Combine just 3 ingredients to create a cool and refreshing mint simple syrup. Use this mint syrup in tea & coffee, cocktails or mocktails, and baked goods.
By Candice Walker on April 2, 2024 (Last updated April 2, 2024) This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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Combine just 3 ingredients to create a cool and refreshing mint simple syrup, the most notorious of simple syrups. I’ll show you how to keep the fresh mint bright green, and how to make the flavor extra sharp. The trick is to avoid heat!
Once ready, you have a soothing syrup for hot drinks, cocktails, mocktails, and all your baking needs.
🌟 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Flavor of fresh mint: Fresh mint is uniquely special in that it’s herby but has a distinct chilling effect on the tongue and a fresh, almost crisp taste. This recipe doesn’t heat the mint to help maintain the sharp flavor. The mint is blended and then strained from the liquid. I use a similar method in this ginger simple syrup to make it extra potent.
Versatile syrup: It’s super helpful to have simple syrup on hand to use as a flavored sweetener in hot beverages like tea and coffee. You can also use it in baked goods, smoothies, cocktails, and mocktails. I personally love a Kiwi Bellini with Mint, a mint julep like this Matcha Mint Julep, or a Mint Sekanjabin.
Easy and cost-effective: Gourmet simple syrups can be expensive and may contain added ingredients such as food coloring or preservatives. Instead, this mint simple syrup recipe requires just 3 ingredients. Try this lavender simple syrup, rose simple syrup, and borage simple syrup for other botanical flavors.
🧾 Ingredients in This Recipe
Fresh mint leaves – Your mint can be store-bought or self-grown. Make sure to wash any mint before use. Trim the stems to isolate the leaves, but it’s okay if a little bit of the tender stems are left behind.
Sugar – I use granulated, cane, turbinado, or brown sugar when making my simple syrups and each yields a different flavor profile. The classic option is granulated, and I often use turbinado as an alternative.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
⭐️ Want to use dried mint? ⭐️
Simply steep 2 tablespoons of the dried mint in the simple syrup right when it comes off the heat for 30 minutes. Then strain with a fine mesh strainer and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
👩🍳 How to Make This Recipe
I tested three ways to make this simple syrup, with this recipe yielding the best results. If you do want a quicker version, head to the notes in the recipe card for a shortcut.
Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar completely dissolves (you can’t see any sugar granules anymore).
Turn off the heat and set aside to cool completely.
In the meantime, bring a pot of water to boil and remove all the stems from the mint. Blanch the mint in the hot water for 10 seconds.
Next, immediately shock the mint in an ice bath for 30 seconds.
Pat the mint leaves dry and double check that all the stems have been removed.
Add the mint to the simple syrup in a jar that fits an immersion blender, or place in the blender itself.
Blend until the mint pieces are very tiny and emulsified in the simple syrup.
Strain using a fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag to completely remove the tiny mint pieces. Give it a second strain before sealing and storing it in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
⭐️ Pro Tip ⭐️
I use a 1:1 ratio for sugar to water in the simple syrup. You can double the recipe or increase the quantities as needed to make more syrup. You can also scale up the mint amount for a more intense minty flavor.
🍵 Creative Ways to Use This Simple Syrup
As a sweetener: To sweeten hot or iced beverages like matcha lattes, iced teas, or lemonades.
To make mint-flavored mocktails: Mix this syrup with sparkling water or soda water and garnish with lemon for a refreshing drink.
Classic cocktails: Use this instead of muddled mint in classic minty cocktails like mojitos or mint juleps like this matcha mint julep. Minty flavors particularly complement rum, bourbon, and gin.
In baked goods: You can use mint syrup to flavor batters or icings. You can also brush it onto cake layers as a soak to keep cake layers moist.
🌷 Aromatic Syrup Flavors to Make
With a basic mix of sugar, water, and an aromatic infusion, you can have a whole collection of indulgent syrups. Try these options:
Combine just 3 ingredients to create a cool and refreshing mint simple syrup. Use this mint syrup in tea & coffee, cocktails or mocktails, and baked goods.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time5 minutesmins
Resting TIme30 minutesmins
Total Time45 minutesmins
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: Persian
Diet: Gluten Free, Kosher, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 20
Calories: 39kcal
Equipment
1 small saucepan
1 fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag
Ingredients
1cupwater
1cupsugargranulated white sugar or cane preferred
1/2cupfresh mint leaves
Instructions
Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar completely dissolves (you can't see any sugar granules anymore).
Turn off the heat and set aside to cool completely.
In the meantime, bring a pot of water to boil and remove all the stems from the mint. Blanch the mint for 10 seconds.
Immediately shock the mint in an ice bath for 30 seconds.
Pat the mint leaves dry and make sure all the stems are removed.
Add the mint to the simple syrup and blend.
Blend until the mint pieces are very tiny and emulsified in the simple syrup.
Strain using a fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag to completely remove the tiny mint pieces. Give it a second strain before sealing and storing it in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
I’ve tested three ways to make mint simple syrup and each yields very different results. All versions start with making a basic syrup of sugar and water.The more advanced version that yields the best result is the recipe featured above.The easiest version yields good but not great results. For that version, follow these steps: Blanch the mint in boiling water for 10 seconds, shock it in ice water for 30 seconds, and then add it to the still-hot simple syrup. Steep the mint leaves in the syrup for 30 minutes, then strain and discard the mint leaves. You will be left with a pale green syrup that has a delicate mint flavor.The second best version avoids heat completely by adding the mint to room-temperature simple syrup and steeping it in the refrigerator for 48 hours. This method works well, but it’s not ideal if you want to use the simple syrup that same day.
Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.
