Lavender Simple Syrup Recipe

Learn how to make all-natural lavender simple syrup – a sweet combination of sugar (or honey) and water, with a hint of lavender flavor. It can be used anywhere simple syrup is normally used such as homemade lemonade recipes, lattes, mocktails, sorbets, and more!

It’s easy to make too – you just need:

• fresh lavender – you could use half as much dried lavender buds instead of fresh, but the color will be different (see the comparison photo below)
• water
• sugar – you can use honey instead, though color will be affected
• a small amount of fresh lemon juice – optional, but really makes the color pop

You may have tried making lavender syrup in the past, but the color turned out light tan or brown.

Try following these tips to keep that from happening:

Tips to make sure your lavender simple syrup turns out a pretty color:

1. Use the purplest and freshest lavender buds you can find. Drab, faded lavender buds will produce a drabber, browner syrup. Try to include as few stems and green parts as possible.
2. Make sure to add the fresh lavender buds to fully boiling water and let them simmer for one minute before adding the sugar. This starts the color extraction process, without overheating the sugar or causing bitterness.
3. The acidity from the lemon juice brightens up the natural brownish color of the lavender tea. We’re only adding a tiny bit – just enough to improve the color, without affecting taste.
4. If your syrup still turns out too light, or tan, and you have your heart set on a purple simple syrup, return it to the small saucepan, heat to an almost-simmer, then add 3 or 4 frozen blueberries and gently heat while stirring/mashing for a couple of minutes, until the syrup has turned a color of purple that you like.
5. If you use honey instead of sugar, be aware that the color will naturally be tan because of the honey.

Fresh vs Dried Lavender

I like using fresh lavender blossoms straight from my garden so I can enjoy lavender simple syrup as a seasonal treat. They have the brightest and best purple color too.

However, you can use dried organic or culinary lavender instead, just be aware that when you substitute dried herbs for fresh, you generally only need half as much. The tea will also turn out a different color, especially if you steep it too long.

For example – if a recipe calls for 1/4 cup of fresh herb, you could use about 1/8 cup of dried herb instead.

Each herb has its own quirks, but that’s a good ballpark ratio to start with when you experiment with changing up a fresh herb-containing recipe.

(Wondering about using lavender essential oil instead of fresh/dried flowers? We follow the Tisserand Institute’s science-based guidelines for essential oils and strongly recommend against using lavender essential oil in this, or any other food recipe.)

Lavender Simple Syrup Recipe

To make the syrup, you’ll need these ingredients:

• 1/4 cup packed fresh lavender buds (or 1/8 cup dried), make sure they’re a vibrant purple
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar (or honey)
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice (to improve color)

Instructions to make:

1. Bring 3/4 cup water to a full rolling boil in a small saucepan.
2. Add the lavender buds and stir.
3. Lower the heat so the water is still simmering/almost boiling and stir frequently while the lavender and water simmers for one minute.
4. Turn off the burner’s heat, but leave the pan on the burner.
5. Stir in the sugar until fully dissolved.
6. Cover the saucepan (which is still on the turned-off burner) and let the lavender steep in the sugar water mixture for 10 minutes, or until you can clearly see a color change. It’s normal for the tea to have a brownish-purple tone at this stage. Dried lavender often makes a browner tea than fresh.
7. Strain through a fine mesh strainer.
8. Add 1/2 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice to help brighten the syrup’s color.
9. Store your lavender syrup in a tightly closed jar in the refrigerator for about 1 week.

How to Use Your Lavender Simple Syrup

Now that you’ve made your syrup, you can use it in any recipe that calls for plain simple syrup. Here are some ideas to get you started!

* Remember to start out with a lighter amount; you can always add more. You don’t want the floral flavor to overwhelm, but instead be an accent.

1. Make lavender lemonade. Find your favorite lemonade recipe that calls for a simple syrup and just use an equal amount of lavender syrup in its place. Taste test and adjust the amount of sweetener and lemons to match your sweet/tangy preference.
2. Use your homemade lavender syrup to lightly sweeten hot tea, or iced tea.
3. Make a lavender latte or a quick iced lavender coffee drink. (We like 1/2 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup chilled coffee, plus a few teaspoons of lavender simple syrup to taste. Coffee lovers might want to add more coffee than milk, while those who love lots of creamer may want to add more milk. Blend together in a bullet blender and pour over ice.)
4. Drizzle over pancakes, or ice cream.
5. Use to make homemade fruit sorbets – just use your lavender syrup instead of the plain simple syrup that sorbet recipes normally call for. Or, for a more subdued floral flavor, use 1/2 lavender syrup and 1/2 plain simple syrup.
6. Lavender simple syrup is the star ingredient in several cocktails and mocktails.