Lemon Honey Simple Syrup (for Cocktails & Mocktails)

This sweet and zesty lemon honey simple syrup recipe is a fun and flavorful way to brighten up the flavor of any beverage. It’s an easy syrup made using lemon juice, lemon zest, and honey.

With over a decade’s worth of experience making homemade beverages, you tend to pick up a few tips and tricks. While honey is great for sweetening hot tea and coffee, it doesn’t work so well in cold drinks. It tends to get all gloopy and sink to the bottom of your glass in a sticky mess. This recipe changes all that: it’s perfect for adding a lemony taste of honey to all your drinks, hot or cold!

This recipe was inspired by my lemon simple syrup recipe, which tastes like a lemon Warhead candy. This one is also very lemon forward, thanks to the addition of both lemon juice and lemon zest. If you liked Lemon Heads candies, you’re going to love this syrup. It’s also used in my Bee’s Knees Mocktail, a zero-proof beverage that highlights the flavor of lemon and honey! Looking for more honey syrups? Try this version using lavender for a unique floral flavor!

💕 why you’ll love this lemon honey simple syrup recipe

🍯 sweet & tangy. As a child of the 90’s, I am a diehard fan of the sweet and sour flavor combination. If you always ran to the sour candy section of the Sweet Factory candy shop in your local mall growing up, you’re going to love the tart flavor of this honey lemon syrup.

⏱️ quick & easy. This simple syrup comes together in under 30 minutes, and under an hour even including cooling time! It’s perfect for making with kids in the kitchen, too, because it’s so easy to make!

🎛️ customizable. Once you make this recipe once, you can customize it to your liking using whatever flavor combinations you can dream up! Use local honey, artisan honey, and even infused honey to make it your own!

🛒 ingredients

• honey – There are tons of different types of honey. The one you choose to use in this syrup will be the main flavor note of the recipe, so make sure to choose a honey you like! I opted to use a local orange blossom honey because it plays up the floral notes. Choose a milder honey if you’re not certain which flavor you like, such as clover honey. Bolder honey that is darker in color will have a stronger flavor.
  
• lemons – You’ll need fresh, whole lemons for this recipe because we’ll be using both the fresh lemon juice and the zest. If you can, buy organic lemons since we are using the zest. Conventional lemons will also work, as will specialty varieties like meyer lemons.
  
• filtered water – The addition of a bit of filtered water helps to mellow out the lemon flavor while also adding a bit of viscosity to the honey.

See the recipe card for quantities.

🍳 instructions

Step 1: Peel or zest 2 lemons. Be careful to only include the lemon zest, not the white pith which can be bitter.

Step 2: Slice and juice your lemons to get 1 cup of lemon juice. This may take anywhere from 4-6 lemons, depending on the size and juiciness of your lemons!

Step 3: In a small saucepan, combine 2/3 cup of honey with ½ cup of filtered water.

Step 4: Bring the honey water mix to a low simmer over medium heat, until all of the honey is dissolved.

Step 5: Add in 1 cup of lemon juice and allow the mix to cook at a medium simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Step 6: Leave the saucepan on the burner, but turn the heat off, and add in the lemon zest or peel. Allow the mix to infuse for 15-30 minutes.

Step 7: Strain the mix using a fine mesh strainer, and discard the zest or peel.

Step 8: Store your lemon honey simple syrup in the fridge for up to two weeks, or freeze it for longer storage.

Hint: Don’t have a Microplane zester? You can use a vegetable peeler or a pairing knife to get the zest off the lemon.

💡tips and tricks for getting it right

🍽️ serving tips

How and when to serve your honey lemon syrup:

Simple syrups are best used in beverages because they are so watery in consistency. This makes them perfect for using in both hot and cold beverages! Since it is so thin, it doesn’t work well for topping desserts like ice cream or on breakfast foods like waffles and pancakes. You can still use it on food, but just be aware that it will be very liquidy and may soak into porous foods quickly.

cocktails:

This lemon-honey syrup is perfect for using in your favorite cocktail recipes at happy hour! Try it in one of these drinks:

• honey daiquiri – try using this lemony syrup in a honey daiquiri recipe, which uses a honey simple syrup as an ingredient!
• honey lemon gin & tonic – add this syrup to any classic cocktails like a gin & tonic for a sweet and lemony flavor.
• gold rush – this classic honey whiskey cocktail is the perfect way to use your lemon honey simple syrup. If you’re a fan of whiskey sours, you’ll love the Gold Rush cocktail.

mocktails:

You can also use this syrup as a liquid sweetener for all of your non-alcoholic drinks, like mocktails and other drink recipes!

• honey lemonade – use this syrup instead of sugar in your favorite homemade lemonade recipe!
• bee’s knees mocktail – try making a zero-proof version of a classic cocktail with this Bee’s Knees Mocktail.
• lemon honey tea – this syrup is perfect for using to sweeten up any tea, hot or iced tea!

cooking, baking, and gifting:

• keep baked goods moist – use the honey lemon simple syrup to sweeten your favorite baked goods, such as cakes, cupcakes, or muffins.
• add it to salad dressings or marinades – add a splash of the syrup to marinades or dressings to enhance the flavor of savory dishes.
• gifting – bottle the syrup in a decorative jar and gift it to friends and family, especially during the holidays!

ℹ️ troubleshooting tips

Even though simple syrups are indeed simple to make, things can go wrong when you’re making them. Try these troubleshooting tips if your syrup ends up tasting off.

• too bitter – if your syrup is bitter, you may have gotten some of the white pith of the lemon in your syrup. You can add in a pinch of salt or a few drops of a saline solution to offset the bitterness and try to balance out the flavor.
  
• too sour – this syrup is meant to be TART, like a lemon candy. If you aren’t into the sour taste of lemon candies, you can lessen the amount of lemon juice to 1/2 cup. You can also add in a bit more honey, 1 TBSP at a time, until your syrup is more balanced in flavor.
  
• too thin or too thick – if your syrup is too thin, you can simmer it to allow some of the water to evaporate. This will thicken it up. If your syrup is too thick, you can add some more water, 1-2 TBSP at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
  
• too sweet – add in a bit more lemon juice to balance out the sweetness of the honey if your syrup is too sweet. Also, keep in mind that your syrup is meant to be sweet, so you can always use a little to sweeten your beverages instead of a lot!

🔆 top tip

Be sure to avoid adding in any of the lemon pith, or the white part of the lemon peel. This part of the lemon is extremely bitter and can give your syrup an unpalatable flavor.

If you need to quickly cool your lemon honey syrup, you can use an ice bath to rapidly bring the temperature of the syrup to room temperature.

♻️ substitutions & variations

♻️ variations

Missing an ingredient? No problem. Check out these tried-and-true substitutions, or comment below with your question. I’m here to help you troubleshoot!

• use another citrus – swap out the lemon juice and zest for lime, orange, or even fresh grapefruit. You can also use a combination of citrus for a more complex flavor!
• maple syrup or agave – maple syrup and agave nectar are a perfect choice for a honey substitute. You can use either sweetener measure for a measure like honey.

🎛️ variations

Feeling like a rebel?! 😈 Feel free to stray from the recipe card using these variations, or leave me a comment with your own!

• herbs or spices or flowers – infuse some fresh herbs into your syrup to make it your own! Add a few slices of fresh ginger or a handful of mint leaves to the syrup mixture while simmering. You can even try this recipe for a lavender honey syrup that has a wonderful floral syrup, perfect for spring!

🧰 equipment needed & storage tips

🧰 tools needed

• non-reactive heavy-bottomed saucepan – you can use whatever saucepan you have on hand, I love this 1.5-quart saucepan from All-Clad. The heavy bottom ensures even heating throughout the cooking time, and non-reactive metal ensures that your pan doesn’t impart a metallic flavor to your syrup.
  
• stainless steel mesh strainer – a fine mesh strainer helps you to separate the lemon zest from the liquid after simmering the mixture. Make sure your fine-mesh sieve is made of a non-reactive material, like stainless steel.
  
• airtight storage – you can use any airtight container you like. OXO squeeze bottles are a favorite of mine for storing simple syrups because you can also stash them in the freezer. 
  
• measuring cups – For glass measuring cups, I love using Anchor-Hocking brand cups. They stand up to temperature changes without shattering, and I never have issues with the pour spout.
  
• silicone spatula a silicone spatula is a great tool to use for making simple syrups because it doesn’t absorb or give off flavor while heat-cooking. It also stays cool to the touch, so you don’t need to worry about it getting too hot to hold. I love using silicone spatulas from GIR. Another bonus? It doesn’t absorb flavors (unlike a wooden spoon).
  
• juicer – while you do not need a fancy electric juicer, they do make the job a LOT easier, especially when you are juicing so many lemons. If you want a more economical manual juicer, you can use a handheld citrus press.

🫙 how to store your homemade simple syrups

Store your finished syrup in the fridge in an airtight storage container for up to two weeks.

You can also freeze your syrup for longer-term storage.

💬 q+a

Why is my lemon honey simple syrup bitter?

If your lemon honey syrup is bitter, you may have accidentally added in the pith, or white part of the lemon peel. Try adding in a few drops of a saline solution or a pinch of salt to balance out the flavor.

How long does honey syrup last?

When properly stored in the fridge, honey simple syrup can last up to two weeks. You can also freeze it for longer-term storage.

Do I need to store honey simple syrup in the fridge?

Always refrigerate honey simple syrup. Do not store it on the countertop like you do with regular honey. Honey syrup has been diluted with water, so it is more susceptible to bacteria growth, even with the acidic lemon juice added.

🧯food safety & other information

Food safety is an important ingredient in any recipe for success! Here are some tips to keep you safe in the kitchen!

• While you can allow this syrup to sit at room temperature, don’t leave it out for longer than 4 hours at a time. This helps to inhibit bacteria growth that can happen from the sugars in the syrup. Read more about the temperature danger zone here.
  
• Use sterilized containers whenever possible. You can sterilize your containers by boiling them briefly, running them through your dishwasher with the sterilize feature activated, or pouring boiling water into the containers.
  
• While you may be able to use your simple syrup longer than 2 weeks in the fridge, if you see any sort of cloudiness or dark spots in the syrup, throw it out. This is mold growth and is not a recipe for fun.
  
• Never leave simmering syrup unattended on the stove.
  
• If you use honey to make this syrup, avoid feeding it to children under the age of 1.