An easy lemon syrup made with fresh lemon juice and zest. Perfect for pancakes, desserts or mixed drinks.
Do you love lemon? Lemon, especially lemon desserts, are an all time favorite of mine. This simple… super easy lemon syrup is a must try if you enjoy sweet lemon goodness.
Lemon syrup is a great addition to pancakes like these lemon blueberry pancakes (gluten-free). It’s also fabulous in drinks or on yummy desserts. If you’re looking to add a sweet pucker-y punch to your next drink, dessert or breakfast, this lemon syrup recipe is for you!
FRESH VS BOTTLED LEMON JUICE:
Fresh lemons are best for this recipe because you will be utilizing the zest and juice of the lemons. The flavor you get from fresh lemons are what set this delicious sweet syrup apart. It’s bright and so flavorful.
DO I HAVE TO USE CORN STARCH IN THIS RECIPE?
If you are making this simple lemon syrup to add to drinks you can omit the corn starch otherwise I recommend using it. Corn starch is used to thicken the final syrup. It’s not going to turn it into gel but when cooled, it will make the syrup similar in consistency as warm maple syrup. That’s just how we like it when using it in a dessert or on pancakes.
Side note – most corn starches don’t like to be reheated after being heated once. If this recipe is reheated again after the corn starch has been cooked, you risk having the syrup split or separate.
HOW LONG DOES SIMPLE LEMON SYRUP LAST?
As you might guess, this simple syrup can last a long while if stored properly. With it mainly being water, lemon juice and sugar, it would take something pretty funky to make this go bad fast. Store your fresh batch of lemon syrup in a sealed jar or bottle in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. Some may argue it will keep much longer but to play it say, 4 week.
IF YOU LIKE THIS LEMON RECIPE, YOU MAY ALSO LIKE THESE:
- No-Bake Lemon Cream Pie
- Creamy Lemon Eclairs
- Lemon Ice Cream
- Easy Lemon Curd
- Blackberry Lemonade
- Ginger Lemon Pavlova
- Lemon Garlic Salmon
HERE’S THE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE. ENJOY!
Simple Lemon Syrup
An easy lemon syrup made with fresh lemon juice and zest. Perfect for pancakes, as a sweet lemon sauce or mixed drinks.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- zest of 3 lemons
- 1/4 cup cornstarch + 1/4 cup cold water (mixed into a slurry)
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan over medium to medium-high heat, bring to boil the water, sugar, lemon juice and zest. Boil for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat, add corn starch slurry.
- Return to heat. Bring to boil for 1 additional minute.
- Remove from heat, add vanilla and allow to cool completely before pouring into jar or bottle.
Notes
- Seal with lid and store in refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
- Serve with breakfast (pancakes, French toast), mix into drinks or use as a sauce on desserts.
- This recipe can be cut in half for a smaller batch (just under 2 cups yield)
i meant to cut this recipe in half but then i forgot that i did that halfway through and added WAYYY too much corn starch. it still turned out really great tho! just goes to show how versatile this recipe is 🙂
Glad to hear Kellina! Did it thicken too much after it was cooled? Hopefully it still worked out.