Making microwave simple syrup is an easy and efficient way to make your sweetener. Perfect for adding to coffee, tea, cocktails, and ice cold lemonade.
Recipe: $0.36 | Per Serving: $0.02 | Yield: 16 Tablespoons
We use simple syrup a lot in recipes for homemade lemonade, whether we realize it or not. In my Strawberry Pink Lemonade and Pickle Lemonade, we start with a base of sugar and water- which is exactly what simple syrup is.
Instead of grabbing a pot and turning on the stove, grab a bowl and make simple syrup in the microwave. It's faster and won't heat up the house in the process, which is exactly what you try to avoid doing on those hot summer days.
Microwave recipes are great for keeping on hand during the summer months whether its Popcorn with Almond Bark, Microwave Yellow Squash, or Cake Mix Mug Cakes you'll find that they have a way of showing up when you need them.
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🍯 Why This Recipe Works
- It's simple. It's really all there in the name, isn't it? With just 2 ingredients and 2 minutes, this quick simple syrup microwave recipe can't get any easier.
- Multiple uses. You can use simple syrup in cocktail drinks or mocktail drinks like a Blue Lagoon Mocktail. It can also be used as a sweetener in your coffee (hot coffee and iced coffee!) We use it in our Vanilla Iced Latte and Cinnamon Toast Crunch Latte.
- It can be made in advance. This syrup keeps well in the fridge for a long time so you have plenty of opportunity to use it whenever the need strikes!
🥘 Ingredients
Ingredient Notes:
Sugar- To make this syrup, you'll need some granulated sugar. This will sweeten and thicken the mixture.
Water- Water is the base of the recipe and will dissolve the sugar into a pourable syrup-like consistency.
For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.
🧾 Substitutions
Sugar. You can swap out the sugar in this recipe for brown sugar instead of granulated sugar. The flavor profile will be a little different, but depending on what you want to use the simple syrup for, you may find that it works great.
Another option is to use honey instead of sugar, but again, this will change the flavor of the syrup. For a stronger honey flavor, use local honey, but for a softer and more subtle honey flavor, use pasteurized store-bought honey.
🥣 Recipe Add-Ins
Fresh Fruit: Incorporate 1 cup of fresh fruit such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and more to create a colorful and flavorful simple syrup.
- Mix the fruit or berries with sugar and water before cooking the mixture.
- After cooking, mash everything together well.
- Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove any seeds or skins.
- Store the syrup in an airtight container.
Fresh herbs: Adding herbs like fresh mint leaves can really help to make the mixture flavorful and perfect for tea and cocktails.
🔪 Instructions for Microwave Simple Syrup
Step 1: Measure your sugar out into a microwave safe bowl or glass mixing bowl.
Step 2: Add in the water. You do not need to mix.
Step 3: Microwave on High for 2 minutes.
Step 4: Whisk together until the sugar has fully dissolved into the water. If needed, add another minute in the microwave.
Step 5: Let cool completely before pouring into a storage container or using as needed.
Keep stored in the fridge.
📖 Ratios and Scaling
Adjusting Quantity: Easily double or halve the recipe. Microwave time may vary with more content.
Standard Ratio (1:1): Sugar to water is 1:1. Halve with ½ cup each, double with 2 cups each.
Thicker Syrup (2:1): Use 2 cups sugar to 1 cup water for a honey-like consistency. Adjust for preference.
👩🏻🍳 Storage
Refrigeration: Store the syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. Discard if it becomes cloudy or develops an unusual smell.
Freezing Tips: For freezing, use an ice cube tray for convenient portioning. This allows for easy thawing or use as needed.
🍵 Usage Ideas
While simple syrups might be more common in cocktail drinks, you'll be happy to know that they're used for so much more than that. In fact, you can use them in non-drink recipes too.
Some ideas for using up simple syrup include (but aren't limited to):
- Cocktails and Mocktails
- Coffee and Tea
- Homemade Lemonade like Blue Raspberry Lemonade and Orange Lemonade.
- Baked Cakes-- Brushing some syrup over the top of baked cakes helps them retain moisture and is great for layered cakes. I use different types of simple syrups on all kinds of cakes from my Tres Leches Layered Cake to this Easy Rainbow Unicorn Cake Recipe and they really help retain the moisture in the layers for a few days.
- Glazes- Add it as a glaze over fresh fruit or pastries for a shiny finish.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Nope! While heating the water does help the sugar to dissolve more quickly, you can simply whisk sugar and room temperature water together until the sugar has fully dissolved.
You'll know that your mixture is finished when the sugar in the syrup looks clear and not cloudy. The sugar granules will no longer be visible.
Making your own simple syrup at home is a lot cheaper than buying it from the store. Not only that, but you can adjust the quantities and ratios as you want.
❤️ More Delicious Microwave Recipes
If you tried this microwave simple syrup, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your feedback in the 📝 comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Microwave Simple Syrup
Instructions
- Measure your sugar out into a microwave safe bowl or glass mixing bowl.
- Add in the water. You do not need to mix.
- Microwave on High for 2 minutes.
- Whisk together until the sugar has fully dissolved into the water. If needed, add another minute in the microwave.
- Let cool completely before pouring into a storage container or using as needed.
- Keep stored in the fridge.
Notes
- Adjust the recipe by doubling or halving ingredients; adjust microwave time accordingly.
- Maintain a 1:1 ratio (sugar to water) for standard simple syrup; use the same ratio for different quantities (e.g., ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water for a half batch).
- For a thicker syrup, use a 2:1 ratio (2 cups sugar to 1 cup water).
- Keep syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.
- Freeze in an ice cube tray for convenient portioning.
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