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Add aromatic floral sweetness to lattes, cocktails, cakes, and more with this easy lavender simple syrup recipe with a sugar free option. Find out how to make a tasty lavender latte. 

A glass filled with lavender simple and a lavender stem sits on an outdoor table.

Living in California, we’ve always had big lavender bushes in the backyard. It’s one of my favorite flowers for it’s purple beauty and relaxing fragrance. Lavender is also lovely to cook with. We loved attending the lavender harvest at Carmel Valley Ranch and learning to make lavender tea bags. You can learn how to make Lavender Tea here. Lavender is a key player in herbs of Provence (one of my favorite spice blends) and in one of the earliest posts here on the blog, Lemon Lavender Cupcakes! 

Lavender infused simple syrup is an easy way to add a touch of sweet lavender to many different recipes. As I avoid sugar as much as possible, I’m including a sugar free simple syrup version made with granulated monkfruit. 

What is Simple Syrup? 

A little girl picks fresh lavender.

Simple syrup is a liquid sweetener made by simmering water and sugar. It’s typically used when you don’t want sugar to sink to the bottom of recipes, such as when making lemonade or cocktails. As it’s name suggests, it has a syrupy consistency but mixes in a bit more easily than honey, maple syrup, or agave. It also has a milder flavor than those ingredients. My favorite way to make sugar free simple syrup is with granulated monkfruit. 

Types of Culinary Lavender

A butterfly sits on a lavender flower.

Fresh unsprayed lavender, or dried culinary lavender may be used for cooking and this recipe. Fresh lavender is in season (here in California at least) in the spring and summer. You may find bundles of fresh lavender at the farmers market, or you could plant a bush by picking up a plant at the nursery. For year-round use, I like to keep dried culinary lavender in my spice cabinet. You can find it at World Market (in store only) or through my Amazon Affiliate link here. 

Beautiful fresh lavender bushes in Tuscany Italy.

There are store-bought lavender syrups available from brands like Monin, but making it yourself is just as easy. You can find the pre-made lavender syrups at stores like World Market and on Amazon (here’s my Amazon Affiliate link). It’s quite purple, but the ingredients list vegetable juice as the coloring. 

How to Make Lavender Syrup

A hand removes fresh lavender flowers from the stems and sets on a countertop.

Rinse fresh lavender, if using, and pull the buds off the stems. Alternatively, measure out 2 tablespoons of dried culinary lavender flowers. 

Lavender simple syrup with lavender flowers in a small black saucepan.

Add 1 part water, 1 part sugar (or monkfruit) and lavender flowers to a small saucepan. Set over medium low heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and let those flowers steep. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and discard the flowers. That’s it – homemade lavender simple syrup is that easy! The longer you simmer, the thicker and more syrupy your lavender syrup will become. 

Store simple syrup in a squirt bottle or mason jar in the fridge for up to one month. 

How to Use Lavender Syrup

  • Sweeten coffee for a Lavender Latte (or hot cocoa for kids) 
  • Serve with tea 
  • Brush on cakes to add floral moisture 
  • Make Lavender Lemonade 

A small blue mug filled with a lavender latte sits on a saucer with fresh lavender sprig.

Lavender Latte Recipe

A lavender latte is my very favorite use for lavender syrup. And one of my favorite ways to treat myself! If you love coffee like I do, don’t miss my classic Affogato recipe. 

  1. Brew one shot of espresso and warm 1/2 cup of your favorite milk (I use unsweetened almond milk).
  2. Stir in 1-2 teaspoons lavender syrup and enjoy immediately. 

Lavender syrup recipe for lavender lattes, lemonade, and more.

Yield: about 3/4 cup

Lavender Simple Syrup

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Add aromatic floral sweetness to lattes, cocktails, cakes, and more with this easy lavender simple syrup recipe with a sugar free option. 

Lavender Simple Syrup

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar or monkfruit*
  • 2 tablespoons fresh or dried French lavender flowers

Instructions

  1. Pour the water into a small saucepan. Add the sugar or monkfruit and lavender and bring to a simmer.
  2. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes longer.
  3. Pour the lavender simple syrup through a fine mesh sieve into a glass storage jar. Let cool. Store simple syrup in a squirt bottle or mason jar in the fridge for up to one month. 
  4. Use lavender simple syrup to add a sweet floral note to lemonade, cocktails, lattes, and more.

Notes

*Monkfruit is a great way to make a naturally sugar-free simple syrup. It tends to crystalize when simmered too long, so halve the simmer time. I've found real cane sugar works best here.

Lavender Latte Recipe:

  1. Brew one shot of espresso and warm 1/2 cup of your favorite milk (I use unsweetened almond milk).
  2. Stir in 1-2 teaspoons lavender syrup and enjoy immediately. 

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1/10
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 77Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 0gSugar: 20gProtein: 0g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Nutritionix. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your favorite calculator.

© Marina Delio
Cuisine: French / Category: Dessert