This Lemon Simple Syrup is perfect for homemade lemonades, cocktails, iced teas, and more! You only need 3 ingredients and it takes less than 30 minutes to make! The syrup is tart, sweet, and zesty. It has a ton of uses, it's better than store-bought, and freezer-friendly!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Syrup
Fresh bright flavor - This syrup has an amazing true lemon flavor that will shine in any drinks you add it to. It has both lemon juice and lemon zest for double the flavor. It's tart, sweet, and well-rounded. It's sure to be a hit at any party if you use it for cocktails!
Easy and simple - You only need 3 ingredients for this syrup and it takes less than 30 minutes to make! All you need is freshly squeezed lemon juice, fresh lemon zest (which are both technically just 1 ingredient), and cane sugar. It's so easy, straightforward, and so worth making it at home!
A ton of uses - You can use the syrup in cocktails, mocktails, teas, or make homemade lemonades or sodas with just water and this syrup! The options are endless and you can even drizzle it over ice cream or desserts.
Freezer-friendly - Most simple syrups don't freeze fully because of their high-sugar content but they're still 100% freezeer-friendly! I like to make a double batch of this syrup to always have it on hand for flavoring water for guests or for cocktails!
Ingredients
- Lemon juice - Use freshly squeezed lemon juice whenever possible for the best flavor.
- Lemon zest - Freshly grated lemon zest will give the syrup an amazing flavor. If you can, use organic lemons here to avoid extra chemicals sprayed on regular lemons. I like grating the zest finely because it releases more flavor than strips of lemon peel would. It's also better to avoid using the white parts of the lemon peel as it might make the syrup slightly bitter.
- Cane sugar - You can use either white sugar or cane sugar here. I like using cane sugar because it's less processed than classic white sugar. It does yield slightly darker syrup but it has a very neutral flavor. I don't recommend brown sugar or any darker sugars for this syrup because they could overpower the lemon flavor.
Variations and Substitutions
- Different citrus - You can follow this recipe's directions to make orange syrup or lime syrup as well. I have a recipe for Orange Simple Syrup but it doesn't have any orange juice, only orange zest because I wanted to use it in lattes, and acidic citrus and milk don't work together well. That being said, you can definitely use orange juice as well.
- Sugar substitute - If you don't have cane sugar, you can use coconut sugar, maple syrup, maple sugar, or even agave. Keep in mind this may change the color and flavor of the syrup. You can also use a sugar-free substitute that can be used in a 1:1 ratio instead of regular sugar. This will change the flavor of the syrup as well and it may not last as long because sugar acts as a preservative in the syrup.
- Bottled lemon juice - While I always recommend using freshly squeezed citrus whenever possible, you can use bottled lemon juice in a pinch. I haven't tried using dried lemon peel, I think it might make the syrup bitter.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Add cane sugar and lemon zest to a medium saucepan.
- Stir the two together pressing down on the sugar with a spoon to release the oils of the lemon zest. The sugar should start to resemble wet sand. This helps infuse the sugar with more lemon flavor.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
- Add the lemon juice and bring the mixture to a simmer stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Simmer the syrup for 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Take it off the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Strain the syrup using a fine mesh strainer into a large measuring cup or a bowl.
- Pour the syrup into an airtight glass jar and wait for it to cool completely before closing it with a lid.
- Use immediately or store in the fridge until ready to use.
Tips & Tricks
- Less tart syrup - A full 1 cup of lemon juice may make the syrup more tart than you're expecting. Use a mix of water and lemon juice for sweeter syrup. I recommend ½ cup lemon juice and ½ cup water. Don't skip the lemon zest for that classic zesty lemon flavor.
- Make a bigger batch and freeze it! I absolutely love having small containers of this syrup in my freezer for quick sodas and lemonades. The syrup doesn't freeze completely so you can just spoon it into your glasses without defrosting. I like smaller containers because I usually transfer them to the fridge and they're easier to use up than big containers.
How to Use Lemon Syrup
- Cocktails and mocktails - You can add it to a variety of cocktails instead of plain simple syrup. It works really well with vodka, white rum, silver tequila, or gin but it's also delicious in dark rum and bourbon cocktails in the fall with ingredients like apples or fresh herbs. Try it in this Lemon Margarita or this Lemon Mocktail. It would also be delicious in a Limoncello Spritz or a French 77!
- Lemonades - Mixing this syrup with water is the easiest and quickest way to make a lemonade at home! You can serve it plain over ice or add other ingredients to make fun new lemonade flavors. I like this Strawberry Basil Lemonade or this Cucumber Lemonade for hot summer days. You can make this beautiful color-changing Butterfly Pea Flower Lemonade if you really want to impress, or this Pineapple Passion Fruit Lemonade.
- Iced tea - With this lemon syrup you can sweeten your tea and add fresh lemon flavor at the same time! I also like doing this with Ginger Syrup, it's such a timesaver! It's great in both hot tea and iced tea.
- Soda - My favorite way to enjoy the syrup is by mixing it with sparkling water to create my own homemade soda! It takes seconds and you can do this with every simple syrup flavor you make at home!
- Food - You can drizzle the syrup over ice cream or desserts. It's delicious drizzled over tropical fruit ice cream flavors but you can't go wrong with vanilla either. You can even drizzle it over this Blueberry Baked Oatmeal! Blueberries and lemons are a great flavor match!
Storing and Make Ahead Options
Fridge: You can store the lemon syrup in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Wait for the syrup to cool completely before closing the jar with a lid.
The syrup may separate slightly as it sits. This is natural, just stir the syrup briefly with a spoon before each use.
Freezer: You can freeze the syrup as well to make it last longer. Due to its high sugar content, the syrup doesn't freeze completely so it can be used right away from the freezer, it's just much thicker in consistency.
I like freezing syrups in small 2-4 serving containers with labels so I always know how much syrup to transfer to the fridge or how much to use in my drinks. I don't recommend freezing the syrup in an ice cube tray because it doesn't freeze fully and you wouldn't be able to get actual cubes of it.
FAQs
I haven't tried this so I can't guarantee results but you can try using a sugar substitute that can be used in a 1:1 ratio instead of regular sugar. Keep in mind this may shorten the shelf life of your syrup because real sugar preserves the syrup so it can last two weeks in the fridge.
Yes, but I still recommend adding fresh lemon zest as well so you'll need lemons either way. I recommend freshly squeezed lemon juice because it yields a much brighter and fresh flavor.
Similar Recipes
If you want to try other fresh and fruity syrups, check out any of the five recipes below. The passion fruit one is my favorite! They're all delicious in cocktails, mocktails, teas, and more! To see the latest ones, head over to Homemade Syrups.
📖 Recipe
Lemon Simple Syrup
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 ½ cup 1x
- Category: Flavored Syrup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Lemon Simple Syrup is perfect for homemade lemonades, cocktails, iced teas, and more! The syrup is tart, sweet, and zesty. Freezer-friendly!
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup cane sugar
- 2 tbsp grated fresh lemon zest (I use a microplane)
- 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Add cane sugar and lemon zest to a medium saucepan.
- Stir the two together pressing down on the sugar with your spoon to release the oils from the lemon zest. The sugar should start to resemble wet sand.
- Add the lemon juice and bring the mixture to a simmer stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Simmer the syrup for 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Take it off the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Strain the syrup using a fine mesh strainer into a large measuring cup or a bowl.
- Pour the syrup into an airtight glass jar and wait for it to cool completely before closing it with a lid.
- Use immediately or store in the fridge until ready to use.
Notes
The recipe makes about 1 ½ cup of syrup which serves 12 when you use 2 tablespoon per person.
Less tangy alternative: ½ cup lemon juice and ½ cup water with 1 cup of cane sugar. If you add less lemon juice, you will need less sugar.
Storing: Store the syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. The syrup may separate as it sits, just stir it before every use.
Freezing: Freeze any leftover syrup in a freezer-safe container for up to 3-4 months. I like to store it in small 2-4 serving containers (1-2 tablespoon per serving) so I don’t have to defrost too much at once.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Veronika Sykorova says
I love adding this syrup to water or tea but it's also perfect for cocktails! I've made it a few times in the past few months and it's always a hit! Let me know how you liked it here in the comments! :)