Throw together homemade Keto Simple Syrup in minutes! It’s a must-have when making low carb cocktails and drinks. Plus, you only need 2 easy ingredients! It’s sugar free, keto-friendly, low carb, grain-free, and gluten-free.
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Raise your hand if you want an adult beverage from time to time. It’s fun when you have friends or family over and want to entertain and enjoy a cocktail. Regular cocktails are filled with tons of sugar and aren’t suitable for a low carb keto diet. One drink will kick you out of ketosis rather quickly. So, I was on a mission to create a simple homemade syrup that tasted good and didn’t have sugar. This is where my simple keto syrup was born.
I’m pretty confident you are going to love this gluten free simple syrup recipe. It takes no time to make, and you don’t have to feel like you are missing out while all your guests are indulging in a drink. You can join them without any care in the world. It is amazing in my keto pina colada, strawberry gimlet, and keto mojito recipes.
What Is Simple Syrup?
If you haven’t made a lot of cocktails, you may find yourself wondering what simple syrup is. Well, it’s basically made with equal parts of sweetener and water. Traditional simple syrup is made with sugar and it not keto friendly. Dissolving the sweetener allows it to properly mix into the drink and you aren’t stuck with chunks of it.
Ingredients Needed
I am willing to bet that you have what you need on hand. It’s seriously the easiest recipe ever. And since it is just sugar free sweetener and water it has 0 net carbs. Even if you are brand new in the kitchen you shouldn’t have any issues with this recipe. Let’s take a look.
Boiling Water
Sweetener - I recommend using Joy Filled Eats Natural Sweetener for this syrup. All you need for that is erythritol, xylitol (or more erythritol for a pet-friendly version), and pure stevia powder without any added ingredients.
How To Make Keto Simple Syrup
For this keto simple syrup, all you need to do is combine the boiling water with the sweetener. Stir until all of the sweetener has dissolved.
Add it to all of your favorite drinks and cocktails and enjoy!
How Long Does Keto Simple Syrup Last?
Pour the syrup in a jar or container with a tight-fitting lid and keep it in the fridge. It will actually last up to 1 month in the refrigerator.
You can even freeze it to have it on hand all the time. It will last 6-8 months in the freezer and should be kept airtight. Pour it into a freezer bag and freeze flat or place it into a jar or any other freezer-safe container. Then when you are ready to use it, place it in the fridge to defrost.
How to use Keto Simple Syrup
Okay, so we covered that simple syrup is a huge asset to cocktails, but you can actually use it in other drinks as well. Coffee, sugar free lemonade, and iced tea are a few things that come to mind. Consider adding in a splash or two to any drinks you want to sweeten up. That cute drink in my photos is really just a raspberry iced tea!
It even makes a great gift idea for friends too. Just put it in a cute bottle and add some ribbon!
Can I Thicken Keto Simple Syrup?
Yes, you can thicken it, but it’s not really necessary. It will be the perfect texture and consistency for all the drinks you want. If you really want to make it thicker, you can add ¼ teaspoon of xanthan gum to it.
Why Is My Syrup Forming Crystals?
The reason why your low carb simple syrup may form crystals is that the water wasn’t hot enough to dissolve it all the way. That’s why it is very essential to use boiling water. Otherwise, it’s not going to work properly and you may end up with crystals as it cools. The crystals won’t hurt you, it’s just not that appetizing when you are sipping on your drink.
You may also get some crystals with longer storage. But don't worry the simple syrup is still fine to use, the crystals form on the bottom like rock candy! They actually looked pretty cool and I want to try this technique soon to make a sugar free rock candy.
What Does It Taste Like?
I worked hard to develop my homemade sweetener to taste as close to real sugar as possible. Because of this, you end up with simple syrup that mimics traditional recipes. Give it a taste and let us know what you think.
Can I Add Other Ingredients?
While I haven’t tested adding additional ingredients to this sugar free simple syrup, it shouldn’t be an issue. Cinnamon, citrus zest (lemon, lime, orange, tangerine, grapefruit), other spices (nutmeg, cloves, black pepper), and even edible flowers like lavender would all be options to try out.
You can even add some spice by making jalapeno simple syrup.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
- 1 cup boiling water
Instructions
- Mix together until the sweetener melts. Use in your favorite cocktails.
Beth says
Does it crystallizes like any other? Thank you I wasted sooo much syrup and none of the sugar substitute worked.
Taryn says
Any sugar alcohol will recrystallize eventually. But this keeps for a couple of weeks in my fridge before that happens.
Marian says
I'm a little confused. You mention that Simple Syrup is 1:1 water and sweetener and yet you are using twice as much sweetener (assuming it's the same as Gentle Sweet) so it's 1 part water to 2 parts sweetener. Is this what you are intending to do? Thanks.
Taryn says
In my recipe testing, I preferred using a 1:1 ratio for simple syrup even when using my sweetener. You can use less if you prefer.
Karin says
I've used this recipe to make a sour mix for margaritas. Add 1 cup fresh lemon juice and 3/4 c fresh lime juice. I store this and making a margarita is easy.
johnna says
I love having this simple syrup on hand for iced coffees and lemonade!
Suzy says
Went perfect in our lemonade! Delish!
Nellie Tracy says
Love this recipe! Perfect in so many beverages