Whether you’re already a huge fan of lavender recipes, or you’re just exploring how to bake and cook with this aromatic herb, prepare to be wowed!
The combination of sweet blueberries and floral lavender is a winning combination. Each flavor is also matched with lemons, so it’s the perfect addition to blueberry lavender lemonade. It’s wonderful in light and fruity cocktails, homemade sodas, and mocktails.
Since it’s so easy to make in just 15 minutes on the stovetop, you can always have a batch on hand. Even better? It’s an excellent way to use up blueberries that are on their way out… yes to reducing food waste!
What is Simple Syrup?
Simple syrup is a liquid sweetener, generally made for use in beverages. It’s a ratio of water to sugar that is simmered until dissolved into syrup to be used in drinks. It’s perfect for beverages because the sweetness disperses throughout, without any grittiness of sugar!
The ratio can be changed to make a thicker syrup that would be more like maple syrup or corn syrup consistency for things like pancakes and drizzling.
Simple Syrup can be flavored with a variety of fresh herbs, fresh or frozen fruit, and spices – the options are endless!
Let’s Make Blueberry Lavender Syrup!
Making simple syrup is truly so easy to do and the variety it can add it drinks makes it so worth it to make! This recipe is a cross between blueberry syrup and lavender syrup – the best of two worlds!
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll need just three simple ingredients: blueberries, culinary-grade dried lavender buds, and granulated sugar. You’ll also need water – should we count that?!
- Blueberries: fresh or frozen blueberries work for this recipe. When using fresh, it’s best to make sure they’re sweet and have flavor blueberries for the best outcome.
- Dried Lavender – make sure you’re using dried culinary lavender anytime you’re cooking with lavender.
- Sugar: granulated sugar is what we’re using; there are options for using honey and brown sugar, but we want the blueberries to shine through.
- Water: plain ol’ water is all you’ll need; use filtered water if you have it.
Can I use fresh lavender?
While you can use either fresh lavender or dried lavender buds for this recipe, I recommend using the dried variety. You can buy a large amount in bulk and have them around for all of your favorite lavender recipes.
If you are using fresh lavender, make sure it is culinary-grade. Fresh lavender from yards or many floral shops is filled with pesticides and will often result in a bitter flavor instead of lovely floral lavender.
Culinary Grade Dried Lavender Flowers
These are my favorite culinary-grade dried lavender flowers. A lot goes a long way, so this package lasts forever!
Simmer the Syrup
- Make sure the berries are cleaned well. Use a vinegar or salt bath, or your favorite fruit cleaner. Otherwise, make sure to rinse them really well.
- Combine sugar, water, and blueberries in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer or low boil for 5-7 minutes until the berries have softened.
- Gently smash them throughout the process as they do soften, continuing to stir occasionally.
- Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer. Keep all of the fruit pieces out of the syrup or they’ll ferment while stored.
- Let cool and enjoy immediately, or store it for later.
For other flavor variations, add fresh rosemary (it’s in the same family as lavender), fresh mint, or a squeeze of lemon to make the flavors pop.
How to Store Syrup
Store the syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. If you notice any cloudiness, toss it out and make another batch.
How to Use Blueberry Lavender Syrup
While you’ll want to just enjoy it by the spoonful, there are so many ways to enjoy this blueberry simple syrup recipe – and it’s not just for drinks (although that’s honestly my favorite!).
- Make a Blueberry Lavender Cocktail
- Mix up mimosas and add it to champagne
- Pour it into a glass of lemonade or enjoy it in a vodka lemonade
- Iced tea, hot tea – or an iced latte!
- Make it a 2:1 ratio of sugar and water for a thicker syrup to top pancakes, french toast, or waffles
- Drizzle over a slice of cheesecake, or between cake layers
- Drizzle it over vanilla ice cream
- Add to club soda for a blueberry lavender soda or make an Italian soda – a great mocktail option!
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups of syrup.
Absolutely! The same recipe steps apply when doubling. You can even play around with changing the amount of sugar and water to change the syrup consistency (more sugar results in a thicker syrup).
Yes! This is perfect for when you know you won’t use it all before it goes bad. I recommend freezing it in Souper Cubes for perfectly portioned amounts; otherwise, a silicone ice cube tray is great for easy removal. It will be slightly sticky still after freezing.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!
Get the Recipe 15-Minute Blueberry Lavender Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup blueberries, or frozen*
- 2 Tablespoons dried lavender flowers
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- Fresh lemon juice, optional
Instructions
- Clean the blueberries (if using fresh) in a bath of salt water or vinegar. Rinse well.
- In a small saucepan, combine blueberries, lavender, sugar, and water. Heat over medium-high heat until simmering, stirring occasionally. Once softened, gently smash the softened berries with the back of a spoon or masher. Simmer for 5-7 minutes until the berries are disintegrated and the syrup is bright purple.1 cup blueberries, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup water, 2 Tablespoons dried lavender flowers
- Remove from heat and let rest to steep the lavender for 5-10 minutes, depending on how strong you want the flavor to come through. Be sure to taste test (the best!).
- Strain out the berries and flowers through a fine-mesh sieve. Use a spoon to stir the mixture to release the syrup as needed, being careful to not let any of the fruit bits into the syrup, and discard them.
- Optional: stir in a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to bring out the berry flavor if it's tasting flat; it's not about adding lemon flavor but rather enhancing the blueberry notes.
- Let cool as needed and use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Serving Size: this recipe makes around 1 1/2 cups of syrup.
- Frozen Berries: No need to thaw before using, you just may need to simmer a few extra minutes. They tend to be less sweet so be sure to taste test and add more sugar if you need to.
