How to make 2-ingredient SIMPLE SYRUP

Name: Homemade Simple Syrup
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 cup water; 1 cup granulated sugar

Making simple syrup for cocktails couldn’t be easier! Calling for two ingredients, homemade sugar syrup comes together with very little time and is wonderful to add to your favorite drinks. Makes 16 (½ oz.) servings.

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Looking for a different type of syrup to sweeten a drink? Check out my Strawberry Syrup, Honey Simple Syrup and Pumpkin Spice Syrup recipes, too!

Two jars holding simple syrup sit on a marble surface in front of a jar holding fresh mint leaves

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If you’re a fan of mixing cocktails at home, chances are you’ve realized that simple syrup (also known as “sugar syrup”) is a must-have for a lot of recipes.

Simple syrup is a liquid sweetener that involves sugar and water. It’s mostly used in drinks, however, you can use this sweetness to brush on a cake, too!

Whether you’re mixing white sangria, blueberry lemonade or a whole host of other mixed drinks, like an old fashioned, whiskey sours and even mocktails, chances are you need a little bit of simple syrup on hand to mix ‘em up.

You can swirl this rich simple syrup into hot drinks, like espresso or coffee, as well as cold ones, like iced tea or iced coffee, too.

And yes, of course, you can purchase it at the store, but this simple syrup is so incredibly easy to make at home that we all should learn how to make it.

Why I love this recipe:

Once you know the simple syrup ratio of water to granulated sugar, you’re absolutely golden. That ratio is 1 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water.

So homemade simple syrup for cocktails requires the same amount of water and sugar together to make it.

Once you know the basic recipe, too, you can make twists on it, like mint simple syrup and cinnamon simple syrup!

You can also take this recipe and twist it a bit farther to use the same idea for honey simple syrup, a molasses simple syrup or a maple simple syrup. Because while these three have liquid sweeteners, they can get clumpy when added to cold drinks!

Recipes where you can use homemade simple syrup: Cranberry Moscow Mule (Yule Mule) | How to Make a Margarita | Mojito Pitcher

Need cocktail inspiration? Head on over to my Drink Recipe Index for some ideas of what to mix at home next!

A saucepan sits on a striped towel next to cinnamon sticks, a bunch of mint, sugar and water

What you’ll need to make this recipe:

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Saucepan
Mason jar
Fine mesh strainer, if you’re adding an ingredient that needs straining out

Let’s talk ingredients!

In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.

Here are the two simple ingredients you need to grab for this basic simple syrup recipe:

Granulated sugar — white sugar, if possible, so your simple syrup is a clear color. You’ll notice that I used a raw sugar (like demerara sugar), which was all I had on hand at the time, which means the final syrup has a bit of a brownish tint for these photos.
Water — if you drink your tap water, just use that! You don’t need fancy water to make simple syrup.

Simple syrup in a saucepan sits on top of a gray and white striped towel

How do you make Simple Syrup at Home?

In a saucepan — I tend to use a 2.5 quart one because that’s my favorite and it allows me some wiggle room if I want to make a bigger batch — combine the granulated sugar and water. Swirl them together or stir with a wooden spoon.

Place the saucepan on the stovetop, and heat the ingredients over high heat.

You want to heat the simple syrup just until the sugar has dissolved into the water — and this will be before it comes to a rolling boil, so keep an eye on it. This should only take 5 minutes tops and the water will simmer at most.

When the sugar dissolves into the water, remove the saucepan from the heat, and let it cool. The texture of this should be thin, like any juice or water you might drink. It does not need to be thick and syrupy… if it is, you cooked it for too long.

If you’re going to infuse it with flavors (like fresh herbs, citrus or spices), add those now so they can infuse while the sugar syrup cools, too. I have information below and in the recipe card about making mint simple syrup, ginger simple syrup and cinnamon simple syrup!

how to store:

Once the syrup has cooled, transfer it to a mason jar, an airtight container or a fun glass jar, like these glass jars.* (affiliate link)

Keep it in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.

You can also freeze simple syrup. If you want to make a big batch of this during the summer months when gorgeous, ripe peaches are abundant, follow this tutorial to freeze some for the rest of the year.

A mason jar holding regular simple syrup sits on front of two other jars holding mint simple syrup and cinnamon simple syrup on a marble surface

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips

As someone who adores serving a fun drink at a gathering in her home, y’all know I keep simple syrup for cocktails in my fridge at basically all times. In fact, I currently have a few jars of mint simple syrup, as well as the classic, just hanging out for our next cocktail.

If you’re planning on hosting friends or having a happy hour, I highly suggest making some homemade simple syrup to accompany your drinks!

Here are a few tips and tricks to make it as easy as possible:

Decide your drink first, and figure out what flavor of simple syrup, if any, you might need. This classic pairs with various cocktail recipes, as well as different types of alcohol.
Make a batch 1-2 days in advance. Let it hang out in the fridge. (Depending on the number of guests, you might need to double or triple the recipe. I always err on the side of too much since this recipe keeps well.)
Before friends arrive, get out the ingredients for your drinks. Decide whether you’ll mix the drinks yourself or let your friends play bartender! Either way is fun. 🙂

How long does simple syrup last?

If you keep your sugar syrup in the fridge, it’ll last for 2-3 weeks. I’ve tried to keep mine at room temperature in a cool, dry place before and mold formed, which is not optimal.

A jar holds simple syrup with cinnamon in it on a marble countertop

Mint leaves sit on top of a jar of simple syrup before being stirred in

Frequently Asked Questions

What is simple syrup made of?

It’s made of equal parts of sugar and water. Typically, granulated sugar is used. When I made the simple syrup for these photos, I used organic cane sugar, which gives it the brown tint.

Does simple syrup need to boil?

No. You want the sugar to dissolve into the water, and that should happen before it reaches the boiling water stage.

How long does homemade simple syrup last?

It should last for up to a month in the refrigerator. I do not recommend storing the simple syrup at room temperature because it will not last this long.

Should you refrigerate homemade simple syrup?

Yes. It will last longer. I’ve had an unfortunate instance with simple syrup forming mold when left at room temperature in my liquor cabinet.

A person adds mint leaves to a jar of simple syrup

A jar of cinnamon simple syrup sits next to a gray and white striped towel with cinnamon sticks inside it

How to make Variations on Classic Simple Syrup

Your simple syrup ratio will remain the same at 1 part water to 1 part sugar. In fact, you’ll make flavored simple syrup in the saucepan and add in these additional ingredients to infuse them.

Here are some of our favorites:

Add spices. Infuse syrup with cinnamon sticks for 1-3 hours to create cinnamon simple syrup. This is spectacular in fall drinks, like Gin Apple Pie Cocktail and Apple Cider Moscow Mule! You can do the same thing with fresh ginger root, nutmeg, cloves or a blend of warming spices. This Vanilla Bean Syrup tastes like a treat!
Swap out the sweetener. Use honey instead of sugar to make Honey Syrup! Use the same amount of brown sugar to make a Brown Sugar Syrup.
Use fresh herbs. If you’ve got tons of fresh mint, make mint simple syrup. It gives lemonade a fun spin! The same process goes for basil, thyme, Rosemary Simple Syrup and Lavender Simple Syrup.
Don’t forget fruits! We love festive Cranberry Simple Syrup and Cherry Syrup. You could add fresh citrus peel, like lemon, lime or orange, to make a citrus-based syrup.
Give it some heat. Add jalapeño slices to the syrup to infuse.

Keep in mind that when you infuse simple syrup with flavors, the stronger the flavors will be the longer you steep them. Also — everyone’s tastebuds are different!

If you’re concerned that your infused simple syrup might become too strong (or not be strong enough), do a taste test after 15-20 minutes. This will give you an idea of how the flavors are coming together. You can let them continue to do their thing or remove the infusion ingredient because you’re done!

Here’s how you can make it at home…

Homemade Simple Syrup

Servings: (½ oz.) servings

Erin Parker, The Speckled Palate

5 from 6 votes

Making simple syrup for cocktails couldn’t be easier! Calling for two ingredients, homemade sugar syrup comes together with very little time and is wonderful to add to your favorite drinks.

Cook Time 5

Total Time 5

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