When life gives you lemons, whip up this lemon simple syrup recipe and enjoy it in all of your beverages! This syrup is made with the juice and zest of fresh lemons, so it’s bursting with flavor!

After over a decade of making my own simple syrups, I’ve come to have a few favorites. This is one of them. After all, I grew up in the 90’s: the time of Warheads and Sour Patch Kids. 😛 It is the perfect way to incorporate the zesty flavor of lemons into almost anything!
If you are a fan of sour candies, too, you’ll love this syrup! Use it to make your own homemade limonata, or Italian lemon soda pop, which you can also use in this limoncello spritz recipe! In fact, this syrup is my favorite way to take homemade limoncello to the next level! It also works beautifully in salad dressing recipes, like lemon pepper dressing, to amplify the citrus taste!
why this lemon syrup recipe works:
🍋 zesty and bright. This lemon simple syrup is perfect for incorporating bright, zingy lemon flavor into any drink you can imagine, from cocktails to iced tea and even coffee. Yes! Coffee!!!
🙌 quick and easy. The bulk of the preparation time for this syrup is hands-off, meaning it’s great for a quick project or an easy recipe for cooking with kids in the kitchen!
🥷🏻 secret ingredient. Your friends and family will wonder why your cocktails and mocktails taste so much more flavorful, thanks to this syrup!
🛒 ingredients
See the recipe card for the exact quantities.
🍋 How to choose the best lemons
Choosing produce can be tricky. Lemons stay fresh for quite some time when stored properly, so it can be hard to tell which lemons are the best for your recipes. Here are a few tips for selecting the freshest lemons you can.
- color – look for bright yellow lemons with no blemishes, dark spots, or bruising.
- feel – give the lemon a gentle squeeze. If it’s very hard, select another lemon. A ripe lemon should have a slight squeeze to it, but it should not feel “squishy.”
- weight – lemons should feel heavy for their size. If they are lighter, they are not as full of juice and can be past their prime.
🍳 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 1 1/2 cups of sugar with 1/2 cup of filtered water.
Step 4: Bring the sugar water mix to a low simmer over medium heat, until all of the sugar 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. It’s okay if you forget it for a little while.
Step 7: Strain the mix using a fine mesh strainer, and discard the zest or peel.
Step 8: Store your lemon simple syrup in the fridge for up to two weeks, or freeze it for longer storage.
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💡tips & tricks for getting it right
🍽️ serving tips
Simple syrups are best used in beverages because they are so thin 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 thin and may soak into porous foods quickly.
cocktails
This is the perfect lemon simple syrup for all your favorite cocktails! It works especially well in rum, tequila, gin, and vodka-based drinks! Okay…it also works well with whiskey! If a lemon pairs well with it, this lemon simple syrup will pair well, too! Here are some ideas for you!
- lemon whiskey sours – this sweet and zingy syrup adds extra depth to a classic cocktail!
- lemon drop shot or lemon drop martini – if you had one too many of these sweet and fruity lemon vodka shots in your 20’s, try turning this classic shooter recipe into an elevated martini for your next dinner party!
- lemon gin fizz – a gin fizz is a classic cocktail that benefits from a dose of sweet lemon flavor!
non-alcoholic drinks
You can also use this lemon simple syrup for mocktails and other non alcoholic beverages. Here are some ideas:
- extra lemony lemonade – This syrup is a great way to boost the lemon flavor in your lemonade! Substitute all (or just half) of the sugar in your lemonade recipe for lemon simple syrup!
- Italian limonata – try out this recipe for Italian lemon soda!
- lemon iced tea – use it to sweeten any flavor of iced tea! You can also add it to hot tea!
cooking, baking, and gifting
- This is also a great lemon syrup for cake! Imagine this brushed on top of a lemon loaf cake, or as a glaze on lemon poppyseed muffins! 🤤
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- bitter – make sure to add in only the zest, which is the yellow part of the peel, and not the pith, the white part of the peel, or you could end up with a bitter syrup.
- too thick – If you allow your syrup to cook for longer, it will be thicker, like a rich syrup, and the flavor will be more intense. It will also be considerably sweeter and may not mix as easily into beverages with just a spoon. Thicker syrups are great for using on desserts, though!
- metallic flavor – If your syrup has a metallic taste, your pans and tools may not be non-reactive. Metals like aluminum can impact the flavor of acidic foods like this lemon syrup.
🔆 top tip
Use the freshest lemons you can find to make sure the flavor is clean, bright and not overly bitter! If you decide to use another variety of lemon, like Meyer lemons, you may want to reduce the sugar by 1/3.
Hint: Don’t have a microplane zester? You can use a vegetable peeler or a pairing knife to get the zest off the lemon.
♻️ substitutions & 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!
- meyer lemons – Meyer lemons are a thinner skinned lemon variety, so they are much less bitter and even have a slight sweetness to them. They are darker yellow-orange in color, too. If you are using meyer lemons, reduce the amount of sugar you use from 1 1/2 cups to 3/4 cup.
- ginger – lemon and ginger pair so well, so adding in a small amount of ginger gives this syrup a great flavor!
- use another sweetener – you can use another sweetener if you prefer, like brown sugar or demerara sugar for a deeper, more caramelized flavor. Want to use honey instead of sugar? Try making a honey lemon syrup instead!
🧰 equipment needed & storage tips
Check out my complete guide to all the tools you need to make homemade simple syrups!
optional tools
🛠️ The right tools for the job:
- Aluminum can react to acids and impart a metallic taste, even when you’re just quickly straining a liquid! Wood can also absorb flavors from cooking, whereas silicone tools can be left right in the pot when things cook.
- Use pots, pans, and strainers that are non-reactive, like stainless steel. Additionally, I recommend using silicone utensils instead of wooden or metal tools. Enameled cast iron is also a great choice!
- The best bet for a pure lemon flavor is using non-reactive tools, like stainless steel, enameled cast iron, and silicone.
🫙 storage tips
Store your simple syrup in the fridge for up to two weeks. For longer-term storage, you can pop your syrup in the freezer in a squeeze bottle or portion it into ice cube trays.
Don’t be concerned if your syrup doesn’t fully freeze. This means the sugar content is higher than the water content. You can simply scoop out the cubes and mix them into any beverage you want, whenever you like!
💬 q+a
Can I use whole lemons in this lemon syrup recipe?
I advise only using the lemon peel, or zest, and the juice. Sometimes using the pith of lemons can lead to a bitter flavor, so I opt not to include it. Depending on your lemons, you may be able to use the whole lemon during the infusion step of this recipe! If you want a sweet flavor with no bitterness, leave the whole rind out.
How many lemons are needed for one cup of lemon juice?
Usually, you’ll need between 4 and 6 lemons to get one cup of lemon juice. The number of lemons you’ll need will vary based on factors like the size and juiciness of your lemons.
Why is my lemon simple syrup so sour?
Citrus varies widely in flavor. Because of this, it can be hard to establish a “baseline” for how much juice and sugar to use. The ratio in this recipe has been tested multiple times and yields a flavor similar to sour lemon candy. You can increase the sugar by 1/4 cup at a time until the flavor reaches a balance you like!
Do I need to cook lemon simple syrup?
Technically, no, you don’t. You can make a lemon syrup without using heat cooking at all, through the process of maceration. This kind of syrup is called an oleo saccharum.
I like using the cooking method because it’s quicker, even though you do get a few more dishes dirty. You will still need to strain no-cook syrup, so you’re going to have to wash a couple of dishes. I prefer to have a finished product within an hour, instead of waiting overnight or even multiple days, to use the syrup.
If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
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Lemon Simple Syrup (Fresh Lemon Juice and Zest)
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Equipment
- 1 1.5-quart saucepan non-reactive, like stainless steel or enameled cast iron
- 1 fine mesh strainer non-reactive, stainless steel
- 1 2-cup glass measuring cup for straining
- 1 kitchen scale optional
- 1 microplane zester optional, use a vegetable peeler or pairing knife
- 1 chefs knief
- 1 cutting board
Ingredients
- 300 grams granulated sugar 1.5 cups
- 113 grams water 1/2 cup
- 230 grams lemon juice 1 cup, from 5-6 lemons
- 6 grams lemon zest 1 TBSP, from 2 lemons
Instructions
- Wash and dry your lemons to remove any dirt or residue.
- Zest two lemons to get 6g of zest (1 TBSP).
- Slice the remaining lemons and juice them to get 230g of lemon juice (1 cup).
- Combine 113g of water (1/2 cup) and 300g of sugar (1.5 cups) in a nonreactive 1.5-quart saucepan and place it over medium heat.
- Once sugar has dissolved and the mixture is simmering, add the lemon juice and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, add the lemon zest, and allow the zest to steep for 15-20 minutes. You can leave the pan on the burner while you do this.
- After 15-20 minutes, strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve.
- Store the mixture in a airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition Information
The information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition facts calculator and actual nutrition facts may vary.