Honey Lavender Syrup (Standard)

This is the syrup behind our Honey Lavender Latte — a floral, honey-sweetened syrup built by steeping real dried culinary lavender into water, then finishing with honey off the heat instead of on it. It’s the one syrup on this site that skips cane sugar entirely and uses honey as the only sweetener, so the method (and the math) look a little different from our other syrups.

Why Honey Goes In Off the Heat

Every sugar-based syrup on this site dissolves granulated sugar directly in simmering water — sugar doesn’t have much aroma to lose. Honey is different: it’s already a liquid sweetener with real floral and varietal flavor of its own, and that flavor is delicate. Boiling honey hard (the way you’d dissolve sugar) drives off some of its aroma and can push the flavor toward flat or slightly bitter. This recipe steeps the lavender in plain water first, strains it, then whisks the honey into that liquid once it’s back down to just warm — not simmering — so the honey’s own flavor stays intact instead of cooking off.

The Syrup

Simmer 1 cup water with 2 tbsp dried culinary lavender buds for a minute or two, then take it off the heat, cover, and let it steep 10-15 minutes. Strain out the lavender (press gently on the buds to get the last of the liquid), then warm the strained liquid back to just-warm and whisk in 3/4 cup honey until dissolved. Off the heat, stir in a pinch of salt and let it cool completely.

Store the finished syrup in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It makes roughly 12 drinks’ worth at 2 tbsp per serving.

This batch (12 servings)$4.10 total

Per 2 tbsp serving~$0.34

Typical store-bought honey lavender syrup, per serving$0.55-$0.75

Assumptions: real honey at typical grocery pricing (roughly $0.30/tbsp for a standard 12-16oz bottle, pricier than granulated sugar, which is why this syrup costs more per serving than our plain vanilla or caramel syrups) and food-grade dried culinary lavender at typical specialty-spice pricing (a small jar runs $6-8 and lasts many batches, since only 2 tbsp goes into each one). A store-bought comparison assumes a specialty-café-style honey lavender syrup, which tends to run higher than a standard flavored syrup since it’s a smaller-batch, more niche product.

Storage & Shelf Life

• Keeps about 2 weeks in a sealed jar in the fridge, same as our sugar-based syrups — honey’s low moisture content and natural acidity help it keep well even diluted with water.
• Double the batch if you go through honey lavender lattes quickly — everything scales evenly (2 cups water, 4 tbsp dried lavender, 1 1/2 cups honey).
• Give it a shake or stir before using; honey syrups can thicken slightly in the fridge.

Swaps & Notes

• Buy culinary-grade dried lavender specifically. It’s sold in the tea or spice section of most grocery or specialty stores, or online labeled “culinary lavender” or “food-grade lavender.” Lavender sold for potpourri, sachets, or crafts may be treated with substances not meant for consumption — don’t substitute it here.
• Steep time is the main variable. Under 10 minutes tastes faint; past about 15 minutes it can start to taste soapy or perfumey rather than floral. Taste the infused water (before adding honey) at the 10-minute mark if you’re using it for the first time.
• Local or raw honey both work fine — this recipe doesn’t require a specific varietal, though a lighter honey (clover, wildflower) lets the lavender come through more than a very dark, strongly flavored honey (like buckwheat) would.

What to Make With This

2 tbsp of this syrup, stirred into hot espresso before adding steamed milk, is the Honey Lavender Latte.

Recipe Card Summary

Honey Lavender Syrup (Standard)

• 1 cup water, 2 tbsp dried culinary lavender, 3/4 cup honey, pinch of salt
• Makes ~12 servings (2 tbsp each) · Prep: 5 min · Total: 25 min (mostly steeping + cooling)
• Cost: ~$4.10/batch, ~$0.34/serving

FAQ

How long does homemade honey lavender syrup last?

About 2 weeks in a sealed jar in the fridge.

Can I use fresh lavender instead of dried?

Not a direct swap for this recipe’s measurements — fresh lavender is milder and holds more moisture, so the flavor and math above assume dried. If you want to experiment, start with roughly 3x the amount of fresh buds and taste as you steep.

Why does this cost more per serving than your vanilla or caramel syrups?

Honey costs more than granulated cane sugar per tablespoon, and this recipe uses it as the only sweetener rather than blending it with cheaper sugar. It’s an honest tradeoff — still a fraction of what a café charges for a specialty syrup, but pricier than our plain sugar-based syrups.