Learn how to make this tasty Lemon Simple Syrup with this timeless old-fashioned recipe. The perfect homemade copycat Torani or Monin syrup is great for cocktails, teas, sodas, and other drinks.
Why This Recipe is the Best
This Lemon Simple Syrup is zesty, bright, and packed with citrus flavor, making it incredibly versatile. Whether you're sweetening lemonade, elevating your cocktails, or drizzling it over cakes and waffles, it adds a refreshing twist to any dish or drink. It's also a fantastic addition to homemade salad dressings and marinades, especially during the summer.
Inspired by traditional Korean lemon preserves like Chung, this syrup delivers a bold lemony punch with minimal ingredients and effort.
We love simple syrups, especially when they are copycat Starbucks flavors! You won't want to miss our Vanilla Simple Syrup, Caramel Syrup, or Peppermint Syrup.
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Key Ingredients
This recipe only calls for 2 ingredients. Believe it or not, it's that simple to make.
- Fresh Lemons- Use fresh lemon juice for a fresh and natural taste. You can use other bottled lemon juices if needed for similar results. While testing this recipe, we found that the flavor was enhanced when using fresh lemons, but it was still very good when made with bottled lemon juice.
How to Make Lemon Simple Syrup
Use these process shots to help get the results you want. The pictures can help with texture and serve as a visual guide for achieving the best results.
- Pour lemon juice and sugar into a small saucepan.
- Mix together until the sugar is dissolved. Turn the stove on to medium heat.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and immediately stop stirring. Let simmer for 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat and let cool. Then add the syrup to a container you can close like a mason jar.
Hint: Don't stir it once the sugar is dissolved. This will help it stabilize better so that it will last longer before crystallizing.
Helpful Hints
If you want this to be a thick syrup you can use for pancakes, waffles, crepes, or drizzle on a cake or other pastry, you can thicken it up! Simply double the sugar and then follow the directions as normal. This will give you a thicker consistency than you want for breakfast or dessert syrup.
Try our other lemon desserts like Lemon Bars.
Top tip
Be careful while heating this one! During my recipe testing, I had it boil over pretty badly, and it made a sticky mess. Make sure it's at a very gentle simmer.
Recipe
Lemon Simple Syrup
Equipment
- 1 Sauce Pan small
Ingredients
- ¾ cup lemon juice fresh squeezed for best results
- ¾ cup sugar
Instructions
- Juice fresh lemons until you have ¾ cup lemon juice. This will take 4-10 lemons depending on size and juiciness. Add lemon juice and sugar to a small saucepan over medium high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to a simmer and simmer for one minute, not stirring. Keep an eye on it, it has a tendency to boil over.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool before transferring to another container.
Video
Notes
- This yields around 1 ¼ cups syrup
- Once the sugar is completely dissolved, stop stirring. This will help it last longer before crystallizing.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
- Do not make this recipe with less sugar, or it will be very thin and runny.
- For a thicker "pancake syrup" double the sugar and make as directed. This thick syrup is less stable and will likely crystallize in a few weeks.
Nutrition
Variations
We love switching things up when we're in the kitchen. Try any of these variations for something a little different.
- Ginger - For a lemon ginger flavor, add 1 inch of fresh ginger at the beginning- remove before transferring to a jar.
- Honey Ginger- Add 1 inch of thick ginger before simmering. Also, use half sugar and replace it with honey.
- Lavender - Add 2-3 drops food-safe lavender essential oil after removing from heat.
- Basil- Before bringing to a simmer, add 6-8 basil leaves. Remove the leaves before pouring into a jar.
- Rosemary- Use 1 drop food food-safe high quality rosemary essential oil after the syrup cools.
- Meyer- Use Meyer lemon juice instead of fresh-squeezed lemons.
How to Serve
- For Cake-This tastes great in lemon cakes. Use it for a lemon syrup-infused cake.
- For pancakes- Make lemon pancakes by doubling the sugar, which makes it thicker, and then add it to the top of your favorite pancakes.
- You can also add a splash of extra flavor to this lemon ginger cinnamon tea recipe or our Homemade Lemonade.
Storing Lemon Syrup
Store in an air-tight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 2 months. If you doubled the recipe, the lemon simple syrup will crystallize more quickly than the standard recipe.
FAQ
This is a super simple recipe that only requires 2 ingredients! Simply mix together sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and then let cool!
Make your simple syrup by adding lemon juice and sugar to a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and then cool. Add that mixture in with 4 cups of water and 1 cup of ice blended together in a blender for lemonade.
Making lemon syrup is easy! Mix together sugar and lemon juice. If you want it thicker, double the sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then let it cool. Once cool, you can enjoy sodas, over pancakes and waffles, or in teas.
Andrea says
This lemon simple syrup is so good and I use it for so many things! It's a great copycat torani syrup and I used the thickening variation to use on pancakes.