Lavender simple syrup takes just three ingredients — water, sugar, and culinary lavender — and about fifteen minutes. Once it's in your fridge, you can stir a spoonful into lemonade, lattes, cocktails, iced tea, or a drizzle over cake. Here's the exact recipe, plus the ratios — and if you'd rather skip the stovetop, we bottle our own.
What is lavender simple syrup?
Simple syrup is just sugar dissolved in water. Steep culinary lavender in it while it's warm and the syrup takes on a gentle floral flavor and a soft golden color. It's the easiest way to add lavender to drinks, because the flavor is already evenly dissolved — no straining buds out of your glass.
What you'll need
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons dried culinary lavender (English Lavender, food-grade)
Use farm-grown, food-grade English Lavender rather than ornamental buds — it's sweeter, and it's meant for eating.
How to make lavender simple syrup
- Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir until the sugar fully dissolves, about 3 minutes. Don't let it boil hard.
- Remove from the heat, add the lavender, and steep for 15–20 minutes. The longer it sits, the stronger the flavor.
- Strain out the buds and pour the syrup into a clean jar.
Taste at 15 minutes — lavender is potent, and you can always steep longer, but you can't pull it back once it's too strong.
Skip the stovetop: our Lavender Rich Syrup
If you'd rather not make your own, our hand-crafted Lavender Rich Syrup is ready to pour. It's made at double the strength of ordinary simple syrup, so you use about half as much — one small drizzle sweetens a whole drink, and a 9 oz bottle goes a long way. We also make Lavender-Vanilla-Bourbon-Maple and Lavender-Cherry-Maple if you love a little more depth.
Prefer to make it richer at home?
For a thicker homemade syrup that holds up in cocktails, use a 2:1 ratio — 2 cups sugar to 1 cup water — which is the same "rich" style we bottle. Everything else stays the same, and it keeps a little longer in the fridge.
10 ways to use lavender syrup
Lavender lemonade, lavender lattes, iced tea, sparkling water, cocktails and mocktails, drizzled over pancakes or pound cake, whipped into cream, brushed onto cake layers, sweetening a cup of Earl Grey Cream lavender tea, or stirred into fresh fruit. For cocktails and wine, our Lavendology Infuser makes it easy to experiment.
How long does it last?
Homemade lavender simple syrup keeps in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks (a little longer for the 2:1 version). Our bottled Lavender Rich Syrup lasts longer unopened — check the label. If homemade syrup ever looks cloudy or smells off, make a fresh batch.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of lavender do I use for simple syrup?
Food-grade culinary English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), grown without pesticides. Ornamental or florist lavender is not meant for eating.
How much lavender per cup of syrup?
Start with 1 tablespoon of dried buds per cup of water and steep 15 minutes. Use up to 2 tablespoons or steep longer for a stronger flavor.
What's the difference between simple syrup and rich syrup?
Simple syrup is equal parts sugar and water. Rich syrup uses twice the sugar, so it's more concentrated — you use less to get the same sweetness, and it lasts longer. Our bottled Lavender Rich Syrup is made this way.
Do you sell ready-made lavender syrup?
Yes — our hand-crafted Lavender Rich Syrup is bottled on our Michigan farm and ships to your door, along with two other lavender syrup flavors.
