If you want 2 ½ cups lavender simple syrup, you'll need 2 cups water, 2 cups sugar, and 2 cups dried lavender
I recommend storing bigger batches in a large mason jar, like a 32 oz one.
How to Store
Be sure to store your simple syrup in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge.
This syrup should stay good in the fridge for about a month.
Where to Buy
Though making your own lavender simple syrup is super duper easy, it's also possible to purchase it if you're just not in the mood to make it!
Note that some store-bought lavender simple syrups will be all-natural and some will contain dyes to make them more vibrantly purple. Here are some great options for purchasing:
- Pink House Alchemy Syrup
- Monin Lavender Syrup
- Collins Lavender Syrup
- Torani Lavender Syrup
- 1883 Maison Routin Syrup
More Simple Syrup Flavors
Once you try this recipe, you're going to want to make simple syrups in every flavor possible! And the options really are endless when it comes to making flavored syrups.
Here are some of my absolute favorites:
- Jalapeño
- Blueberry
- Mint
- Strawberry
- Apple
- Pear
- Peach
- Pumpkin Spice
- Bubblegum
- Candy Corn
- Cranberry
- Gingerbread
- Sugar Cookie
- Candy Cane
- Pistachio
- Vanilla
- Ginger
- Raspberry
- Rhubarb
- Pink Peppercorn
- Holiday Spice
Do you like drinks with lavender in them?
Lavender Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup dried lavender (culinary-grade)
Instructions
- Put water, sugar, and dried lavender in a medium saucepan, stir, and bring to a boil.
- Lower to a simmer and let mixture simmer for about 10 minutes, until syrup has thickened.
- Remove saucepan from heat, put the cover on, and let steep for about an hour.
- Push syrup through a mesh sieve to strain out lavender buds and into an airtight container like a mason jar or bowl.
Video
Notes
- Simple syrup should last for about a month when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
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