Rosemary simple syrup is three ingredients and about 10 minutes of active work. You dissolve sugar into water, add fresh rosemary, and let it steep until the syrup picks up that herbal, slightly floral flavor. The result is a syrup that makes your morning coffee taste like it came from a specialty café, works beautifully in cocktails, and keeps in the fridge for two weeks. I make a batch every few weeks and it never lasts that long.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh rosemary – Fresh rosemary is important here. Dried rosemary will make the syrup bitter and the flavor won’t be as clean. Look for sprigs with bright green, fragrant needles. If yours smells faintly of pine and herbs when you pinch a needle, it’s good to use.
- Granulated sugar – Standard white granulated sugar gives you a neutral, clean syrup that lets the rosemary flavor come through. Brown sugar works as a substitute but will add a subtle molasses note and make the syrup darker in color.
- Water – Nothing special needed. Tap water is fine.
Tip
The steeping time is where the flavor comes from. Don’t rush it. Thirty minutes is the minimum. An hour gives you a noticeably more fragrant, herbaceous syrup. The longer the rosemary sits in the warm syrup as it cools, the more flavor it releases.
Recipe FAQs
Mildly herbal, slightly floral, and lightly sweet. It’s not as aggressive as rosemary in savory cooking. The sweetness softens the herb considerably, which is why it works so well in coffee and cocktails.
Fresh rosemary only. Dried rosemary turns bitter when steeped and won’t give you a clean, fragrant syrup.
About 1 cup. The recipe makes 16 servings at approximately 1 tablespoon each.
Expert Tips
Storage Instructions
Refrigerator – Store in an airtight glass jar or bottle for up to 2 weeks. The syrup will thicken slightly as it chills — that’s normal.
Freezer – Pour into an ice cube tray, freeze solid, then transfer the cubes to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw individual cubes as needed.
Serving Suggestions
If you have a batch ready, make the Meyer lemon rosemary bees knees cocktail with it tonight. It uses this syrup as the base and comes together fast. For a non-alcoholic option, a tablespoon stirred into lemonade over ice is an easy weeknight drink. Around the holidays, swap it in for the simple syrup in my sugared cranberries for a rosemary-scented version that works beautifully as a garnish on cocktails and winter cakes.
The steeped rosemary sprigs are worth saving too! Toss them in granulated sugar while they’re still sticky and you have sugared rosemary that looks stunning on top of my gluten-free gingerbread bundt cake.
Rosemary Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 fresh rosemary sprigs
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Instructions
- Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk occasionally until the sugar fully dissolves and the liquid is completely clear. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat.
- Add the rosemary sprigs to the saucepan. Let steep for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour for a stronger flavor.
- Remove the rosemary sprigs. Pour the syrup through a fine mesh sieve into a glass jar to catch any loose needles.
- Let cool completely before refrigerating. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Yield. This recipe makes approximately 1 cup.
- Storage. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, or freeze in an ice cube tray for up to 3 months.
- Free Printable Label: If you want to print out my FREE rosemary simple syrup labels, click HERE! Prints on Avery Style #22806 label paper.
