Make a Lemony Sugar Syrup for co*cktails, Lemonade, and More (2024)

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Molly Watson

An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients.

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Updated on 02/15/24

Tested by

Tracy Wilk

Tested byTracy Wilk

Tracy Wilk is a professional pastry chef, recipe developer and chef instructor, and, most importantly, a firm believer in sprinkles.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

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Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 15 mins

Resting Time: 20 mins

Total: 40 mins

Servings: 8 servings

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Lemon syrup is a lemon-infused syrup that adds tons of flavor to anything it's stirred into or drizzled over. It's super easy to make—lemon juice, sugar, and some lemon zest are all you need—and it adds both sweetness and a lemony kick to co*cktails and desserts. (It's slightly different from the kind of simple syrup you might make for co*cktails, insofar as you're using lemon juice instead of water.)

When covered and chilled, lemon syrup keeps almost indefinitely. It's mainly sugar, so unless something truly funky happens, you're likely to use it up well before anything about it "turns." (Technically, people might say the syrup lasts up to six months, but it's possible for a jar of the stuff tolast well over a year in the fridge.) Having a party? Go ahead and make as big a batch and be ready to use it in all kinds of co*cktails—use it instead of simple syrup in a lemon drop martini for another layer of lemon zip or to sweeten a margarita.

Best of all, use it to sweetenlemonadeor iced tea for the best versions of those summer thirst-quenchers you've ever had.

Make a Lemony Sugar Syrup for co*cktails, Lemonade, and More (2)

what you'll need to make this lemon simple syrup recipe

A Sharp Paring Knife

A Handy Dandy Citrus Juicer

A Small Saucepan

"This is a great recipe to keep on hand for co*cktails, breakfast pastries, or to macerate berries. It only takes a few minutes of active work and then your whole house will smell like a summer day. It lasts a long time if stored in the fridge. I think you’ll find many uses for it." —Tracy Wilk

Make a Lemony Sugar Syrup for co*cktails, Lemonade, and More (6)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

4 medium lemons
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Using a sharp paring knife, cut off and reserve the zest, or bright yellow part of the peel, of 1 of the lemons. You can also use a Microplane zester, but then you'll have to strain the syrup at the end instead of simply lifting out the strips of zest—the choice is yours. Whichever way you zest the lemon, be sure to focus on the bright yellow part only and carefully avoid the bitter white pith below.
Working with 1 lemon at a time, cut the lemons in half and juice them until you have 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice (you may not need all the lemons—they vary greatly in how much juice they produce).
Combine the juice with the sugar in a small saucepan and bring the mixture just to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the syrup is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
Add the reserved lemon zest. Transfer the syrup to a small metal bowl and let it sit until cool, about 20 minutes.
Lift out the zest, letting any excess syrup drip off and back into the bowl, and discard the zest.
If you ended up with lots of small pieces of zest, strain the syrup through a sieve. The zest can turn bitter if left to sit in the syrup while it's stored, so remove and discard it.
If you want to use the syrup while it's still warm, now is the time. (Don't worry, you can always warm it back up if you need to.)
Alternatively, cover the bowl and chill the syrup to add to cold beverages. Or transfer to a clean jar, screw on the lid, and store in the fridge for several months if you need to.

How to Use Lemon Syrup

Use the warm syrup over pancakes or waffles.
Drizzle it over pound cake or a Bundt cake.
Add a drop onto a fruit salad—a little goes a long way.
Sweeten lemonade with it, and you'll never have undissolved sugar at the bottom of your glass again.
Use in place of honey in marinades and dressings for a lemon punch.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
13	Calories
0g	Fat
4g	Carbs
0g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories	13
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g	0%
Saturated Fat 0g	0%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 1mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 4g	2%
Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 22mg	111%
Calcium 11mg	1%
Iron 0mg	1%
Potassium 58mg	1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

lemon
lemon simple syrup
american
family dinner

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