Not Just For Cocktails: Uses For Simple Syrup

Typically when we think about how to use simple syrup, the first thing that comes to mind are cocktails. 

At Simple Goodness Sisters, we find that train of thought to be perfectly reasonable. After all, our flagship simple syrup flavor, Rhubarb Vanilla Bean, made its first appearance as part of our mobile bar, the Happy Camper Cocktail Company. Cocktails that use simple syrup are easy to make and can be whatever you want them to be, whether that's a fresh and crisp drink made with our Lemon-Herb Syrup, a libation that's rich and deep in both color and flavor using our Blueberry Lavender Syrup, or a mojito with a decidedly Pacific Northwest spin made with our Marionberry Mint Syrup.

Indeed, when your bar cart or cocktail cupboard includes a few expertly crafted, well-balanced flavors of simple syrup, you need only whatever varieties of alcohol you prefer and a few mixers to convince folks you're a master mixologist.

Our favorite hostess move for parties is to set up a little self serve bar area with a few different flavors of syrups, some pre-squeezed fresh citrus juice, stir sticks, a shaker, ice, fresh herbs to use as garnishes, and a couple of spirits bottles. Guests can choose their own cocktail or mocktail adventure with these options, while you are free to put the finishing touches on food. Guests will love the experience of playing bartender with such fun ingredients, and the act of drink making becomes an ice breaker, and an excellent activity to start the party. 

But simple syrup has many uses beyond its ability to liven up a cocktail or mocktail. It comes in handy whenever you need an easy way to impart sweetness and smooth flavor to whatever you might be pouring or serving up. Its use allows for greater consistency of taste and greater speed in drink making than using granulated sugar or sugar cubes in your recipes. And while simple syrup is, well, simple in that its base is sugar dissolved into water, the true beauty of it comes from the way it can be flavored, and that’s where the process becomes more complex. Using local ingredients to create flavors that are unexpected, perfectly balanced and utterly delicious is our particular area of expertise. The uses for simple syrup are endless, here are a few of our suggestions for how to get the most out of your Simple Goodness Sisters drink syrups.

Ice Creams and Cream Sodas: Better With Simple Syrup

Ice cream comes in every flavor combo under the sun, but what if you’re in the mood for a creamy concoction that’s fruity and you open the freezer and all you find is chocolate ice cream with a brownie swirl and pretzel pieces? It probably won’t ruin your day, but it might ruin your dessert craving.

Much in the same way that simple syrup livens up plain club soda or tonic water, having an array of simple syrups on hand can take classic vanilla ice cream and turn it into something truly memorable—not to mention, you can use it to create truly impressive desserts on the fly and with minimal effort. A scoop of vanilla doused in Marionberry Mint Syrup or Blueberry Lavender Syrup with a cookie crumbled on top is a dessert that’s as easy as it is elegant. Mix lemon sorbet with Lemon Herb Syrup for a granita-like concoction. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

Ice cream sodas are similar, but even simpler. After all, an ice cream soda is merely a scoop of ice cream, a shot of half and half or your favorite alternative milk, a dose of soda water and a good glug of syrup—it’s the sweet treat that simple syrup is literally made for. At the Simple Goodness Soda Shop, our customers love our Huckleberry Spruce Tip + vanilla or huckleberry ice creams in their ice cream sodas (see above), and we often make these lactose free or vegan by using our sorbetto or lactose free ice creams with almond milk.

Introduce your friends and family to something beyond the standard soda shop offerings by using one of our Drink Syrups. They’ll elevate your ice cream soda, but because they’re lovingly handmade from local ingredients, your delicious dessert concoction will still evoke that welcoming sense of nostalgia that makes an ice cream soda such a classic. 

How to Use Simple Syrup: Let Them Eat Cake

Simple syrup for cake might seem like a strange use for the sweet elixir, but any baker will tell you it's the secret to a cake that is unbelievably moist and flavorful. 

And using simple syrup for cake moistening is, well, a piece of cake.

After your cake is baked and when it is cooling but still warm, that's the time to apply your simple syrup. You can either drizzle or brush it on, and it will keep your cake from drying out and add another layer of flavor. Simple syrup can also be used to render a little assistance to a cake that came out of the oven a bit dry and crumbly. Simply use a toothpick to poke some holes in the top of the cake before applying the simple syrup so that it can penetrate more deeply and save your dessert and, quite possibly, the day. 

Imagine a shortcake drizzled with Rhubarb Vanilla Bean or Berry Sage Syrup before fresh sliced fruit and whipped cream are added. Or a lemon pound cake brushed with Lemon Herb Syrup. When people ask where you got the recipe, we won't mind if you tell them that it's been in your family for years.

And don’t forget about breakfast’s favorite cake—pancakes and waffles, even oatmeal. Layer our syrups with your favorite maple syrups, butter, confectioners sugar, or whatever you like to douse your weekend breakfast treats with. Our stepmom Jill is even known to add the Rhubarb Vanilla syrup to her french toast base, and then finishing a stack of toasts with the syrup for added flavor. 

Simple Syrup for Coffee and Tea

Some folks like to start their day with a cup of black coffee or strong tea, but we're no purists when it comes to our morning beverage—we like the sweet stuff. And there's no easier way to make a memorable cup of caffeine than to sweeten it with flavored simple syrup.

We've all seen and probably tasted our fair share of the sweet syrups that are made for coffee and tea at our local coffeehouse or espresso stand. Those bottles of syrup have their place, but why not opt for flavored simple syrup for coffee or tea made from premium local ingredients and with a more complex and interesting array of flavors? This would be an excellent use for Rhubarb Vanilla Bean Syrup, Blueberry Lavender Syrup, or Marionberry Mint Syrup—in fact, it might just become the thing that gets you out of bed in the morning.

When the temperature rises and the thought of hot beverages is no longer appealing, simple syrup for iced tea and iced coffee is the way to go. Regular sugar never quite dissolves into cold beverages, but simple syrup for coffee or tea has no such issues. It's an all-season, all-temperature way to gussy up your favorite morning brew.

Of course, those are just a few of the many uses for simple syrup. It can also be used to marinate fruit, stirred into oatmeal and more. What do you use simple syrup for? Let us know!

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