This homemade Peppermint Simple Syrup recipe is amazingly delicious. It's a Starbucks copycat and the best peppermint syrup for coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and more. Make your favorite coffeehouse peppermint drink at home with this syrup in less than 10 minutes with only 3 ingredients!
Why This Recipe is the Best
Making your own syrup at home is not only affordable, but it's also easy! This copycat Torani Syrup hits the spot during the wintertime. Add a splash to a cup of hot cocoa or coffee to get that warm and cozy Starbucks feel. It's perfect for Christmas time.
Check out our other Syrups: Brown Sugar Simple Syrup, Caramel Syrup, and Cinnamon Dolce Syrup.
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Key Ingredients
This simple syrup really is simple! It's made with just 3 easy ingredients.
- Sugar- regular granulated white sugar is used for this recipe. We tested this recipe with a few other sugars, and they all took away from the peppermint taste.
- Peppermint extract - I recommend getting a high-quality peppermint extract. This is where all of your flavor is coming from and will make a big difference. Be careful not to use imitation! While testing this recipe, we found that this made the biggest difference in flavor, and all of our recipe testers preferred a high-quality peppermint extract.
How to Make Starbucks Peppermint Syrup
Use these process shots to help get the results you want. The pictures can help with texture and be a visual guide for the best results.
- Place water in the pot and turn the unit to medium-high heat.
- Add sugar to the water and stir to combine. Add 2-3 drops of lemon juice, if desired.
- As the water heats up, give it one final stir, then don't stir again. Bring the water to a full rolling boil, then boil for one minute.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for about one minute. Add peppermint extract and stir to combine. Allow to cool to room temperature before using or transferring to another container.
Do not use peppermint oil or flavoring. Use pure peppermint extract only for the best results and flavor.
Hint: Adding the 2 drops of lemon juice is completely optional. With such a small amount, you can't taste the lemon. The lemon juice will prevent the syrup from crystallizing and help it last longer.
Common Mistakes
Different extracts can have different strengths of peppermint flavor. I used McCormick I, and my recipe testers found 1 teaspoon to be the perfect amount. If using another brand, start with ½ teaspoon and add until the desired strength is achieved.
Top tips
Don't boil it too long or stir it while it's boiling! One minute is perfect. If it boils too long or is disturbed while boiling, it will likely crystallize and be unusable much sooner.
Recipe
Peppermint Syrup
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
- 1 spatula
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar granulated
- 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
- 2-3 drops lemon juice completely optional, helps keep it from crystallizing
Instructions
- Place water in a saucepan over medium high heat. If adding lemon juice, add it here. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Stop stirring once sugar is dissolved.
- Bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute. Don't stir. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 1 minute. Add peppermint extract and stir to combine. See photos above for a visual if needed.
- Can be used immediately. Allow to come to room temperature before refrigerating.
Notes
- Store cooled syrup in the refrigerator in a sealed container for 2-6 months, until the syrup begins to crystallize.
- The lemon juice will not affect the taste, but will help keep the syrup from crystallizing longer.
- Don't use peppermint oil or flavor or the flavor won't turn out right.
- The biggest difference in taste will be created by how high of quality your peppermint extract is. We recommend using a high quality one for best results.
Nutrition
This was inspired by our Peppermint Brownies, Peppermint Bark Milkshake, and our White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies.
Substitutions and Variations
We love switching things up when we're in the kitchen. Try any of these variations for something a little different.
- Organic - You can make this syrup organic by using organic sugar.
- Honey - this can be made with honey instead of sugar; use 1 cup
- Maple Syrup - This can be made by using maple syrup instead of sugar. It will retain the maple flavor, too, though, so it will taste different.
- Sugar Free- this is trickier to make, and for the best results, we recommend buying the Torani sugar-free. To make at home, make as directed above using the maple syrup, but use sugar-free.
- Wintergreen or Spearmint - simply use wintergreen or spearmint (often just "mint") extract for other minty flavors.
- Pancake Peppermint Syrup - my kids pour it on as is, but for a thicker pancake syrup, make as directed above, adding an extra ½ cup sugar and ½ cup corn syrup at the same time as the sugar.
How to Serve Peppermint Simple Syrup
My kids love all things peppermint in the wintertime. They love putting this in all their drinks and on any reasonable food.
- Hot chocolate - this is amazing in hot chocolate. It tastes perfect, and nothing is quite the same as peppermint and chocolate together
- Coffee, lattes, frappuccinos, cappuccinos, and beyond - use this for your favorite at-home Starbucks drinks.
- Mixed drinks - alcoholic or non- alcoholic, when doing mixed drinks at home, get the holiday spirit going with the addition of peppermint simple syrup.
- Italian Sodas- my kids love Italian sodas and love making peppermint cream versions.
- Cake- Spread some over the top of your chocolate cake before adding the frosting to infuse it with peppermint flavor.
- Frosting - add some to your favorite holiday frosting or icing for a fun winter twist.
- Pancakes- it's a little thin for pancakes (see our variation above to make a thicker syrup), but my kids still love to douse their pancakes in it.
- Infused waters - have some leftovers, and now it's spring? We love to put a splash of it into our cucumber, strawberry, or watermelon-infused waters.
Storage
Store in a jar or other sealed container in the refrigerator. If storing in a squeeze bottle, place Saran Wrap over the opening before screwing on the lid to keep it fresh longer.
This keeps until it crystallizes. If you use the lemon juice, it will be longer, but it should be anywhere from 3-6 months.
We do not recommend freezing this syrup.
FAQ
Simply bring the water and the sugar to a boil in a saucepan for 1 minute. Remove from heat, add peppermint extract, and stir to combine.
Peppermint Syrup is available to purchase at most grocery stores and Walmart. Sometimes it is in the mixed drinks or coffee sections.
This recipe here is the best! Otherwise, we recommend Starbucks or Torani.
Peppermint is a year-round flavor at Starbucks.
Nicole says
This peppermint syrup recipe is easy to follow and easy to make! It was so fast! Delicious! My boys all love putting it in their hot chocolate. It's the perfect Torani and Starbucks peppermint syrup copycat. Will be making again and again!