The best way to sweeten iced drinks is with simple syrup. Made of just 2 ingredients, sugar and water, it’s super easy to make at home in less than 5 minutes.
CONTENTS
Recipe Highlights
- Simple syrup is a fancy name for sugar that has been dissolved in water. With just two ingredients (sugar and water), it’s so easy to make at home.
- Sweeten iced drinks with simple syrup instead of sugar since it’ll mix well into the cold beverage unlike sugar which will just sink down to the bottom of the cup.
- Can be used to sweeten hot and cold drinks.
- This recipe makes a cup of simple syrup and 1-2 tablespoons can be added to sweeten your drink.
RELATED: Simple Homemade Brown Sugar Syrup
Ingredient Notes
- Sugar
White, granulated sugar is used to make basic simple sugar but you can use any kind of sugar you like. - Water
Use filtered water, if possible, for a better quality simple syrup.
RELATED: 12 Simple Syrups Recipes
Step-by-Step Instructions
For full ingredients and instructions, scroll down to the recipe.
- Put sugar and water in a saucepan and simmer.
Simmer on low heat and stir until sugar completely dissolves. - Take off heat and cool.
- Pour syrup into an airtight container.
Simple Syrup Uses
- Stir simple syrup into iced teas and iced coffees to sweeten.
- Make quick lemonade by shaking lemon juice, simple syrup, and water in a cocktail shaker.
- Whisk half & half with some simple syrup to make delicious cold foam for drinks.
RELATED: Starbucks Classic Syrup
Expert Tips
- This recipe makes a cup (16 tablespoons) of simple syrup. Use 1-2 tablespoons of syrup to sweeten a drink.
- The syrup is good for 3 weeks when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Always use simple syrup to sweeten iced drinks since it’ll best stir into a cold drink.
Questions You May Have
Yes! But it does take more time and effort. Put water and sugar into an airtight container, like a jar with a tight lid, and shake it vigorously until sugar dissolves.
Rich simple syrup is a simple syrup made with a different ratio of sugar and water. Simple syrup is 1 part sugar and 1 part water. Rich simple syrup, or shortened to rich syrup, is 2 parts sugar and 1 part water.
The simple syrup at Starbucks is called the Classic syrup and it’s a little sweeter so I suspect it’s made with 1.5 part sugar and 1 part water.
Related
- Easy French Vanilla Creamer
- Simple Homemade Syrups for Coffee and Tea
- Brown Sugar Syrup
- Rose Syrup
- 30 Refreshing Iced Tea Recipes
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Homemade Simple Syrup
INGREDIENTS
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup water
INSTRUCTIONS
- Put sugar and water in a saucepan and simmer.Simmer on low heat and stir until sugar completely dissolves.
- Take off heat and cool.
- Pour syrup into an airtight container.Syrup will keep for 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
EQUIPMENT
NOTES
- Recipe makes 1 cup (16 tablespoons) of syrup.
- Use 2 tablespoons of syrup per 1 cup of coffee.
- To make simple syrup without hot water, put water and sugar into an airtight container, like a jar with a tight lid, and shake it vigorously until sugar dissolves.
I learned from my grandma and mom how to make this. What we sweeten ice tea with.