Improve your coffee or cocktail with a splash of flavor using this quick and easy Earl Grey syrup. This simple syrup uses tea bags and takes less than 10 minutes to make.
Are you a fan of Earl Grey tea? Imagine taking its flavors and transforming them into an easy-to-make syrup that can be added to your favorite drink.
The syrup you’re about to make has a delicate balance of floral, citrusy, and slightly sweet notes, making it an amazing addition to both hot and cold beverages.
Looking for more tea syrups? This Thai Tea syrup is fantastic to sweeten lemonades and milk teas.
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Why make this syrup
- It’s an easy an quick way to add Earl Grey flavor to beverages;
- You can keep it in the fridge for weeks after making it;
- It’s the best way to sweeten drinks that ask for this flavor.
Simple syrups are better for drinks, but for baking, or flavoring recipes like waffles or pancakes, an extract might be the right choice. If you’re looking for the second, I have a foolproof recipe that will give you a flavorful Earl Grey extract in 2 weeks.
Ingredients
Simple syrups need to be like the name says: simple. This recipe only takes 3 ingredients and less than 10 minutes to put together.
Water. You can use filtered or tap water for this recipe.
Sugar. Use caster or granulated white sugar.
You can substitute regular sugar for brown sugar. It will give this syrup a very subtle caramel flavor. Use the same amount.
Earl Grey. We’re using tea bags for this recipe to make things easier. If using leaves, add ½ tablespoon of loose Earl Grey leaves for each tea bag.
How to make it
This simple syrup will take you less than 10 minutes to make.
Heat water on the stove or microwave. As soon as it boils, remove from heat.
Add sugar, and mix until it has dissolved into the hot water.
Steep the bags of Earl Grey into the mixture for 4 minutes.
Squeeze lightly the tea bags when removing Earl Grey.
Let it cool before storing in a jar, bottle or container with a lid.
Expert Tips
Don’t let the Earl Grey steep for longer than 6 minutes. Steeping for longer periods makes it taste bitter and astringent. In this recipe, instead of risking a bitter taste, we’re adding more Earl Grey for a stronger flavor.
If using a stove to boil the water, you can boil a little extra than what's needed, and then just measure 1 cup.
Boiling water using a microwave will take from 1 and a half to 3 minutes, depending on the potency of the microwave you’re using. But be careful when using this method: to avoid burns, place a wooden spoon or chopstick in contact with water.
FAQ
Yes. Earl Grey syrup is made with Earl Grey, which is a mixture of black tea and bergamot oil. Unless you’re making it using a decaf version of Earl Grey, it will have caffeine.
Yes. Use a sieve to strain the syrup after 5 minutes if using loose tea leaves.
Yes. This recipe keeps refrigerated for up to a month, and can be made in advance.
Recipes to try using this syrup
This is a liquid simple syrup made for beverages, perfect to use for sweetening coffees, cocktails, lattes, and even lemonades! Here are some suggestions for you:
Storing
After cooled, pour syrup into a bottle, jar or container with a lid. Keep refrigerated.
Keeping this syrup refrigerated extends its life for up to a month. If it loses its crystal appearance, looking cloudy, it has most likely gone bad and should be discarded.
Ready to embark on a journey of elevated flavors? Get creative, experiment, and let the delightful flavors of Earl Grey syrup transport you to a world full of taste.
If you liked this recipe, click on the stars below and let me know!
📖 Recipe
Earl Grey Syrup
Equipment
- 1 Jar or bottle with lid
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 bags earl grey tea
Instructions
- Heat water on the stove or microwave. As soon as it boils, remove from heat.
- Add sugar. Mix until it has dissolved into the hot water.
- Steep 4 Earl Grey bags into the sugar mixture for 4 minutes.
- Squeeze lightly the tea bags when removing them.
- Let syrup cool before storing in a jar, bottle or container with a lid.
Nova
I make this several times during the fall/winter months. My husband makes an amazing bourbon cocktail using it instead of simple syrup and it’s delicious! Thank you!
Tatiana Kamakura
Glad you like it, Nova! Cheers!
molly
Just made a batch and it came out perfectly. The suggested uses all sound amazing so I'll have to give those a go too. 🙂