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If you love lilac season, making homemade lilac syrup is one of the prettiest and most delicious ways to preserve those fragrant spring blooms.
This floral syrup has a light sweet flavor and beautiful aroma that’s perfect for lemonade, tea, cocktails, pancakes, desserts, and more.
It’s an easy seasonal recipe that lets you enjoy lilacs long after the blossoms are gone.
Love lilacs? Browse all my Lilac Recipes, DIY & Growing Guide here.
Looking for more preserving ideas? See all my Canning Recipes here.
Want to try making your own jelly at home?
Get my free guide with 8 easy, beginner-friendly jelly recipes you can confidently make.
Love homemade syrups? Browse my full Homemade Syrup Recipe Collection here.
If you’re new to canning, start with my Water Bath Canning for Beginners guide first.
Tap to jump right to recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Lilac Syrup
- Beautiful floral spring flavor
- Easy beginner recipe
- Great way to preserve lilac blossoms
- Perfect for drinks and desserts
- Makes thoughtful homemade gifts
Ingredients for Lilac Syrup
- 2 cups fresh lilac blossoms (stems removed)
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups granulated sugar
Optional:
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (brightens flavor and color)
Yield: Makes 3 half-pints
Choosing Lilacs Safely
Use only lilacs that are:
- Unsprayed
- Free from pesticides
- Freshly picked
- Fragrant and fully opened
Rinse gently and remove all stems and green parts.
How to Make Lilac Syrup
Step 1: Clean the Blossoms
Rinse lilac flowers gently in cool water.
Remove blossoms from stems.
Discard stems and leaves.
Step 2: Make the Syrup Base
In a saucepan combine:
- Water
- Sugar
Heat over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Step 3: Infuse the Lilacs
Add lilac blossoms to the hot syrup.
Reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and let steep 20 to 30 minutes.
Step 4: Strain
Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
Discard blossoms.
Return strained syrup to saucepan and heat until hot.
How to Can Lilac Syrup
Step 1: Prepare Jars
Wash jars, lids, and rings.
Keep jars hot until ready to fill.
Need supplies? See my favorite Canning Supplies for Beginners.
Step 2: Fill the Jars
Pour hot syrup into hot jars.
Leave 1/2 inch headspace.
Need help measuring? Read: How to Measure Headspace for Canning
Wipe rims clean.
Apply lids and rings finger tight.
Step 3: Process in Water Bath
Place jars in boiling water canner.
Water should cover jars by 1 to 2 inches.
Process for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Cool and Check Seals
Remove jars and cool undisturbed for 12 hours.
After cooling:
Read: How to Test Canning Jar Seals
Store sealed jars in pantry.
Storage Options
Pantry
Store sealed jars in cool dark place for 1 year.
Refrigerator
Store opened jars in refrigerator.
Freezer
Freeze syrup in freezer-safe containers for up to 6 months.
Ways to Use Lilac Syrup
Try it in:
- Lemonade
- Iced tea
- Cocktails
- Sparkling water
- Pancakes
- Waffles
- Yogurt
- Ice cream
More Syrup Recipes to Try
You may also enjoy:
Browse my full Homemade Syrup Recipe Collection here
More Lilac Recipes to Try
You may also enjoy:
Browse all my Lilac Recipes, DIY & Growing Guide here.
FAQs
What does lilac syrup taste like?
Lightly floral, delicate, and slightly sweet.
Are lilacs edible?
Yes, common lilacs are edible when grown without chemicals.
Can I skip canning?
Yes. Refrigerate syrup for short-term use.
Lilac syrup is one of the prettiest ways to preserve spring.
Use it in drinks, desserts, and brunch recipes whenever you want a little floral sweetness.
Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe.
Easy recipe for canning lilac simple syrup for cocktails, flavored iced tea, flavoring kombucha, and more. Easy canning recipe for beginners.
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups lilac flowers
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
-
Rinse lilac blossoms gently in cool water.
-
Remove flowers from stems.
-
Discard stems and green parts.
-
In a saucepan, combine water and sugar.
-
Heat over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
-
Add lilac blossoms.
-
Simmer gently for 10 minutes.
-
Remove from heat and let steep for 20 to 30 minutes.
-
Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
-
Discard blossoms.
-
Return syrup to saucepan and heat until hot.
-
Pour hot syrup into hot prepared jars.
-
Leave 1/2 inch headspace.
-
Wipe rims clean.
-
Apply lids and rings finger tight.
-
Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
-
Remove jars and cool undisturbed for 12 hours.
-
Check seals before storing.
Use only unsprayed edible lilac blossoms.
Lemon juice can brighten flavor and color.
Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.
Refrigerate after opening.
Great for gifting in small jars.
Follow my canning and preserving board on Pinterest.
Can I add lemon to this?? With it affect the acidity for canning?
Thank you so much!
Is this recipe acidic enough without lemon juice adddd?
Thanks for sharing! How long is it good for after the can has been opened?
Could you use lavender blossoms dried or fresh?
Yum, that sounds delicious!
I add a few blueberries to make the color a bit darker. I use the syrup to make kombucha. It’s delicious.
Hi! Yes, you can definitely use food coloring to change the color of your syrup if it is too light in color.
Can purple food coloring be added to this canning recipe ?
Hi! Yes, it would be safe to replace the lilac with other flavorings like maple and vanilla. The important thing is to keep the sugar/water ratio the same as in this recipe to make sure the recipe is safe for canning.
Hi! Would you happen to know if it would be safe to can a syrup recipe of sugar, water, and maple and vanilla extract, using the same procedure you have here? Thanks!
Hi! I am using my lilac syrup to flavor iced green tea. I make a gallon of green tea and add a pint of the syrup to it. My whole family likes it. I don’t do caffeine so I am using decaffeinated green tea and it turned out great.
Can you tell me what you can use Lilac syrup for?
Thanks so much for this recipe AND for the ideas for use! I have a massive hedge of lilacs and am going to make some of your syrup!!
Hi! I know some people use syrups like this in their cocktails, but I use it to flavor homemade sodas and iced tea. I use a whole pint of the syrup in a gallon of iced green tea. I haven’t tried it in my kombucha yet, but will try it soon. Here is the kombucha recipe. So far I have only posted the recipe for ginger simple syrup. I will post recipes for rose petal, lemon, and vanilla simple syrups soon!
Love this – didn’t ever think to can simple syrup. But how do you use this in? Can you give us more examples and or recipes (and more flavours if you’ve made more)? Thanks so much!
Hi! Glad you like my site update 🙂 I’m not sure how you would make the jelly from the syrup…you need to have the exact amounts of water and sugar so that your jelly will set, and I’m not sure how you would know how much sugar was dissolved in your syrup??
Hey, LOVE YOUR WEBSITE. I have just recently come to your website and already have made the Lilac Simple Syrup, which I used along with your Rose Petal Simple Syrup to make some incredible adult beverages for a party. I have a question though. I have all this canned Lilac Simple Syrup now and would like to make some Lilac Jelly to give as gifts. Your recipes (and maybe I am missing it) only include how to make the Jelly with the fresh flowers. What is the recipe for making it with the Simple Syrup?
Thanks for being so amazing.