No Heat, No Fuss Simple Syrup Recipe

Some recipes form the base ingredients required to make an endless number of concoctions. Simple syrup certainly fits the description: You can brush your cake with simple syrup, use it in frozen desserts or drinks, and more. The standard recipe entails dissolving sugar in water over heat, which means you need to use your stovetop and get a saucepan dirty. Tasting Table recipe developer Susan Olayinka from The Flexible Fridge is always on the lookout for efficient shortcuts to help home cooks. 

With that in mind, she created a no heat, no fuss simple syrup. Olayinka loves that no cooking is required for this recipe, which "makes it super easy and fast to make," she points out. You'll need to set the syrup aside for an hour before you can use it, but with such an easy technique you can whip this up as you go about your day. Keep it fresh in the fridge for an easy sweetener at any time.

It doesn't get simpler than this ingredient list. All you need for this simple syrup recipe are equal parts white sugar and water. Olayinka's recipe produces 1 cup of simple syrup, but feel free to alter the quantities accordingly if you want a smaller or larger volume. 

Set out a large measuring cup or jug and pour in 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. Using a spoon, give the ingredients a good stir to dissolve the sugar and prevent it from sedimenting at the bottom. Transfer the mixture into an airtight bottle sealed with a lid.

Give the bottle a vigorous shake for about 20 seconds. Olayinka explains, "Usually heat dissolves the sugar but since we are not using heat, the shaking helps to do that." Then, set a recurring 15-minute timer and shake the bottle for 20 seconds every time it rings for the next hour. At this point, the syrup is ready to use.

Olayinka warns, "You don't want to let the syrup sit for too long with no lid, or it will become too thick." It's a quick fix though; she suggests adding a splash of water to thin out the consistency. If you're not using it immediately, store the syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. "Just give it a good shake before using," Olayinka advises.

There are plenty of ways to use this simple syrup. Olayinka enjoys it in mocktails, iced tea, or coffee and notes, "It adds a nice sweetness without being too overbearing."