If you ever wondered how to make a honey simple syrup this is the recipe for you! This delicious and floral honey water makes the perfect natural sweetener for drinks, cocktails, desserts and so much more. Making your own honey syrup is so simple and takes only minutes and just 2 ingredients, honey and water.

I really love this honey simple syrup because it is my favorite way to make use of honey that is just starting to get too thick in the bottle. I also love that honey syrup is an all-natural way to sweeten so many of my recipes.
Between trying to eat a little more healthily and also trying not to have so much food waste, this honey syrup recipe was born.
I like to add a little of this honey simple syrup to my watermelon margaritas, watermelon popsicles, grapefruit basil popsicles , mulled apple cider, and my basil lemonade in the summer, just to name a few.
Another really great thing about heating honey in water instead of adding it straight into your recipe is that it ensures the honey is not going to stick to your food (or your glasses if you are sweetening a drink). It just works.
If you have ever been frustrated by working with honey but really want to use it as a natural sweetener, making a simple syrup with honey is the best way to go.
Ingredients needed for this honey syrup
The ingredients for this honey simple syrup are so simple that you probably can already guess what they are. Here is what you need:
- Honey. I like using a local wildflower honey for this simple simple but any honey you love will work fine.
- Water
Just 2 ingredients and done! Making simple syrups are so easy and it is one of the best ways to add sweetness to your recipes.
TIP: Depending on the type of honey you are using, the honey syrup will take on that color. In the picture above, I have used a darker local wildflower honey to make one simple syrup and a lighter clover honey for the lighter one. I have found that the darker colored honey syrup does not darken the color of drinks so any variety will work fine.
How to make Honey Simple Syrup
Ratio of honey to water
Making this honey syrup is very simple and very forgiving much like any other simples syrup recipe. The key to making a honey syrup is knowing that because honey already has water in it, you will want to use more honey than water to make the simple syrup.
I like to use a ratio of 2 to 1 or two parts honey to one part water.
For this recipe, we use 1 cup of water to two cups of honey to make the simple syrup. If you want to make a larger batch of this honey syrup, you can double it to 2 cups of water to 4 cups of honey.
Very simple!
Making the honey water
Once you have determined how much of this honey simple syrup you want to make, just add the water then the honey to a small saucepan and bring to a light simmer. Once the honey dissolves fully into the water, you remove it from the heat and allow it to cool.
You don't want to overcook the honey just because you want to leave all of the natural health benefits of honey intact. Once you see that the honey is incorporated fully into the water then it is ready.
Storage
This honey syrup will last in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. The best way to store this simple syrup is to allow it to fully cool then place it in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
If you do not have this type of container you can use plastic wrap to cover the top of the container.
How to use Honey Simple Syrup
The uses for this simple syrup are endless. For any recipe that calls for a simple syrup, this honey syrup is the perfect natural replacement.
You can use it in:
- Cocktails.
- Popsicles.
- Desserts all are great with this liquid honey!
- We sometimes drizzle it over our ricotta pancakes and brioche French toast at breakfast.
- We love adding some to our homemade Switchel apple cider drink and our Italian strawberry basil mocktail.
Here are some more ideas for you:
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Recipe Faqs
You can make a simple syrup with honey and use this in place of simple syrup in recipes.
Because honey already has water in it, you will use less water than a regular simple syrup. A good ratio is 2 to 1 or 2 parts honey to one part water.
Honey Simple Syrup
Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!
Ingredients
- 2 cups Honey any variety
- 1 cup Water
Instructions
- In a small sauce pan, add water then honey.2 cups Honey, 1 cup Water
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Stir honey and water while it heats.
- Once the honey is fully dissolved in the water remove from the heat.
- Allow to come to room temperature.
- Pour honey simple syrup into a container with a lid and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Use in drinks, cocktails or with desserts.
Nutrition
Nutrition Values are estimates only.
See full nutrition disclaimer here
Carol says
This honey syrup was perfect for our homemade lemonade! So easy to make and can’t wait to make it again
Melissa says
Hi Carol. I am so glad you enjoyed it 🙂