Herb & floral syrup
Lavender Syrup
Floral, not soapy. The café latte syrup, made right at home.
- 22 min total
- 1¼ cups + 3 tbsp340 ml
- Keeps 2 weeks
Quick answer
Lavender syrup is simple syrup steeped with dried culinary lavender. Dissolve 1 cup sugar in 1 cup water, take it off the heat, stir in 2 tablespoons of culinary lavender buds, steep 15 minutes and strain. Use about 1 tablespoon per latte.
The line between floral and soapy is about one tablespoon. Most bad lavender syrup comes from too many buds, too long a steep, boiling, or craft-store lavender grown for scent rather than flavor.
We use a measured 2 tablespoons of culinary (English) lavender per cup of water, added off the heat and strained out after 15 minutes. That gives you the soft, honeyed floral of a good café lavender latte. The natural color is a pale blush, not neon purple.
Tastesfloralhoneyedherbal
The recipe
Lavender Syrup
Ingredients for 1¼ cups + 3 tbsp340 ml
You’ll need: small saucepan, culinary lavender, fine-mesh strainer, cheesecloth, pump bottle, milk frothersmall saucepan, culinary lavender, fine-mesh strainer, cheesecloth, pump bottle, milk frother
Method
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Dissolve
Warm the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until clear and just starting to steam, about 3 minutes. Don't let it boil.
1 cup200 g granulated sugar1 cup240 ml water
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Add the lavender
Take the pan off the heat, then stir in the lavender and the blueberries, if using. Adding lavender to boiling syrup is the fastest route to bitter, soapy flavors.
2 tbsp5 g dried culinary lavender
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Steep
Cover and steep for 15 minutes. Taste at 10 minutes. It should taste clearly floral, not perfumy. Never go past 30 minutes.
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Strain and bottle
Strain through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter, since tiny bits of bud keep extracting and turn bitter. Cool, bottle and refrigerate.
Storage. Keep it sealed in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. A pump bottle makes dosing lattes easy. Freeze extra in ice-cube trays. Throw it out if it turns cloudy or smells sour.
Per 1 tbsp (15 ml): about 34 kcal, 8.8 g sugar (estimate).
How to use it
Lavender latte
1 tbsp (15 ml) per 12 oz hot latte, or 1½–2 tbsp (22–30 ml) for an iced one, stirred into the espresso before the milk.
Lavender lemonade
1 part lavender syrup, 1 part lemon juice and 4 parts cold water, over ice.
London Fog
Strong Earl Grey tea topped with steamed milk and 1 tbsp (15 ml) lavender syrup.
Full recipe and historyLavender gin sour
A Bee's Knees twist: 2 oz (60 ml) gin, ¾ oz (22 ml) lemon juice and ¾ oz (22 ml) lavender syrup, shaken hard.
Lavender French 75
1 oz (30 ml) gin, ½ oz (15 ml) lemon juice and ½ oz (15 ml) lavender syrup, shaken, then topped with 3 oz (90 ml) sparkling wine.
Lavender cold foam
Froth 3 tbsp (45 ml) cold milk or cream with 2 tsp (10 ml) syrup and spoon it over iced coffee.
Classic drinks with Lavender syrup
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
Breville Bambino Plus Espresso Machine
Best for Real espresso lattes at home
Takeya Deluxe Cold Brew Coffee Maker (1 qt)
Best for Iced coffee all week
More gear for this recipe (4)
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
Regency Wraps Ultra Fine Cheesecloth (9 sq ft)
Best for Crystal-clear syrups
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. Decorative and potpourri lavender may be sprayed and is often a high-camphor variety that tastes like soap.
- Measure level spoonfuls, not heaped ones. 2 tbsp makes a medium-strong syrup. Start at 1 tbsp if you're unsure, because you can't take soapiness back out.
- If it comes out too strong, cut it 1:1 with plain simple syrup instead of throwing it away.
- Natural lavender syrup is pale pink-amber. Café syrups are colored. A few blueberries or a pinch of butterfly pea flower in the steep tints it lilac naturally.
- Lavender pairs best with lemon, honey, vanilla, Earl Grey and gin. It clashes with strong spices.
Variations
Honey lavender
Swap half the sugar for honey, stirred in off the heat, for the café-style honey lavender latte syrup.
Lavender vanilla
Add half a split vanilla bean to the steep, or 1 tsp vanilla extract after straining. It's rounder and creamier in lattes.
Fresh lavender
Use about 15 g (3 times the weight) of fresh, unsprayed English lavender buds stripped from the stems, and steep for the same 15 minutes.
Lavender lemon
Add 2 strips of lemon peel to the steep to get a head start on lemonade and gin sours.
Questions people ask
Why does my lavender syrup taste like soap?
Too much lavender, too long a steep, boiling the buds, or non-culinary lavender. Use about 2 tablespoons of culinary lavender per cup of water, add it off the heat and strain after 15 minutes.
How much lavender do you use for simple syrup?
About 2 tablespoons (5 g) of dried culinary lavender per 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar for a medium-strength syrup. Use 1 tablespoon for a subtle one.
Why isn't my homemade lavender syrup purple?
Lavender buds don't release much purple pigment, so natural syrup is pale blush-amber. Store-bought purple syrups are colored. Steep a few blueberries or butterfly pea flowers with the lavender for a natural lilac tint.
How much lavender syrup goes in a latte?
Start with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) for a 12 oz hot latte and 1½–2 tablespoons for iced, then adjust to taste.
How long does lavender syrup last?
About 2 weeks in a sealed bottle in the fridge, or 3 months frozen.