This Lavender simple syrup has so many uses! Add a splash of lavender syrup to sweeten drinks, or to add a hint of lavender flavor to cocktails, iced tea, and lattes. Or, use it to flavor frosting or icing for lavender shortbread cookies. It's sweet, fragrant, and really easy to make!
Recently, I was on the phone with my friend Becca while she was going through a drive-through. Becca ordered a lavender latte and I was so intrigued that I knew I had to make one!
Luckily, my lavender plant was in full bloom thanks to my friends, Mike and Fern, who gave me some lavender to plant in my garden. I have all kinds of plans for these delicate beauties, but first up, this yummy lavender syrup!
Within a few hours, I was drinking an AMAZING lavender latte! Thanks to my son, who makes great lattes, and this easy-to-make lavender syrup recipe! Check back soon for the lavender latte recipe!
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🧐Why This Recipe Works
- Lavender syrup is easy to prepare and only requires a few simple ingredients.
- It can be used in coffee, tea, desserts and more.
- Making lavender simple syrup is a lot cheaper than purchasing it.
🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
- Lavender: Many lavender recipes call for dried lavender. I guess the main reason is convenience. Not many people have access to fresh lavender. If you do decide to use dried lavender, you'll only need ¼ cup since the flavor is more concentrated. Make sure to use food-grade or culinary lavender and not the kind that's dried for flower arrangements, potpourri, and other crafts. The green leaves are sometimes compared to mild-tasting rosemary; I didn't add them to the syrup
- Sugar: You'll need one cup of granulated white sugar to make this recipe. You can use brown sugar, coconut sugar, or honey as other sweeteners if desired. Although simple syrups are made with a 1-1 ratio of sugar and water, I used ¾ cup water to 1 cup sugar because I wanted the syrup sweeter and thicker.
- Citrus: I added a few fresh orange slices to my syrup but you can try dried orange slices, lemon slices, or a teaspoon of lemon juice or vanilla extract instead.
- Herbs: Some recipes call for herbs such as rosemary and basil to be added to the syrup along with the fresh lavender blossoms. I chose to leave them out because I really wanted to focus on lavender's natural calming properties and pronounced lavender flavor. If I were to add an herb, I'd probably choose mint since lavender and mint are part of the same family.
🌸 How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Strip the lavender flower petals off of the stems and add them to a fine mesh strainer. Give them a quick rinse under cool running water. Discard the stems and leaves.
Pro Tip: Lavender buds are very delicate and fall off the stems easily. For this reason, I recommend stripping them off the stem, then washing them so that you don't lose any while you're washing them.
Step 2: Add the lavender flowers, water, sugar, and orange slices to a small saucepan. Stir over low heat to dissolve the sugar. Allow the mixture to come to a boil for a few minutes then turn down the heat.
Step 3: Remove the orange slices from the syrup and simmer the syrup for an additional 10 minutes over low heat. Allow the lavender flowers to steep in the syrup for at least a few hours or, preferably, overnight.
Step 4: Strain the syrup using a soup bag or sachet bag. Squeeze all the syrup out of the lavender before discarding it. Pour the lavender syrup into an 8.5-ounce flip-top bottle and store it in the refrigerator. It should last you quite a while, as long as there is no cross-contamination.
🤷🏻♀️Recipe FAQs
Lavender syrup can be used in so many ways! Use it to sweeten and flavor ice tea, lemonade, or mixed cocktails. You can also add it to hot tea, and coffee drinks, especially lavender lattes.
Lavender syrup can also be used to flavor frosting or icing for lavender cookies. It can be drizzled over ice cream or to back sweeten wine. You can also freeze some of the syrup and flowers into ice cubes and use them to flavor plain water or other drinks.
Lavender syrup is prepared by simmering and steeping fresh or dried lavender in a simple syrup made with water and sugar. Once the flavor of the lavender is extracted, the lavender flowers are discarded. 
Lavender syrup is sweet and aromatic with a light and subtle lavender scent with notes of citrus and a wonderful floral flavor.
Lavender syrup should be refrigerated unless it's canned and processed in hot water.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- When picking lavender, be sure it has not been treated with pesticides.
- If you're a winemaker like me, you can use the syrup for back sweetening your wine and give it a hint of lavender flavor and aroma.
- Use some of the dried lavender in your tea mix. It's heavenly!
- If you have a lot of lavender growing in your garden you can either freeze it fresh or dry it for later use. The dried lavender can be used in your cookie batter, in sachets, in lavender bath salts, soaps, or in bath bombs.
🍯 Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Lavender Simple Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup fresh lavender flowers (or ¼ cup dried food-grade lavender)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 2 slices fresh or dehydrated oranges
Instructions
- Strip the lavender flower petals off of the stems and add them to a fine mesh strainer. Give them a quick rinse under cool running water. Discard the stems and leaves.
- Add the lavender flowers, water, sugar, and orange slices to a small saucepan. Stir over low heat to dissolve the sugar. Allow the mixture to come to a boil for a few minutes then turn down the heat.
- Remove the orange slices from the syrup and simmer the syrup for an additional 10 minutes over low heat. Allow the lavender flowers to steep in the syrup for at least a few hours or preferably, overnight.
- Strain the syrup using a soup bag or sachet bag. Squeeze all the syrup out of the lavender before discarding it. Pour the lavender syrup into an 8.5-ounce flip-top bottle and store it in the refrigerator. It should last you quite a while, as long as there is no cross-contamination.
Notes
- Lavender buds are very delicate and fall off the stems easily. For this reason, I recommend stripping them off the stem, then washing them so that you don't lose any while you're washing them.
- When picking lavender, be sure it has not been treated with pesticides.
- If you're a winemaker like me, you can use the syrup for back sweetening your wine and give it a hint of lavender flavor and aroma.
- Use some of the dried lavender in your tea mix. It's heavenly!
- If you have a lot of lavender growing in your garden you can either freeze it fresh or dry it for later use. The dried lavender can be used in your cookie batter, in sachets, in lavender bath salts, soaps, or in bath bombs.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Tara,
You can totally use lemon instead. I just always have dehydrated orange slices on hand so I use them in a lot of my recipes!
Tara says
has anyone ever used lemon instead or orange?
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you, Karen! I appreciate the comment and yes, I love to add a few orange slices to most of my syrups!
Karen says
Hi, Hilda!! I've been making lavender syrup for about 6 years. It is wonderful!! But I've never added orange slices. Thanks for the tip!!!
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Kelly, I think you'd really love the lavender latte too!
Kelly Methey says
I love lavender! I will be making this very soon! I love the picture of the bottle sitting in the flowers! Beautiful!