Combine just 3 ingredients to create a cool and refreshing mint simple syrup, the most notorious of simple syrups. I’ll show you how to keep the fresh mint bright green, and how to make the flavor extra sharp. The trick is to avoid heat!
This recipe doesn’t heat the mint to help maintain the sharp flavor. The mint is blended and then strained from the liquid. I use a similar method in this ginger simple syrup to make it extra potent.
Once ready, you have a soothing syrup for hot drinks, cocktails, mocktails, and all your baking needs.
🧾 Ingredients in This Recipe
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
⭐️ Want to use dried mint? ⭐️
Simply steep 2 tablespoons of the dried mint in the simple syrup right when it comes off the heat for 30 minutes. Then strain with a fine mesh strainer and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
👩🍳 How to Make This Recipe
I tested three ways to make this simple syrup, with this recipe yielding the best results. If you do want a quicker version, head to the notes in the recipe card for a shortcut.
⭐️ Pro Tip ⭐️
I use a 1:1 ratio for sugar to water in the simple syrup. You can double the recipe or increase the quantities as needed to make more syrup. You can also scale up the mint amount for a more intense minty flavor.
🍵 Creative Ways to Use This Simple Syrup
- As a sweetener: To sweeten hot or iced beverages like matcha lattes, iced teas, or lemonades.
- To make mint-flavored mocktails: Mix this syrup with sparkling water or soda water and garnish with lemon for a refreshing drink.
- Classic cocktails: Use this instead of muddled mint in classic minty cocktails like mojitos or mint juleps like this matcha mint julep. Minty flavors particularly complement rum, bourbon, and gin.
- In baked goods: You can use mint syrup to flavor batters or icings. You can also brush it onto cake layers as a soak to keep cake layers moist.
Whole Leaf Mint Simple Syrup
Print Recipe SaveEquipment
- 1 small saucepan
- 1 fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar granulated white sugar or cane preferred
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar completely dissolves (you can't see any sugar granules anymore).
- Turn off the heat and set aside to cool completely.
- In the meantime, bring a pot of water to boil and remove all the stems from the mint. Blanch the mint for 10 seconds.
- Immediately shock the mint in an ice bath for 30 seconds.
- Pat the mint leaves dry and make sure all the stems are removed.
- Add the mint to the simple syrup and blend.
- Blend until the mint pieces are very tiny and emulsified in the simple syrup.
- Strain using a fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag to completely remove the tiny mint pieces. Give it a second strain before sealing and storing it in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
🌷 Aromatic Syrup Flavors to Make
Gourmet simple syrups can be expensive and may contain added ingredients such as food coloring or preservatives. Instead, this mint simple syrup recipe requires just 3 ingredients. Try this lavender simple syrup, rose simple syrup, and borage simple syrup for other botanical flavors.
🌱 More Refreshing Mint Recipes
If you have plenty of fresh mint, these recipes will make the most of your supplies.
