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    Home > Recipes > Drinks > Flavored Syrups

    Orange Simple Syrup

    Published: Dec 30, 2024 · Updated: Apr 11, 2025 · by Veronika Sykorova · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    34 shares
    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·5 from 1 review
    Orange syrup in a tall glass jar with a black label that says orange simple syrup.

    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!

    Orange syrup in a tall glass jar with a black label that says orange simple syrup.
    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Orange Syrup
    • Ingredients
    • Variations and Substitutions
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • Recommended Uses
    • Storing
    • FAQs
    • Other Similar Simple Syrups
    • 📖 Recipe

    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!

    Orange syrup being poured into a tall glass jar from a glass measuring cup.

    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.
    An orange, water in a measuring cup, and sugar in a cup on a grey background.

    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.
    • Different citrus - I also have a recipe for Lemon Simple Syrup and Lime Simple Syrup you can try! They're both made with freshly squeezed juice so they're great for any drink without milk.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    1. Add sugar, water, and orange zest into a small saucepan.
    2. Bring the mixture to a boil stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved.
    3. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

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    Sugar and orange zest simmering with water in a medium pot on the stove.
    1. Take off the heat and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before removing the orange zest.
    2. Pour the syrup into an airtight glass jar and wait for it to cool before closing with a lid.
    3. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
    Orange syrup being poured into a tall glass jar from a glass measuring cup.

    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

    How do I know the syrup has gone bad?

    Discard the syrup when it develops an off smell, a weird color, or any kind of mold.

    My syrup doesn't have enough flavor, why?

    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.

    My syrup is bitter, why?

    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.

    Iced matcha latte in a tall glass garnished with a slice of orange in the glass and on the rim with a glass straw.

    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.

    • Pineapple Simple Syrup
    • Mango Simple Syrup
    • Strawberry Simple Syrup
    • Rose Simple Syrup
    Print

    📖 Recipe

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    Orange syrup in a tall glass jar with a black label that says orange simple syrup.

    Orange Simple Syrup

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
    • Author: Veronika Sykorova
    • 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
    Print Recipe
    Save Recipe Recipe Saved

    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

    Units Scale
    • 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

    1. Add sugar, water, and orange zest into a small saucepan.
    2. Bring the mixture to a boil stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved.
    3. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
    4. Take off the heat and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before removing the orange zest.
    5. Pour the syrup into an airtight glass jar and wait for it to cool before closing with a lid.
    6. 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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    We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

    Did you make this recipe?

    Comment and rate the recipe below and tag @thehealthfulideas on Instagram with the hashtag #thehealthfulideas, I'd love to see what you made!

    More Flavored Syrups

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      Lime Simple Syrup
    • Orange colored lemon syrup in a tall glass jar with a black embossed label.
      Lemon Simple Syrup
    • A glass jar with dark brown syrup with a black embossed label that says butter pecan syrup.
      Butter Pecan Syrup
    • Dark brown syrup in a glass jar with a lid and an embossed label that says sugar cookie syrup with cookies in the background.
      Sugar Cookie Syrup
    34 shares

    Comments

    1. Veronika Sykorova says

      February 04, 2025 at 9:38 pm

      This syrup is so delicious! You can make it both with and without orange juice. Orange juice gives it a ton more flavor but without it is perfect for lattes!

      Reply

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    Welcome!

    I'm Veronika and The Healthful Ideas where I share original plant-based recipes for every day cooking and popular classics with a healthy twist.

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    A photo of a young woman in a white and red striped shirt with a white backround.

    Welcome!

    I'm Veronika and The Healthful Ideas where I share original plant-based recipes for every day cooking and popular classics with a healthy twist.

    More about me

    Latest Recipes

    • A stack of pancakes with sprinkles with whipped cream and more sprinkles on top and maple syrup dripping down the sides.
      Birthday Cake Pancakes
    • Bright orange popsicles on a white serving platter with ice, fresh passion fruit, and lime slices.
      Passion Fruit Popsicles
    • A short glass with bright red hibiscus mocktail topped with sparkling water and garnished with a slice of orange and lemon, with flower around the glass.
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    • A slice of blackberry banana bread showing multiple blackberries inside on a blue floral plate.
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