The short answer: this simple syrup recipe is 1 cup sugar + 1 cup water, warmed and stirred for about 5 minutes until clear, then cooled. It makes about 1 1/2 cups. For cocktails, rich syrup is 2 parts sugar to 1 part water.
- Key numbers: 1:1 for iced tea, coffee and lemonade-style drinks · 2:1 for stirred cocktails · use 1:1 within about 2 to 4 weeks, refrigerated
- Top moves: do not boil it hard, cool it before bottling, label the jar with the date and ratio
- Next step: get the free recipe book starter pages (we email it to you), or keep your ratios in the Family Recipe Binder ($6.99)
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Prep time: 5 minCook time: 5 minTotal time: 30 minServings: 1 1/2 cupsTotal includes 20 min of resting, chilling or rising.
Simple syrup is sugar already dissolved in water. Granulated sugar sinks to the bottom of a cold drink and stays gritty; syrup mixes in instantly. That is the whole reason to make it, and it is why the ratio matters more than any technique.
Simple syrup ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Granulated white sugar | 1 cup | Clean, neutral sweetness |
| Water | 1 cup | Filtered if your tap water tastes of chlorine |
| Clean glass jar with lid | 12 ounces or larger | Wash in hot, soapy water first |
| Rich syrup option: sugar | 2 cups | With 1 cup water for the 2:1 version |
| Flavor option (see below) | Varies | Mint, ginger, citrus peel, cinnamon, vanilla |
Makes about 1 1/2 cups of 1:1 syrup, or about 2 cups of rich 2:1 syrup. The volume grows less than you would expect because dissolved sugar takes up less space than the dry crystals.
How to make simple syrup
- Pour 1 cup of water into a small saucepan and add 1 cup of sugar. For rich syrup, use 2 cups of sugar with the same 1 cup of water.
- Set the pan over medium heat and stir until the liquid turns completely clear and you feel no grit on the bottom of the pan with your spoon, about 3 to 5 minutes. A 1:1 batch never needs a rolling boil. Rich syrup dissolves faster if you let it reach a gentle simmer.
- Take the pan off the heat as soon as the sugar is dissolved. Long boiling evaporates water and quietly turns a 1:1 syrup into something closer to rich syrup, which throws off your drink recipes.
- Cool the syrup in the pan to room temperature, about 20 to 30 minutes. Add any flavorings now if you are infusing (see the table below).
- Pour or strain it into the clean jar, cover, label with the ratio and the date, and refrigerate.
This is the same method canners use. The National Center for Home Food Preservation tells home canners to heat water and sugar together to make syrup, and its "very heavy" syrup, at about 50 percent sugar, uses equal cups of sugar and water. That is a standard 1:1 simple syrup by another name.
1:1 vs 2:1: which simple syrup ratio to use
| Ratio | Sugar : water | Sweetness | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple (1:1) | 1 cup : 1 cup | Standard | Iced tea, iced coffee, lemonade, mocktails, shaken sours, brushing cake layers |
| Rich (2:1) | 2 cups : 1 cup | About twice as sweet per ounce | Stirred cocktails like an old fashioned, where you want less dilution |
| Light (1:2) | 1 cup : 2 cups | Mild | Sweetening fruit salad, sorbet bases, lightly sweet sparkling water |
Most drink recipes written for home bartenders assume 1:1 unless they say "rich." If you only keep one jar in the refrigerator, keep 1:1. If you switch a recipe to rich syrup, cut the amount roughly in half, then taste and adjust.
Volume vs weight: measuring by cups is close enough for nearly every home use. A cup of sugar weighs a little less than a cup of water, so a weighed 1:1 syrup is slightly sweeter than a measured one. Bartenders who weigh usually use equal grams of each. Pick one method and stick with it so your drinks taste the same each time.
Flavored simple syrup variations
Make the base syrup, take it off the heat, and steep the flavoring as it cools. Strain before bottling. Rinse fresh herbs, citrus and fruit under running water before they go in the pan; the FDA's produce guidance says to wash all produce under running water, even when you do not plan to eat the skin, and not to use soap or produce wash.
| Flavor | Add to 1 batch | Steep | Use it in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mint | 1 packed cup mint leaves | 20 to 30 minutes, then strain | Iced tea, a virgin mojito, fruit salad |
| Ginger | 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh ginger | Simmer 5 minutes, steep 30 minutes | Ginger ale with sparkling water, hot toddy, lemonade |
| Citrus | Peel of 2 lemons, limes or oranges, no white pith | 30 minutes | Margaritas, palomas, iced tea |
| Cinnamon | 2 to 3 cinnamon sticks | Simmer 5 minutes, steep until cool | Iced coffee, apple cider, holiday drinks |
| Vanilla | 1 split vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract | Bean: steep until cool. Extract: stir in after cooling | Coffee, whipped cream, cake soaks |
| Berry | 1 cup fresh or frozen berries | Simmer 5 minutes, mash, strain | Lemonade, sparkling water, pancakes |
| Lavender | 1 tablespoon culinary dried lavender | 15 to 20 minutes, no longer | Lemon drinks, shortbread glaze |
| Jalapeño | 1 sliced jalapeño, seeds out for less heat | 10 to 20 minutes, taste often | Spicy margaritas, watermelon drinks |
Herb and fruit infusions keep for less time than plain syrup because they add plant material and juice. Make smaller batches, about 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water, if you are trying a new flavor.
Other sugars:
- Brown sugar or demerara syrup: same 1:1 method. Tastes of light caramel and suits whiskey drinks and iced coffee.
- Honey syrup: 1 part honey to 1 part warm water, stirred until smooth. No need to simmer. Honey is not for babies under 1 year old.
- Maple syrup: already a syrup, so use it straight or thin it with a splash of water.
- Agave syrup: sold ready to use; it is sweeter than 1:1 simple syrup, so use a little less.
How to store simple syrup
- Refrigerate it in a clean, covered glass jar or bottle. Plain 1:1 syrup is best used within about 2 to 4 weeks.
- Rich 2:1 syrup usually keeps longer than 1:1 because there is less free water for mold and yeast. It is still a refrigerator item once opened.
- Infused syrups with fresh herbs, fruit or ginger: use within about 1 to 2 weeks and strain out all solids before storing.
- Freeze extras in an ice cube tray, then move the cubes to a labeled freezer bag. Sugar keeps the cubes slightly soft. Drop them straight into a pitcher or thaw in the refrigerator.
- Use a clean spoon or pour from the jar. Dipping fingers, used jiggers or fruit-covered spoons into the jar shortens its life.
- Throw it out if it turns cloudy, smells sour or yeasty, fizzes or shows any mold. Do not skim mold and keep the rest.
Writing the date on the lid takes five seconds and saves you from guessing three weeks later.
Troubleshooting
- The syrup crystallized in the fridge. This happens most with rich 2:1 syrup or syrup that boiled too long. Warm it gently in a saucepan with a tablespoon of water and stir until clear. A teaspoon of light corn syrup in the next batch helps prevent it.
- It is cloudy right after making it. Undissolved sugar is the usual cause. Warm and stir a little longer. Cloudiness that appears days later is a spoilage sign.
- Drinks taste too sweet. You may have used rich syrup in a recipe written for 1:1. Halve the amount.
- Drinks taste thin. The opposite problem: 1:1 syrup in a recipe built for rich syrup, or extra ice melt. Add 1/4 ounce more syrup.
- Mint syrup turned brown. Mint darkens when it steeps in very hot liquid or for too long. Let the syrup cool for a few minutes first and strain at 20 to 30 minutes.
How to use simple syrup
- Cocktails: a classic margarita recipe takes 1/4 to 1/2 ounce if you like it sweeter, a paloma uses about 1/2 ounce, and an old fashioned uses about 1/4 ounce in place of a sugar cube.
- Alcohol-free drinks: iced tea, iced coffee, sparkling water with citrus, and the virgin mojito and spiced drinks in our Christmas mocktails list.
- Baking: brush a thin layer on cake layers before frosting to keep them moist, or toss with sliced strawberries for a quick glaze.
- Breakfast: a berry or cinnamon syrup works on pancakes, waffles and plain yogurt.
For a party, plan about 1/2 ounce of 1:1 syrup per sweetened drink. One 1 1/2-cup batch is 12 ounces, enough for roughly 24 drinks at that rate.
Why homemade syrup is the budget choice
Simple syrup is two pantry ingredients, and a bag of sugar makes many batches. Bottled cocktail syrups and coffee-shop flavor syrups cost far more per ounce than the sugar and water inside them, and a homemade infusion uses odds and ends you already have: the mint left from one recipe, the citrus peel from juicing limes, the end of a knob of ginger. Putting "make simple syrup" on the weekly plan means fewer specialty bottles in the cart. For more ways to stretch the grocery list, see meal planning on a budget.
Plan the shopping and save the recipe
Add sugar, citrus and herbs to the same trip as the rest of the week's groceries.
- Meal Planner & Grocery List, $3.99. A weekly menu and an aisle-sorted grocery list, so party drinks and dinner share one shopping trip.
- Family Recipe Binder, $6.99. Write down your ratio, steep times and the drinks each syrup goes in.
Browse more kitchen printables in the printables shop.
Want free starter pages first? Get the free recipe book starter pages (we email it to you).
Serve homemade lemonade alongside the food, adjusting its sugar and water after tasting the lemon juice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ratio for simple syrup? Simple syrup is usually 1 part sugar to 1 part water by volume, such as 1 cup of each. Rich simple syrup uses 2 parts sugar to 1 part water, so it is sweeter and thicker and you use less of it in a drink.
How do you make simple syrup? Simple syrup is made by warming equal amounts of sugar and water in a saucepan, stirring until every crystal dissolves, then cooling it. It takes about 5 minutes on the stove and does not need to boil hard.
Do you have to boil simple syrup? Simple syrup does not need a hard boil for a 1:1 batch; warm water dissolves the sugar in a few minutes. Rich 2:1 syrup dissolves more easily with heat, so bring it just to a simmer while you stir.
Can you make simple syrup without heat? Cold-process simple syrup works for a 1:1 batch: shake equal parts superfine or granulated sugar and room-temperature water in a sealed jar for a few minutes, rest it, and shake again until clear. Rich 2:1 syrup is hard to dissolve without heat.
How long does homemade simple syrup last? Homemade 1:1 simple syrup is best used within about 2 to 4 weeks in a clean, covered jar in the refrigerator. Rich 2:1 syrup usually keeps longer because it has less free water. Infused syrups with fresh fruit or herbs keep for less time, so use them within about 1 to 2 weeks.
How do you know if simple syrup has gone bad? Simple syrup has gone bad if it turns cloudy, smells sour or yeasty, fizzes, or shows any mold. Throw the whole jar away rather than skimming it, then wash the jar in hot, soapy water before the next batch.
What is the difference between simple syrup and rich simple syrup? Simple syrup is 1:1 sugar to water, while rich simple syrup is 2:1, so rich syrup is about twice as sweet per ounce. If a recipe calls for 1/2 ounce of simple syrup, start with about 1/4 ounce of rich syrup.
Can you use brown sugar or honey for simple syrup? Brown sugar simple syrup works with the same 1:1 method and tastes like light caramel, which suits whiskey drinks and iced coffee. Honey syrup is usually 1 part honey to 1 part warm water, stirred until smooth, with no simmering needed.
Can you freeze simple syrup? Simple syrup can be frozen in an ice cube tray or a freezer-safe container for longer storage. Because of the sugar, it may stay slightly soft instead of freezing rock hard. Thaw cubes in the refrigerator or drop them straight into a pitcher.
Where can I keep my simple syrup ratios and drink recipes? The Family Recipe Binder ($6.99) from HomeBase Paper Co. has fillable recipe pages, so your syrup ratios, infusion times and favorite drink specs stay in one place.