This fresh Mint Simple Syrup is a delicious floral minty syrup great for any cocktails, mocktails, tea, lemonade, and much more! It only calls for 3 ingredients and it's ready in 15 minutes! It's great for spring and summer but it's delicious any time of the year and makes great holiday cocktails!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Minty and floral - Fresh mint gives this syrup an amazing light and refreshing minty flavor, the same one you get brewing fresh mint leaves in hot water for tea. It's a delicious syrup for fruity cocktails, mocktails, teas, or lemonades!
Not the same as peppermint - Don't confuse this syrup with peppermint syrup! Peppermint Syrup is made with peppermint extract and it has a very minty candy cane flavor. Mint syrup tastes like brewed fresh mint tea just much sweeter because it's steeped in syrup instead of water.
Easy and simple - You only need water, cane sugar, and fresh mint leaves to make this syrup and it comes together in just 15 minutes. It's totally foolproof and a breeze to make. You can store it in the fridge for 2 weeks and it's freezer-friendly!
Lots of uses - This syrup is amazing in any berry-based cocktail or mocktail like this Blueberry Mocktail or this Blueberry Margarita. It's delicious in iced teas, hot tea, and lemonades like this Iced Raspberry Passion Tea Lemonade. You can even add it to plain sparkling water with some ice and a squeeze of lemon!
Ingredients
- Fresh mint - The flavor of the syrup will depend on the variety of mint you use. While you can use any mint you have with similar results, I prefer using Morrocan mint because it has a stronger flavor which works for this syrup.
- Cane sugar - You can use either cane sugar or white sugar here. I prefer using cane sugar in most of my syrups because it has a neutral flavor but it's slightly less processed.
- Water - Use filtered water whenever possible for the best flavor. You'll need water and sugar in a 1:1 ratio.
Variations and Substitutions
- Sugar-free - You can use a sugar-free substitute that can be used in a 1:1 ratio instead of cane sugar if you prefer. Keep in mind this may change the flavor of the syrup and it won't last as long because sugar preserves it. I haven't tested this so I can't guarantee results.
- A different variety of mint - There are many mint varieties like pineapple mint, chocolate mint, banana mint, etc. You can try these varieties to give your syrup a slightly different flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Add water, cane sugar, and fresh mint to a medium saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved.
- Simmer the syrup for 5 minutes.
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- Take it off the heat and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before removing the mint. The longer you let it steep, the stronger the syrup will be.
- Transfer the syrup to an airtight jar and store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Always wait for the syrup to cool before closing the jar with a lid.
Serving Suggestions
Cocktails - Mint syrup is amazing in any gin, white rum, vodka, or blanco tequila-based cocktails. Try it in this Blueberry Margarita, this Frozen Mojito, or this Watermelon Margarita!
Mocktails - This syrup is delicious with any berry-based drinks. Try it in this Blueberry Mocktail! It's made with blueberry syrup and mint syrup and it makes a delicious refreshing summer mocktail.
Tea - This syrup is great for sweetening both hot and iced teas. Try it in black tea, green tea, white tea, or mint tea for double mint flavor!
Water and lemonade - I love adding slices of fresh lemon, mint leaves, and cucumber to my water with a little bit of this mint syrup for added flavor and sweetness. You can also add it to lemonades instead of sugar for a light minty flavor.
Storing and Make Ahead Options
Making it ahead: This syrup keeps really well in the fridge so I highly recommend making it ahead of time. That way you're not using syrup that's still warm from the stove in your cocktails and you're saving time!
Fridge: Store the syrup in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Always makes sure to use a clean spoon for the syrup to avoid contamination.
Freezer: Freeze any leftover syrup you won't be able to use up in a freezer-safe container and freeze for 2-5 months. I like to freeze my syrups measured for 1-4 servings so that I know exactly how much I need to defrost. They often don't even freeze fully so I just scoop out a little bit of the frozen syrup for drinks.
FAQs
The two are very different. Peppermint Syrup is made with peppermint extract and it has a candy cane flavor. Mint syrup is made with fresh mint and it has a mint tea flavor.
You can use it to sweeten mojitos but I still recommend adding some fresh mint for that extra fresh flavor and bright green color.
You can easily half this recipe. The syrup should be made in a 1:1 ratio of sugar and water. As long as you keep the ratio, you can make any quantity you want!
Similar Herb and Floral Syrups
There are so many different herbal or floral syrups you can make at home! Below are three of my favorites (especially the rose syrup!). I'm always adding new ones to the website so if you want to see all the latest ones, head over to Flavored Syrups.
📖 Recipe
Mint Simple Syrup
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 ⅓ cup 1x
- Category: Flavored Syrup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This fresh Mint Simple Syrup is a great floral minty syrup for any cocktails, mocktails, tea, lemonade, and much more! It's great for spring and summer but it's delicious any time of the year and makes delicious holiday cocktails!
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 15-20 fresh mint leaves (a handful of mint leaves with stems on)
Instructions
- Add water, cane sugar, and fresh mint to a medium saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved.
- Simmer the syrup for 5 minutes.
- Take it off the heat and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before removing the mint. The longer you let it steep, the stronger the syrup will be.
- Transfer the syrup to an airtight jar and store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Wait for the syrup to cool before closing the jar with a lid.
Notes
Storing: Store the syrup in an airtight jar in the fridge for 2 weeks or you can freeze it in a freezer-safe container for 2-3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
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Veronika Sykorova says
Definitely try this syrup in my blueberry mocktail, the two flavors go so well together!