Homemade Elderflower Syrup

You can make this homemade elderflower syrup with only a few ingredients in a few simple steps. This is a super quick and easy recipe to prepare and only needs your patience as you will have to let it steep for 1-2 days.
Ingredients for this elderflower syrup recipe
This recipe only needs a few ingredients to make:
- Water
- Sugar
- Citric Acid
Using the water and sugar you will make a syrup first. Then you add the Citric acid to it.
- Elderflower
- Lemon zest
Make sure you shake the elderflower before using it to remove any bugs still inside the. Don’t wash them cause that will destroy the petals.
The lemon zest will bring a nice, subtle lemon flavor into the syrup which will go very well with a cocktail. You can easily omit the lemon zest if you only want the elderflower flavor and no citrusy taste to it. You can also use lime zest instead of lemon zest. This version would be great for cocktails that use lime in them too.

How to make homemade elderflower syrup:
Make the sugar syrup
To a big pot add the water and sugar. On medium heat bring the mixture to a boil until the sugar has dissolved. Take the pot off the heat and add the citric acid and mix everything well.
Make the elderflower syrup
Add the elderflower to the sugar syrup. Make sure they are completely covered with the sugar syrup mixture. Next zest a lemon. Make sure you only peel the yellow part. The white part is bitter and you do not want that flavor to soak into the syrup. Add the zest to the pot and also cover completely. Cover the pot with a towel and let it steep for 24-48 hours. You have to let the mixture steep for at least 24h. At 24h you will have a very subtle elderflower flavor. At 48h you will really taste the floral flavor of the elderflower itself.
After letting the syrup steep get a second pot ready and put a sieve on top. Lay a thin cloth into the sieve and pour the syrup trough it. This will separate the syrup from the elderflower. Squeeze all the liquid out of the cloth by wringing it out.
Now sterilize your bottles and make sure they are hot! I usually do that with our steamer. Check out my post where I explain 3 different ways on how you can sterilize your bottle: How to sterilize your jars – Oh Sweet Cultureshock
Bring the syrup to a boil. Once boiling fill the hot syrup into the hot bottles and instantly close them. By filling in the syrup hot into a hot bottle and closing it, you seal the bottle which will keep the syrup fresh. Let the syrup cool and it is ready to use.

Where to use homemade elderflower syrup in:
- Water: Simply just mix it with water and drink it that way.
- Use it in Cocktails: For example in this Hugo Cocktail Recipe – Oh Sweet Cultureshock
- Use it in Mocktails: For example the mocktail version of the Hugo explained in the same post
Storing and storage life
Keep your finished elderflower syrup in a cool and dark spot. It’s storage life is about 6 months. Once the bottle is opened make sure you keep the syrup in your fridge and use it up within a few weeks.

Homemade Elderflower Syrup
Equipment
- Pots
- Bottles
- Thin cloth (ex: cheese cloth)
Ingredients
- 1 l water
- 1 kg sugar
- 20 g citric acid
- 10 elderflower blossoms
- 1 lemon only the zest
Instructions
Sugar syrup
- To a big pot add the water and sugar.
- On medium heat bring the mixture to a boil until the sugar has dissolved.
- Take the pot off the heat and add the citric acid and mix everything well.
Elderflower syrup
- Add the elderflower to the sugar syrup. Make sure they are completely covered with the sugar syrup mixture.
- Next zest a lemon. Make sure you only peel the yellow part. The white part is bitter and you do not want that flavor to soak into the syrup. Add the zest to the pot and also cover completely.
- Cover the pot with a towel and let it steep for 24-48 hours.
- Get a second pot ready and put a sieve on top. Lay a thin cloth into the sieve and pour the syrup trough it. This will separate the syrup from the elderflower. Squeeze all the liquid out of the cloth by wringing it out.
- Now sterilize your bottles and make sure they are hot!
- Bring the syrup to a boil.
- Once boiling fill the hot syrup into the hot bottles and instantly close them.
- Let the syrup cool and it is ready to use.
Notes
- Elderflower: Make sure you shake the elderflower before using it to remove any bugs still inside the. Don’t wash them cause that will destroy the petals.
- Steep: You have to let the mixture steep for at least 24h. At 24h you will have a very subtle elderflower flavor. At 48h you will really taste the floral flavor of the elderflower itself.
- Lemon zest: You can easily omit the lemon zest if you only want the elderflower flavor and no citrusy taste to it. You can also use lime zest instead of lemon zest. This version would be great for cocktails that use lime in them too.
- Sterilize the bottles: I usually do that with our steamer. Check out my post where I explain 3 different ways on how you can sterilize your bottle: How to sterilize your jars – Oh Sweet Cultureshock
Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.
Your Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.
PIN THE IMAGE BELOW TO SAVE THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

What a wonderful syrup recipe! The smell and the taste are divine, thanks!
I love elderflower syrup that I’ve had in various cocktails but never made it myself. So glad I found this recipe! Never going back to store-bought
Quite intrigued as I never had Elderflower syrup and I look forward to making some.
Great recipe. I have often wondered about making this and now I know how. Thanks!
I am making this syrup ASAP and then making some delicious cocktails! What a great idea.
This syrup is perfect! I’ve always loved elderflower, so it’s wonderful to find a way to make it homemade!
i love elderflower! it is so delicate and refreshing. I used this syrup for a dessert topping and it was lovely
Looove elderflowers and their delicate floral essence. This is the perfect recipe to preserve them
This pictures of this make it look like a fairytale. Instantly had to try the recipe and the syrup is absolutely amazing
Such a easy syrup recipe, I used it to make some cocktails for the weekend and they were so good. I highly recommend this recipe!
Made this yesterday to take to our beach house for cocktails this weekend. It tastes delicious even on its own! It will be fun to do some mixology with it this weekend.
I was so curious as to what elderflower tastes and it turned out to be amazing! Will be using this syrup a lot
This recipe is great for cocktails and I love making it myself because I can control the intensity.