Homemade simple syrup is perfect for sweetening your iced coffee, iced tea, cocktails, brushing on cakes, or even drizzling over ice cream with ease. Not only is it incredibly easy to make, but it also allows you to control the sweetness, experiment with flavors, and enjoy fresh ingredients without the need for high fructose corn syrup or store-bought sugar syrups.
Making your own simple syrup can be much fun, and once you have a few batches of simple syrup ready in clean glass jars, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it. Plus, it’s the best way to elevate your cold beverages and desserts with a rich syrup or a sweeter syrup alternative to plain sugar.
What You Need to Know About Simple Syrup
Simple syrup is essentially sugar water. The most common ratio, also known as the main ways to make it, is equal parts water and sugar: 1 cup sugar to 1 cup water.
This ratio makes a basic simple syrup recipe that’s perfect for most cocktails, iced drinks, and desserts. If you like thicker syrup, you can increase the sugar to make a rich simple syrup, which is a ratio of 2 cups sugar to 1 cup water. It’s excellent for sweetening cold brew coffee or fruit juices.
You can make simple syrup using white sugar, cane sugar, brown sugar, demerara sugar, turbinado sugar, or even superfine sugar. Each type of sugar brings its own flavor, from the caramel notes in brown sugar to the delicate taste of turbinado.
You can also infuse your syrup with vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, citrus zest, fruit juices, mint leaves, lemon balm, or whole spices to create countless recipes beyond the basic recipe.
How to Make Homemade Simple Syrup for Drinks & Desserts
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Sugar white, cane, or your choice
- 1 Cup Water
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Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water.1 Cup Sugar, 1 Cup Water
- Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves completely and the mixture is clear. You don’t need to boil it. Just hot enough so the sugar granules melt.
- Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
- Store in the fridge for at least a month. Your leftover syrup will last well and can be reused in multiple batches of cold drinks, cocktails, and desserts.
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Different Ways to Use Homemade Simple Syrup
Once you have your own simple syrup, the possibilities are endless:
- Sweeten your iced coffee or cold brew without gritty sugar granules.
- Add to iced tea or cold beverages for a smooth liquid sugar alternative.
- Drizzle over ice cream, fruit salad, or pancakes.
- Infuse with citrus zest, cinnamon sticks, or fresh herbs for cocktails and mocktails.
- Use as a great addition to homemade syrups like honey syrup or maple syrup for richer flavors.
How to Use Simple Syrup on Cakes
- Brush syrup onto cake layers using a pastry brush or spoon.
- Apply evenly without soaking to the point of dripping. Just enough for moistness.
- For multi-layer cakes, lightly brush each layer before adding frosting or filling.
- Experiment with flavors: vanilla for classic cakes, citrus for lemon or orange cakes, and cinnamon or spice for fall or holiday cakes.
- Let the syrup cool completely before brushing to avoid melting frosting.
- You can thin syrup slightly with fruit juice for a tangy flavor or reduce sugar for less sweetness.
How to Store Simple Syrup
Once you’ve made your homemade simple syrup, proper storage is key to keeping it safe and ready to use for cold beverages, cocktails, iced coffee, iced tea, and desserts.
Use a Clean Container. Always store your syrup in a clean glass jar, mason jar, or glass bottle. Make sure the jar is washed and completely dry. A tight-fitting lid or airtight container is essential to prevent contamination and maintain freshness.
Refrigerate. Most homemade simple syrup should be stored in the fridge. Cold storage slows bacterial growth and helps maintain flavor. Even a rich simple syrup will keep much longer when refrigerated.
Shelf Life
- Basic simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water ratio): lasts about 1 month in the fridge.
- Rich simple syrup (2:1 sugar to water ratio): can last up to 2–3 months due to the higher sugar content.
- Infused syrups with fresh herbs, citrus zest, or whole spices: usually best used within 2–3 weeks to ensure fresh flavor.
Label Your Syrup. If you make batches of simple syrup, label each jar with the type of sugar, flavor, and date made. This makes it easier to keep track of shelf life and use leftover syrup efficiently.
Reuse and Refresh
If your syrup has been sitting for a while:
- Check for any cloudiness, mold, or off smells.
- If everything looks and smells good, you can continue to use it.
- For flavored syrups, a new batch of fresh herbs or citrus can be added to refresh the flavor.
Freeze for Long-Term Storage
You can also freeze simple syrup in ice cube trays or small containers. This works especially well for small amounts, like for cocktail recipes or iced coffee, and it makes it easy to pop out cubes as needed.
Simple Syrup vs. Rich Simple Syrup
When it comes to sweetening drinks, desserts, or even cakes, you might hear about simple syrup and rich simple syrup. Both are easy to make at home, but there are key differences you should know:
1. Sugar-to-Water Ratio
- Simple Syrup (Basic): Typically 1:1 sugar to water. This is the most common ratio, perfect for cocktails, iced tea, iced coffee, and desserts.
- Rich Simple Syrup: Made with 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. The extra sugar creates a thicker syrup with more sweetness and longer shelf life.
2. Sweetness & Texture
- Simple Syrup: Lightly sweet, flows easily, and mixes quickly into cold beverages.
- Rich Syrup: Sweeter, slightly more viscous, and adds more body to drinks and desserts. Ideal for moistening cakes or making sweeter cocktails.
3. Shelf Life
- Simple Syrup: Lasts about 1 month in the fridge.
- Rich Simple Syrup: Can last 2–3 months because the higher sugar content acts as a natural preservative.
4. Best Uses
| Type | Ideal Uses |
| Simple Syrup | Iced tea, iced coffee, cocktails, lemonade, fruit juices, fruit salad |
| Rich Simple Syrup | Cake soaking, rich cocktails, dessert toppings, thicker iced beverages |
5. Flavor Infusions
Both syrups can be infused with flavors like vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, citrus zest, or fresh herbs. The rich syrup will hold flavors longer and produce a more intense taste.
If you want a light, versatile syrup for everyday drinks, go with 1:1 simple syrup. If you need a thicker, sweeter syrup for cakes, richer cocktails, or longer storage, choose rich simple syrup.
You can find Victoria crocheting, quilting, and creating recipes. She has cooked in restaurants for over 20 years, including many larger parties. She learned to crochet when she was just 11 years old and has been crocheting ever since; over 50 years now. Over 40 years ago, she loved her first class in sewing and continues to hone her skills in quilting. Many have enjoyed the handmade gifts over the years. In her professional career, she has worked in management in a wide variety of businesses including higher education as a dean of a division. All the while attending college part-time to achieve her doctorate in higher education with an emphasis in e-learning.
Really easy way to moisten cakes and add a touch of sweetness to water or a mocktail for parties.