Name: Mint Simple Syrup Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup fresh mint; 1 cup water; 1 cup sugar

Mint simple syrup is made with fresh mint leaves and simple sugar syrup. Perfect for flavoring cocktails, lemonade, and cocktails.

Mint Simple Syrup in a glass jar

What ingredients are needed for the mint simple syrup?

Sugar – I use white sugar but brown sugar will give the syrup a more caramel flavor profile
Water – tap water is fine
Mint leaves, fresh and washed. I use spearmint from my garden but any fresh mint will give you a delicious syrup with the flavors of that particular mint.

Materials need to make mint syrup

Small saucepan – the size of the pan should be proportional to the side of the batch. Bigger batch = bigger saucepan
Wooden spoon – used to stir the sugar syrup
Mesh strainer – use to strain away the mint leaves after steeping. To remove every crumpled leaf, line the strainer with a coffee filter, paper towel or cheesecloth.
Measuring cups – Got to measure the ingredients!
Container to store the cooled syrup – I am a fan of glass mason jars but any airtight container will do.

How do you make mint syrup?

Wash the fresh mint leaves to remove any dirt or hitchhikers from the garden.
In a small saucepan bring the sugar and water to a boil, stirring to be sure the sugar is dissolved.
Remove from heat and add the fresh mint to the syrup, pressing the mint into the syrup to submerge it.
Steep the mint for 10 minutes or up to 30 minutes for a more deep and developed mint flavor.
Strain away the mint leaves from the simple syrup and be sure it is cooled completely before storing in the refrigerator in a closed container.

How long can you keep mint simple syrup?

Mint simple syrup can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks in a closed container. It can also be frozen in a freezer save container for up to a year.

Should the mint be muddled or chopped before making the syrup?

I am sure everyone has an opinion as to if the mint should be muddled or chopped before adding it to the sugar syrup to steep. I am of the opinion that mint should be left whole and unblemished when making mint syrup.

I have found that my chopping or muddling the mint the syrup will become muddier in color versus a clear syrup. But some are of the opinion that muddled mint will release more flavor. Feel free to form your own opinion.

How to Use Mint Syrup

Mint syrup is the perfect addition to a Mint Julep cocktail because of the added layers of flavor of mint as well as sweetness. We keep the mint syrup in the refrigerator for the kids so they can dress up a soda and call it a ‘craft mocktail’. I am a huge fan of adding a few tablespoons to my homemade seltzer water. And don’t forget to drizzle mint syrup over fresh fruit for an added layer of flavor.

Yield: 1 cup