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Turn a bunch of mint leaves into a refreshing mint syrup! It requires only 4 ingredients, 10 minutes of prep time, and it’s brilliant for sweetening and adding a lovely mint flavor to your drinks.
You’ll love it because it’s easy, delicious, economical and keeps well in the fridge. Added bonus? It doesn’t contain artificial flavor, preservatives or food coloring.

If you’ve got a vigorous mint plant in your backyard like me, this mint syrup recipe is for you. It’s really a no brainer and it’s great to use up all that fresh, amazing mint.
And it’s so easy, budget-friendly and delicious!
So if you wonder what to use fresh mint leaves for, this should be definitely on your to-do list this summer.
Here is what you need…
List of the ingredients
- Fresh mint
- Water
- Sugar
- Lemon

How to make mint syrup
(Note: this is a simply description with step-by-step photos, the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Wash and pat dry your mint leaves.
- Place water, lemon peels, and sugar into a small pot.
- Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and add the mint leaves.

- Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and let it rest until cool.
- Discard mint leaves, lemon peal, and pour the syrup into a glass bottle.
- Add some mint syrup to your drinks!

Recipe notes & FAQ
How to use mint syrup?
Add one or two tablespoons of mint syrup to a glass of cold water and garnish with ice cubes and mint leaves. It’s also great to add a twist to frozen desserts or to sweeten your cups of tea, mojitos, cocktails or any other beverages.
How long can you keep it?
It keeps well in the fridge, stored in a a glass bottle or container, for up to 1 month.
Note: this mint syrup contains plenty of sugar which works as a preservative. It’s sweet, but it’s intended to be used in small quantities.

Looking for more mint recipes?
What to use fresh mint leaves for? Here are a few delicious recipes to use up all those bright, fresh mint leaves:
- 15 Fresh recipe with mint
- Mint pesto
- Pea soup with mint
- Crostini with peas, ricotta and mint
- Fava bean salad
- Yogurt mint sauce

If you make this recipe for mint syrup or you have a question, let me know by leaving a comment. I would love to hear from you! x
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Mint Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- ¾ cup (150 grams) sugar
- 1 cup mint
- ½ lemon, peel (optional)
Instructions
- Remove the mint leaves from the sprigs, measure about 1 cup of packed leaves and rinse them well.
- Place water, sugar, lemon peel into a small pot and bring to the boil.
- Add mint leaves, reduce the heat, and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and let it rest for about 1 hour or until cool.
- Strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove mint leaves, pour into a glass bottle and keep refrigerated.
Laura
Hi. I love the mint syrup idea…. But I don’t use sugar at all. Would agave, stevia or other sweetener work?
Katia
Hi Laura! I would love to help, but I’ve never tested this recipe with other sweeteners, I’m sorry. x
Jean
Thank You Very Much Katia!!! This Turned out amazing. Love all of your healthy recipes…. This is the perfect answer to what to do with extra mint I have.💕
Katia
What a lovely feedback, I’m so pleased to hear that, Jean!
And I’m glad you still enjoy fresh mint from the garden : ) Cheers x
Marta
I love this recipe, it’s really easy and the syrup turned out very nice… Thanks!
Katia
Thanks for sharing your lovely feedback, Marta! I’m so glad it turned out nice. Cheers x