This Orange Simple Syrup is made with just 3 ingredients and it comes together in less than 30 minutes! It's orangy, zesty, and so good! You can use it in cocktails, mocktails, lattes, tea, and more! You can even drizzle it on ice cream or pancakes!
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Why You'll Love This Orange Syrup
Only 3 ingredients - You only need 3 ingredients and less than 30 minutes to make this syrup! Cane sugar, water, and fresh orange zest. It’s easy, simple, and impossible to mess up!
Great with matcha - Orange syrup and matcha si not a very common combo but I highly recommend it! Try it in an Iced Orange Matcha Latte, it’s perfect! I first heard of it online - a local coffee shop in Los Angeles had it on their menu and even though I never tried their version, I was intrigued and had to make my own at home! If you've had it at a cafe before, you've got to try it at home as well!
Lots of uses - Besides matcha, this syrup is delicious in cocktails, mocktails, iced tea, and even lattes! Try it drizzled over dark chocolate ice cream!
Ingredients
- Orange zest - I recommend peeling your orange zest with a vegetable peeler so that you don't get any of the white soft parts. The white part of an orange is what could make the syrup bitter so avoid it as much as possible.
- Sugar - You can use white sugar for a pure orange zest flavor because it has the most neutral flavor. I always use cane sugar instead because I find it has a very similar neutral flavor but it's a little less processed.
- Water - Use filtered water if possible when using tap water for the best flavor.
Variations and Substitutions
Orange juice - You can add orange juice instead of water or do half and half. I skipped this because I didn't want the syrup to curdle my milk in lattes but if you want a more fresh tangy orange flavor, this is a great option.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Add sugar, water, and orange zest into a small saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved.
- Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
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- Take off the heat and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before removing the orange zest.
- Pour the syrup into an airtight glass jar and wait for it to cool before closing with a lid.
- Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Recommended Uses
- Matcha - Although this syrup is delicious in many drinks, I initially made it for an Orange Matcha Latte. It's absolutely amazing in matcha lattes with almond or coconut milk! It's an unusual combination but I highly recommend giving it a try!
- Iced tea - Try it with black or green tea. You can add it to hot tea as well but it's especially delicious in iced tea!
- Cocktails - You can add the syrup to various cocktails, especially those made with more aged spirits like dark rum, spiced rum, anejo tequila, whiskey, or bourbon. Try it in this Apple Cider Bourbon Cocktail!
- Mocktails - You can make the same mocktails as cocktails with this syrup. It's delicious in any mocktail with apple cider!
- Ice cream - Drizzle a little bit of the orange syrup on some ice cream for added flavor. It's delicious on dark chocolate or vanilla ice cream.
Storing
Fridge: Store the syrup in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. If the syrup changes color, smells off, or develops any kind of mold, discard the syrup.
Freezer: You can freeze any leftover syrup in a small freezer-safe container for 2-4 months. I like small 2-4 serving containers (1-2 tablespoon per serving) and labeling them so that I know exactly how much syrup I need to defrost. Defrost the syrup in the fridge in just a couple of hours.
FAQs
Discard the syrup when it develops an off smell, a weird color, or any kind of mold.
You either didn't add enough orange zest or didn't simmer it long enough. To fix this, you can add a little bit of orange extract. If you did everything right and find that your oranges just don't have enough flavor, orange extract will help with this. You don't need much, be careful, it tends to be strong.
You might have added too much orange zest with the white parts included, they make recipes bitter. Try to only add the orange part of the zest when simmering the syrup.
Other Similar Simple Syrups
I love making my own syrups at home. Whether it's for lattes, matcha, cocktails, or anything else, I'm always sharing new ones so if you want to see all the latest ones, head over to Flavored Syrups. The four syrups below are some of my favorites, perfect for cocktails and matcha just like this orange syrup.
📖 Recipe
Orange Simple Syrup
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 ⅓ cup 1x
- Category: Flavored Syrups
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Orange Simple Syrup is made with just 3 ingredients and it comes together in less than 30 minutes! It's orangy, zesty, and so good! You can use it in cocktails, mocktails, lattes, tea, and more!
Ingredients
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 1 cup water
- The zest of 1 orange, chopped (get rid of as much of the white parts as possible, see notes)
Instructions
- Add sugar, water, and orange zest into a small saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved.
- Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Take off the heat and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before removing the orange zest.
- Pour the syrup into an airtight glass jar and wait for it to cool before closing with a lid.
- Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Orange zest: the soft white part of the orange is very bitter and should be cut off. The best way to do this is to zest the orange using a vegetable peeler.
Storing: Store the syrup in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze any leftovers in small freezer-safe containers for 2-4 months and defrost as needed.
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