Lilac Simple Syrup
Lilac Simple Syrup gives you an easy way to add light floral flavor and a pretty soft purple color to drinks, lemonade, cocktails, and iced tea. You only need a few simple ingredients, and the process comes together quickly. If you’ve never cooked with lilacs before, this is a great recipe to start with.
What Are Lilacs
Lilacs are large shrubs that produce mildly fragrant flowers. They are old shrubs that have been cultivated for many, many years.
If you would like to plant a lilac bush, be sure that you have sufficient room. They can be 10-12 feet tall and wide. They also require full sun.
The lilac flowers are perfectly edible, like many other flowers. If you would like to dabble in the world of edible flowers, please make sure to use trusted sources, like extension services or local colleges, so that you are certain the flower is safe to consume.
🍽️ Recipe Name: Lilac Simple Syrup
⏰ Ready In: 20 minutes
⏳ Prep Time: 10 minutes
🔥 Cook Time: 10 minutes
👥 Serves: 16 tablespoons
🥕Main Ingredients: Lilac petals, sugar, water.
🍳 Special Equipment: Small saucepan, fine mesh sieve, mason jar.
⭐ Why You’ll Love It: Lightly floral, simple to make, and perfect for cocktails, lemonade, desserts, pancakes, and more summer treats.
👇 Full measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.
What You Need
- Lilac petals – remove leaves, stems, and green parts, including sepals. (The small green part that holds the flower to the stem)
- Plain sugar
How to Make It
Cut off the lilac blossoms with a pair of scissors or pruners.
Shake blooms well to remove any stray bugs or dirt. You can also rinse them in a large mixing bowl filled with cool water.
Separate the blossom from the sepals (the green part), the leaves, and the green stems.
Combine sugar and water in a small pan over medium heat. Heat until the sugar melts, stirring occasionally.
Add separated lilac petals to the pot. Remove from heat.
Steep until the petals lose most of their color.
Strain the petals from the mixture using a fine-mesh strainer to remove the liquid.
Some of the petals may turn brown because of the heat of the liquid. This is fine.
Add mashed blueberries or blackberries to adjust the purple color.
Pour syrup into a mason jar and refrigerate once it cools.
How to Store It
Store the syrup in a mason jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.
For longer storage, pour it into ice cube trays and freeze. Once they are frozen, remove them from the trays and store them in freezer bags or containers for at least six months.
How to Use Lilac Simple Syrup
Lilac simple syrup is great for all of your favorite drinks and more.
- Make a lilac lemonade. Use one part syrup and one part lemon juice to two parts of water. You can make iced tea in this manner, too.
- Add to cocktails with lemon. Pairs especially well with vodka and gin.
- Top ice cream for a special treat.
- Drizzle on scones, cakes, or cupcakes for a floral dessert.
- Use as a syrup for pancakes, waffles, French toast, and the like.
- Makes great hostess gifts.
More Lilac Recipes
Tools That Make This Recipe Work
If you don’t already have these, this is where most people struggle.
- Saucepans – Help the sugar dissolve evenly without scorching the syrup. Thin or low-quality pans can heat too aggressively and leave the syrup with a burnt taste.
- Pruners – Make it easier to harvest fresh lilac blooms without crushing delicate flowers or damaging the plant. Using regular scissors usually slows the process and creates a mess of stems and leaves.
- Fine mesh sieve – Strains out petals and small bits cleanly for a smooth syrup. Without one, you’ll end up with floating debris and a gritty texture in the final jar.
These jars help keep homemade food sealed and organized. Use them for canning, meal prep, or storing dry ingredients.
These pruners help you snip delicate lilac clusters cleanly. They reduce damage to the plant and keep cuts neat for easy collection.
Pro Tips to Ensure Your Success
- Pick lilacs that are freshly opened and fragrant. Older blooms can make the syrup taste dull or slightly bitter.
- Remove as much of the green stem as possible before steeping. The flowers add the floral flavor, while the green parts can turn the syrup bitter fast.
- Don’t boil the flowers aggressively. Gentle heat keeps the syrup light, floral, and fresh-tasting instead of cooked or grassy.
- Let the lilacs steep long enough for the color and flavor to develop fully. Rushing this step usually leaves the syrup weak and watered down.
- Store the syrup in a clean glass jar or bottle in the refrigerator. Proper storage helps preserve both the flavor and the pretty natural color.
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FAQs
Can I make lilac simple syrup without white sugar?
Yes. You can use honey, maple syrup, or cane sugar, but each one changes the flavor and color slightly. White sugar keeps the floral flavor the cleanest.
Do lilacs need to be dried first?
No. Fresh flowers work best for the brightest flavor and aroma. Just rinse them gently and remove dirt or insects before using.
Why does my syrup taste bitter?
Bitterness usually comes from leaving too many stems or green parts attached to the flowers, or from overheating the syrup during cooking.
Can I make the syrup stronger?
Yes. Let the flowers steep longer or use more lilac blooms for a more concentrated floral flavor.
More Homemade Syrup Ideas
Lilac Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup Sugar
- ½ cups lilac petals
Instructions
- Cut off the lilac blossoms with a pair of scissors or pruners.½ cups lilac petals
- Shake blooms well to remove any stray bugs or dirt. You can also rinse them.
- Separate the blossom from the sepals (the green part), the leaves and the green stems.
- Combine sugar and water in a small pan over medium heat. Heat until sugar melts, stir occasionally.1 cup Sugar, 1 cup water
- Add separated lilac petals to pot. Remove from heat. Steep until the petals lose most of their color.
- Strain the petals from the mixture using a fine-mesh strainer to remove the liquid.
- Some of the petals may turn brown because of the heat of the liquid. This is fine. Add mashed blueberries or blackberries to adjust purple color. Pour syrup into a mason jar and refrigerate once it cools.
See all of my favorite tools and gift ideas on my New Amazon Store!Check out Binky's Amazon Store!Notes
- Make a lilac lemonade. Use one part syrup and one part lemon juice to two parts of water. You can make ice tea in this manner too.
- Add to cocktails with lemon. Pairs especially well with vodka and gin.
- Top ice cream for a special treat.
- Drizzle on scones, cakes, or cupcakes for a floral dessert.
- Use as a syrup for pancakes, waffles, French toast and the like.
- Makes great hostess gifts.
Nutrition
Originally published May 25, 2022.
I’ve been adding this to my iced tea and it is just delicious! I’ve never heard of using lilacs for food but when I saw this, I knew I had to try it!
That’s great Deb! I’m so glad that you like it!