Lavender simple syrup is equal parts sugar and water simmered with a little dried culinary lavender for 10 minutes, then strained and cooled. Use 1/2 teaspoon of lavender for a mild flavor or 1 teaspoon for a stronger one. Stir a spoonful into lemonade, iced tea, sparkling water or a latte, and keep the jar in the fridge.

Why You Will Love This

This syrup makes an ordinary drink worth pausing over. The lavender is delicate and never soapy, and the sweetness stays out of its way. One bottle in the refrigerator covers weeks of drinks, from spring lemonade to a fall latte.

The Story Behind It

Lavender syrup belongs to the first warm afternoons of spring, when the garden wakes up and winter’s heavy spices start to feel like too much. I started making it years ago for iced teas, then found it works in everything from sparkling water to botanical mocktails .

dried culinary lavender buds in glass jar with organic cane sugar and measuring spoons on white marble counter for homemade lavender simple syrup recipe
Culinary lavender buds are the key to a balanced floral simple syrup that tastes like spring, not perfume.

What You Will Need

  • 1 cup (198 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (237 ml) water
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried food-grade culinary lavender

How to Make It

  1. Combine the sugar, water and lavender in a small saucepan. Use 1/2 teaspoon lavender for a milder flavor or 1 teaspoon for a stronger one.

  2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

  3. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small heatproof bowl or container. Discard the lavender flowers.

  4. Let the syrup cool, then pour it into a clean glass bottle or jar and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

lavender simple syrup steeping in covered saucepan with purple lavender buds floating in clear sugar syrup for homemade flavored simple syrup
Ten minutes at a gentle simmer gives balanced floral notes without bitterness.

Herbalist Notes

On lavender variety: Use only culinary lavender buds, never ornamental varieties or essential oil. English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is the sweetest and most delicate. French lavender leans toward camphor.

On the amount: Lavender is strong, so start with the smaller amount and taste. You can add more syrup to a drink, but you can’t take lavender back out.

On shelf life: Keep the syrup in a clean, covered jar in the refrigerator and use it within 2 weeks. Smell it first, and if it smells off or looks cloudy, make a fresh batch.

Make It Your Own

Add a sprig of fresh rosemary to the pan for an herbal twist. The syrup is great in lemonade, in iced green tea , or stirred into sparkling water with a squeeze of lime. For a quick drink, stir 1 tablespoon into sparkling water with a little lemon juice. It also works in a lavender-honey mocktail with fresh thyme and in a lavender lemonade . In the morning, add a spoonful to cold brew coffee or a warm fall latte with oat milk. The floral notes soften coffee’s bitterness better than sugar alone.

finished lavender simple syrup in clear glass bottle with purple tint next to fresh lavender sprigs and iced tea glass for spring mocktail recipes
One bottle transforms your drink menu. Use it in everything from iced teas to botanical mocktails.