Herb & floral syrup
Honey Lavender Syrup
Culinary lavender steeped in hot water, then sweetened with honey off the heat. The café latte syrup at home.
- 20 min total
- 2 cups470 ml
- Keeps 2 weeks
Quick answer
Honey lavender syrup is a lavender infusion sweetened with honey. Pour 1 cup just-boiled water over 1 level tablespoon of dried culinary lavender, steep 15 minutes, strain, then stir in 1 cup honey while it's still warm. Use 1–1½ tablespoons per hot latte.
Honey and lavender are a natural pair: honey's own floral notes soften lavender's sharper edges, which is why the honey lavender latte became a café favorite. At home it takes three ingredients and no boiling.
The lavender steeps in plain hot water, carefully measured, because a few extra buds tip it from floral to soapy. The honey goes in off the heat, once the infusion has cooled a little, so it keeps its aroma.
Tastesfloralhoneyedsoft herbal
The recipe
Honey Lavender Syrup
Ingredients for 2 cups470 ml
You’ll need: small saucepan, culinary lavender, honey, fine-mesh strainer, pump bottle, milk frothersmall saucepan, culinary lavender, honey, fine-mesh strainer, pump bottle, milk frother
Method
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Heat the water
Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan, then take it off the heat.
1 cup240 ml water
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Steep
Stir in the lavender, cover and steep for 15 minutes. Taste at 10 minutes: it should taste clearly floral, not perfumy. Don't go past 20 minutes.
1 tbsp2.5 g dried culinary lavender
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Strain
Strain through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter into a jar or jug. Tiny bits of bud left in keep extracting and turn bitter.
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Add the honey
While the infusion is still warm but no longer steaming hard, stir in the honey until completely blended. Warm water takes honey in seconds; boiling it would dull the flavor.
1 cup340 g honey
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Bottle
Let it cool, then bottle and refrigerate.
Storage. Keep it sealed in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Diluted honey can ferment, so toss it if it fizzes, turns cloudy or smells sour. Freeze extra in ice-cube trays for up to 3 months. Like any honey, it isn't suitable for babies under 12 months.
Per 1 tbsp (15 ml): about 35 kcal, 9 g sugar (estimate).
How to use it
Honey lavender latte
1–1½ tbsp (15–22 ml) per 12 oz hot latte, or 2 tbsp (30 ml) for iced, stirred into the espresso before the milk. Oat milk loves it.
Lavender honey lemonade
1 part syrup, 1 part fresh lemon juice and 4 parts cold water, over ice.
Lavender London Fog
1 tbsp (15 ml) in a strong cup of Earl Grey topped with steamed milk.
Honey lavender cold foam
Froth 2 tsp (10 ml) syrup with 3 tbsp (45 ml) cold cream or milk and spoon over iced coffee or cold brew.
Lavender Bee's Knees
2 oz (60 ml) gin, ¾ oz (22 ml) lemon juice and ¾ oz (22 ml) syrup, shaken hard and strained into a coupe.
Gear for this recipe
Glass Coffee Syrup Dispensers with Pumps (16.9 oz, set of 2)
A pump gives the same dose every press, so every latte tastes the same. Glass washes clean between flavors.
Best for Home coffee bars
Zulay Kitchen Handheld Milk Frother
Best for Lattes and cold foam on a budget
Frontier Co-op Organic Lavender Flowers (1 lb)
Best for Lavender syrup
Cuisinart Fine Mesh Stainless Strainers (set of 3)
Best for Every infused or fruit syrup
More gear for this recipe (2)
Nature Nate's 100% Pure Raw & Unfiltered Honey
Best for Honey syrup
Cuisinart Chef's Classic 1.5 qt Stainless Saucepan with Lid
Best for Every stovetop syrup
Tips for the best batch
- Buy lavender labeled culinary or food-grade. Craft-store and potpourri lavender may be treated and is often a high-camphor variety that tastes like soap.
- This uses half the lavender of our plain lavender syrup, because honey brings floral notes of its own. Want it bolder? Go up to 1½ tbsp, but never past 2 tbsp.
- Pick a mild honey. Clover, wildflower or orange blossom let the lavender through; buckwheat and other dark honeys drown it.
- If a batch comes out too strong, loosen it with equal parts honey and warm water instead of throwing it away.
Variations
Honey lavender vanilla
Stir ½ tsp vanilla extract into the cooled syrup. Rounder and creamier in lattes and cold foam.
Lavender chamomile
Steep 1 chamomile tea bag, or 1 tbsp dried chamomile, along with the lavender for a soothing bedtime-tea syrup.
Rich honey lavender
For cocktails, stir 2 parts honey into 1 part lavender infusion. Thicker and sweeter, so it adds less water to the drink.
Questions people ask
Why add the honey off the heat?
Boiling honey drives off its delicate aroma and can make it taste flat. Warm water blends it in seconds, so there's no need to cook it.
How much lavender do you use for honey lavender syrup?
About 1 level tablespoon (2.5 g) of dried culinary lavender per cup of water. Use 2 teaspoons for a subtle syrup, and never more than 2 tablespoons, or it starts to taste soapy.
How much honey lavender syrup goes in a latte?
1–1½ tablespoons (15–22 ml) in a 12 oz hot latte and about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) for iced. Start low and add to taste.
Can I use fresh lavender?
Yes. Use about three times the weight of fresh, unsprayed English lavender buds stripped from the stems (about 7–8 g), and steep for the same 15 minutes.
How long does honey lavender syrup last?
About 2 weeks in a sealed bottle in the fridge, or 3 months frozen.