20+ Easy Infused Syrup Recipes for Coffee, Cocktails, & Cakes
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Give your next cup of coffee or lemonade a punch of flavor with these infused syrup recipes! They’re super simple to make and cost way less than the fancy stuff at the store. From herb-infused syrups and fruity options, there’s something for everyone!
I’ve been making homemade syrups for years now and recommend them to anyone who wants to be a little more creative in the kitchen! They really couldn’t be easier since many of my recipes below only require 3-4 simple ingredients, and there are truly endless options.
Most variations require just 1-2 extra ingredients beyond sugar and water, so you don’t need to splurge on lots of expensive supplies or materials.
Plus, they taste amazing! I love serving homemade syrups in different cocktails, homemade sodas, lemonade, and more. They make any drink more interesting. You don’t have to use them for alcohol, though! I made several different syrups for an Italian soda station at a party a few years ago, and it was such a hit!
What are infused syrups?
These are all essentially simple syrups that are infused with fresh herbs, dried spices, fruits, and more. They’re all a twist on the basic simple syrup recipe, which is made from equal parts sugar and water. There are some unique variations below that deviate from this basic recipe, but most of them follow this same basic recipe!
Why you’ll love these infused syrup recipes
- Cheaper than storebought – Have you seen the price of the fancy syrups from the store? Holy smokes! No one needs to pay $10 for a bottle of sugar water…ever. Protect your budget without compromising on flavor by making your own sweet syrup at home!
- Control the quality of ingredients – Since these infused syrup recipes are completely homemade, you won’t find any preservatives, dyes, stabilizers, etc. You can either use the cheapest ingredients you can find or splurge on organic sugar and wildcrafted herbs. Have fun with it!
- Add flavor to drinks, bakes, and more – Since the sugar crystals have already been dissolved in the water, you can use these simple syrup recipes as a liquid sweetener for cold drinks, hot drinks, cocktails, and more. They’re a fun way to add a little extra flavor to your beverages!
- Fun way to get creative in the kitchen – This is my favorite part of making my own syrups. There are endless options! It’s fun to see what happens if you use jalapeno syrup in lemonade or cardamom syrup in your homemade sodas. You never know which combinations you’ll like the most!
Equipment
You need very few supplies to make your own homemade syrup recipes. There are some recipes that require a few extra tools, but they’re mostly this simple!
- Small saucepan
- Fine mesh strainer
- Narrow funnel
- Airtight container or glass bottle
Ingredients for Infused Syrup Recipes
The individual ingredients vary per recipe, but they generally follow this format.
- White sugar
- Water
- Dried spices, fresh herbs, fresh fruits, and more
How to Make Infused Simple Syrups
- In general, place the water, plain sugar, and any other ingredients together in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Heat the mixture on the stove until the sugar dissolves.
- Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, strain out any large pieces.
- Store the mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for usually one week.
Homemade Simple Syrups for Sodas, Cocktails & More
The following 21 recipes will add a little kick to your next cocktail, iced tea, coffee, or more. There are several different flavors here, so see which one jumps out at you!
Cardamom Simple Syrup
This cardamom syrup recipe is one of my favorites. It makes any beverage taste like chai, and makes the BEST homemade cream soda! It’s super simple, too, and you can use the dried cardamom already in your pantry.
Brown Sugar Syrup
Technically, this brown sugar simple syrup isn’t exactly an infused syrup because it just uses brown sugar and water. However, the homemade brown sugar is infused with flavor from the molasses! It’s an amazing ingredient to add to this brown sugar lemonade.
My demerara syrup recipe is very similar. They’re both wonderful in coffee drinks, and stir perfectly into iced coffee without leaving little sugar crystals at the bottom.
Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup
I’m a total vanilla fiend and love to drizzle this lusciously decadent vanilla bean syrup over fresh fruits, stir it into lemonade, or sweeten a cup of Earl Grey tea. One of my favorites!
If you love vanilla like me, you might as well make some vanilla sugar while you’re at it or your own Bourbon vanilla extract. Both are great for baking!
Earl Grey Tea Syrup
I love the combination of black tea and bergamot in this Earl Grey tea syrup. You just infuse a couple of Earl Grey tea bags in your homemade simple syrup, then remove the bags before serving. It’s fantastic in cocktail recipes, especially with a little bourbon!
Chamomile Simple Syrup
Don’t you love that strawberry-pineapple-apple scent of chamomile? It smells like summer sunshine to me, and this chamomile simple syrup is a lovely addition to your strawberry lemonade or homemade sodas. Such a treat!
Lavender Simple Syrup
Add this lavender simple syrup to your must-make list! It’s perfect for making homemade lavender lemonade and lattes, drizzling over ice cream, or even sweetening lavender liqueur. One of my favorite floral-infused simple syrup recipes!
Love lavender, too? Check out these 45+ ways to use dried lavender for some inspiration!
Lemon Balm Syrup
This herbal simple syrup is such a sunny treat! Lemon balm has a bright, lemony flavor and is so relaxing. I love to add this to lemon balm lemonade or stir some into some sparkling wine for a spritzer. So refreshing!
Hazelnut Simple Syrup
Homemade hazelnut simple syrup is such a delicious alternative to the storebought stuff! treat! This version uses real, whole hazelnuts for an authentic flavor that tastes just as good drizzled over ice cream as it does stirred into coffee!
Coconut Sugar Simple Syrup
The rich flavor of coconut sugar makes this coconut sugar simple syrup recipe so much more flavorful than a basic simple syrup. It’s heavenly drizzled into your iced coffees and won’t spike your blood sugar quite as much, either!
Black Cherry Syrup
This black cherry vanilla syrup has a dark burgundy color and a strong cherry flavor, perfect for homemade sodas, lemonade, brushing onto cakes, and so much more. You can even use it to make your own homemade cherry coke!
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Blackberry Simple Syrup
Just infuse some fresh or frozen blackberries into your next batch of simple syrup to add a berry flavor to iced tea, lemonade, and more. Get my blackberry simple syrup recipe here.
Blueberry Simple Syrup
Similar to the syrup above, gently cooking blackberries with white sugar and water is a great way to bring out their flavor and purple color. I especially love this blueberry simple syrup in lemonade!
Cranberry Simple Syrup
Take your holiday drinks to the next level with this spiced cranberry simple syrup! It’s steeped with dried spices and orange for a warm, cozy flavor that’s perfect for your holiday cocktail bar.
Blood Orange Syrup
The bold red color of this blood orange syrup looks like grenadine in drinks but has the best orange flavor! I love to serve it over grapefruit sparkling water or to add color to any glass of lemonade.
Jalapeno Syrup
I love to make this jalapeno syrup recipe when I’m freezing jalapenos. It’s nice and spicy and makes the most amazing margaritas and lemonades! It’ll wake you up, for sure!
Strawberry Rhubarb Simple Syrup
Is there a spring flavor combination more iconic than this one? The second the first strawberries begin to ripen, you’ll want strawberry rhubarb everything.
This strawberry rhubarb simple syrup is ideal for homemade lemonades, sodas, cocktails, and even drizzling over ice cream!
Infused Maple Syrups
This is a little different as I don’t generally use these for sweetening drinks, but they’re definitely infused syrups! I love to infuse maple syrup with vanilla beans or cinnamon sticks. The maple takes on the scent and flavor of the add-in, and the two flavors together taste way better than they do apart!
They’re wonderful for drizzling over pancakes, waffles, and French toast or stirring into your favorite maple-sweetened desserts, like these pumpkin pie pudding cups. Such an easy project with so much flavor! We always have at least one bottle in our fridge at all times.
More Infused Syrup Recipes
There are so many more flavored syrups out there you can make for your coffee or tea! Here are some of my favorite options.
- This homemade rose syrup would add such a delicate touch to tea or lemonade. Great for brushing over cakes too!
- I’d love to try this coconut infused simple syrup in some tropical cocktails. I bet it’d be great with rum!
- This coffee syrup would taste amazing in so many different drinks and desserts!
- Make this dandelion syrup recipe for a vegan honey alternative!
FAQs
A simple syrup uses the same amount of sugar and water (I use 1 cup each), while a rich syrup uses twice as much sugar (2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water). Since they’re so much sweeter than regular simple syrup, you can use half as much to sweeten your drinks!
I love making cocktail syrups with brown sugar, demerara sugar, and other types of sugar, but they can affect the final flavor of your drinks. If you want to highlight a subtle flavor, like lavender, it’s best to use plain white sugar or even honey instead.
Plain simple syrup follows this ratio: one part water and one part sugar. You can use as little as a tablespoon or two of each ingredient or make a huge batch. It doesn’t matter – you always follow the same ratio! If you’d prefer a thicker syrup (called a rich simple syrup), you’ll need twice as much sugar as water.
Plain simple syrup made with just sugar and water can generally last for 2 weeks in the fridge. Infused syrups should be stored for up to 1 week in the fridge. Since there aren’t any preservatives, they won’t last quite as long as a bottle of simple syrup from the store, but they’re so easy to make fresh whenever you need them!
Related Recipes
If you loved these infused syrup recipes, try these other sweet recipes!
