The Best Lavender Syrup {3 Ingredients}
If you’ve ever paid the extra $1.75 for a lavender latte at a coffee shop, this one’s for you. Homemade lavender simple syrup takes 10 minutes, three ingredients, and tastes better than anything from the store. Add it to your morning coffee, stir it into cottage cheese oat pancakes batter, or drizzle it over dessert – the options are endless!
Why Your Whole Family Will Love This Syrup Recipe
It’s one of those recipes that feels fancy but couldn’t be simpler. Just water, sugar, and dried culinary lavender buds. The floral, slightly earthy sweetness works in hot drinks, iced drinks, sparkling water, cocktails, and even warm milk for kids. It also makes your kitchen smell incredible while it’s cooking, which is a bonus nobody talks about enough.
And if you’re a regular at coffee shops, making your own lavender syrup is one of the easiest ways to recreate those drinks at home for a fraction of the cost. Pair it with a batch of no-bake peanut butter oatmeal balls and you’ve got a better morning than anything a drive-through can offer.
One Important Ingredient Note
Make sure you’re using culinary grade dried lavender buds – not craft or decorative lavender, which may have been treated with chemicals not meant for food. You can find culinary lavender at most specialty grocery stores, health food stores, or online. It’s the only ingredient in this recipe worth double-checking.
Tips for the Best Lavender Syrup
Want a stronger lavender flavor? Use 1/3 cup of dried lavender buds instead of 1/4 cup, or let the syrup steep longer before straining. Both work.
Use a fine-mesh strainer. A regular strainer will let tiny lavender bits through and you’ll end up with a gritty syrup.
Adjust the sweetness. This is a classic 1:1 simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar). If you prefer less sweet, reduce the sugar slightly – just know it won’t keep as long in the fridge.
The color will vary. Depending on your lavender, the syrup can range from pale gold to a light purple-pink. Both are completely normal.
How to Make Lavender Syrup
This is actually very similar to steeping a cup of tea. The longer the lavender sits in the syrup, the stronger and more concentrated the flavor becomes. I often leave it on the stove while I go about my day.
My Favorite Ways to Use Lavender Syrup
Lavender latte: Brew your usual coffee or espresso and stir in 1–2 tablespoons. Add milk and adjust to taste. Serve alongside blender cottage cheese oat pancakes for a weekend breakfast that actually feels like a treat.
Lavender matcha latte: The earthy bitterness of matcha and the floral sweetness of lavender are a genuinely great pairing. Add 1–2 tablespoons to your matcha before adding milk and ice.
Lavender sparkling water or lemonade: A splash in plain sparkling water or lemonade makes a refreshing homemade drink that feels much fancier than it is — perfect for summer entertaining alongside pickle juice chicken skewers.
Lavender warm milk for kids: A small splash in warm milk before bed makes bedtime feel a little more special. My boys love this with banana cinnamon rolls on slow weekend mornings.
Drizzled over dessert: Try it over Greek yogurt ice cream bars or stirred into a strawberry cheesecake Greek yogurt parfait — the floral sweetness is a beautiful contrast to anything creamy.
In cocktails: A splash of lavender simple syrup in a gin spritz or vodka soda is a quick upgrade for summer entertaining. Trust me on this one.
It Also Makes a Wonderful Homemade Gift
Pour the syrup into a small mason jar, tie a ribbon around it, and you have an easy homemade gift. I’ve made lavender syrup for:
- friends who love coffee
- neighbors during the holidays
- teacher appreciation gifts
- housewarming presents
It’s thoughtful, affordable, and always appreciated.
Once you make this once, you’ll keep a jar in the fridge all summer. It takes ten minutes, costs almost nothing, and makes every drink feel like something you’d pay too much for at a coffee shop. Skip the extra charge – make it yourself.
And as busy moms, those little moments of joy are worth keeping around.
Get the recipe:Homemade Lavender Syrup {10 Minutes}
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup dried lavender buds, culinary grade *
- 1 cup sugar
Equipment
Instructions
- Add water, dried lavender buds, and sugar to a small pot.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
- Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.**
- Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool in the pot. The longer it steeps, the stronger the lavender flavor will be. ***
- Strain out the lavender buds using a fine mesh strainer.
- Pour the lavender syrup into a clean glass jar or airtight container.
- Store in the refrigerator.
Notes
The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe, which may vary.
