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Learn how to make Simple Syrup at home in minutes with just 2 ingredients: water and sugar. Use it in cocktails, iced tea, or brush it over baked goods.
Simple syrup is a cocktail staple that couldn’t be easier to make. Just combine 1 part water and 1 part sugar (1:1 ratio) until the sugar is dissolved. That’s it!
I prefer to heat the water and sugar over low heat to speed up the process, but honestly, you can just shake them together and you’ll be good to go.
Simple syrup is used in a wide variety of cocktails including Margaritas, Hurricanes, Daiquiris, Piña Coladas, Mojitos, Long Island Iced Teas, Gimlets, and Whiskey Sours.
You can also use it in non-alcoholic drinks such as iced tea, iced coffee, lemonade, or punch. If you make rich simple syrup (a sweeter version with a 2:1 sugar-water ratio), you brush it over baked goods like pound cakes, blueberry muffins, and donuts.
Store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 month, or check out my tips for extending the shelf life even longer (hint: VODKA).
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Sugar: Regular white granulated sugar is the standard here. Use a 1:1 ratio (1 part sugar to 1 part water) for basic simple syrup, and a 2:1 ratio for rich simple syrup.
Step-by-step instructions
- Combine equal parts sugar and water together over medium-low heat in a saucepan. Stir until just dissolved.
- Cool before using, then add to your favorite cocktails like this Old Fashioned. Store covered in a sterilized jar in the refrigerator.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: 1 cup sugar + 1 cup water = 1 ½ cups simple syrup
- Storage: Store simple syrup covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 weeks. Discard the simple syrup if it starts to get cloudy. To extend the shelf life to 3 months total, add 1 tablespoon vodka to the simple syrup before refrigerating. Sterilizing the jar(s) before adding simple syrup also extends the shelf life, too.
- Rich simple syrup: A more concentrated sugar syrup in a ratio of 2:1 (2 parts sugar to 1 part water). Simmer this for at least 10 minutes to make sure all the sugar crystals dissolve. This denser syrup is ideal for brushing on baked goods like pound cake or muffins.
- Sour mix: Stir in 1 cup fresh lemon juice and ¾ cup fresh lemon juice to the cooled simple syrup recipe below (you’ll have about 3 ¼ cups sour mix).
- Flavored syrup: Steep flavors in hot simple syrup, then strain out the flavoring ingredients. Store in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks. Some flavor ideas include fresh herbs (rosemary, mint, basil), spices (cinnamon stick, vanilla bean, fresh ginger root), citrus (orange or lemon zest), or even flowers (lavender, rose petals).
- Hummingbird nectar: To feed your flying friends, combine 4 parts water and 1 part sugar over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved. Cool completely, then add to your hummingbird feeder. Do not add red food coloring.
Recipe FAQs
Basic simple syrup will last 3 to 4 weeks in the refrigerator. To extend the shelf life to 3 months total, add 1 tablespoon vodka to the simple syrup before refrigerating it. Sterilizing jar(s) before adding simple syrup also extends the shelf life.
Rich simple syrup will last up to 6 months in the refrigerator (add 1 tablespoon vodka to the simple syrup to extend the shelf life even longer). It’s a more concentrated sugar syrup in a ratio of 2:1 (2 parts sugar to 1 part water). Simmer this for at least 10 minutes to make sure all the sugar crystals dissolve. The higher concentration of sugar makes it harder for bacteria to grow.
Your syrup is old and needs to be discarded.
Heating is not required for simple syrup; just combine water and sugar in a jar and shake it. The sugar dissolves faster with warm water, though, so that is my preferred method (you have to wait for it to cool, though).
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How to Make Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar (see note 1)
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved (do not boil).
- Remove from heat and cool completely. Pour into a sterilized container and store covered in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Sugar: Regular white granulated sugar is the standard here. Use a 1:1 ratio (1 part sugar to 1 part water) for basic simple syrup, and a 2:1 ratio for rich simple syrup.
- Yield: 1 cup sugar + 1 cup water = 1 ½ cups simple syrup
- Storage: Store simple syrup covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 weeks. Discard the simple syrup if it starts to get cloudy. To extend the shelf life to 3 months total, add 1 tablespoon vodka to the simple syrup before refrigerating. Sterilizing the jar(s) before adding simple syrup also extends the shelf life, too.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Hi Can this recipie also use sugar free alternatives, like monk?
I haven’t tested this with sugar alternatives, so I’m not 100% sure. I found [what I think might be] a good article on the subject: https://kitchenfairy.co/blog/recipes/simple-syrup-two-ways-traditional-low-carb/
The author of this post suggests the best ratio for working with monkfruit is 1/2 cup monkfruit sugar to 1 cup water (as opposed to a 1:1 ratio). She also says monkfruit was her favorite sweetener out of the alternatives she has tried. I will put this on my own list for testing in the future just so I’m more knowledgable and can have some first-hand experience. Thanks for your question! – Meggan
Thank you for the storage guide. It is very helpful!
MK
Perfect.
Glad you you liked it Phil!