I often keep fresh ginger on hand for when I get an upset stomach (it can be a lifesaver in early pregnancy!). Ginger root adds a delicious flavor to beverages, gingerbread, and even iced tea. Although it can be a bit spicy on its own, ginger syrup is a flavorful way to add a little sweetness to drinks and dishes.
This warming herb has numerous health benefits and improves blood circulation and immunity. It’s perfect for cool weather (and delicious!).
Ginger Simple Syrup
Traditional recipes for ginger syrup use fresh ginger root and a sweetener such as brown sugar or organic cane sugar. Similar to elderberry syrup, spicy ginger is boiled in liquid, then strained and bottled. But you can get the ginger taste without the highly refined sugar.
This version of ginger syrup is made by boiling ginger in water and then mixing the strained juice with raw honey. Not only do you get the health benefits of ginger, but raw honey also provides antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Benefits of Ginger
If you don’t have fresh ginger in your fridge, you can probably find dried ginger in your pantry! I found it really helped with first trimester nausea and the kids love it for their upset stomachs. Health benefits of ginger include:
- It helps relieve muscle aches and pains, including menstrual cramps. Rub oil containing ginger on sore muscles or add dried or fresh oil to a hot bath.
- Reduces nausea, indigestion, and vomiting. Drink it as a tea or try a ginger tincture.
- It soothes coughs and helps with sore throats.
- Stimulates circulation. It speeds recovery from colds and flu, soothes muscle pain, and helps keep you warm on cold days.
- It is an antioxidant that helps fight cancer causing free radicals.
- some research It suggests that ginger may help maintain healthy blood sugar balance.
- A 2019 meta-analysis found that ginger significantly reduces body weight, improves fasting blood sugar and insulin resistance, and improves cholesterol balance.
A cup of ginger tea is a great way to end the evening, but ginger syrup is even more versatile!
How to Use Ginger Syrup
Ginger simple syrup is most often used in cocktail recipes like the old-fashioned Moscow Mule or the newer Penicillin. It’s a must-have for bartenders, but it also makes a lot of healthy mocktails.
I use ginger bugs to make homemade ginger ale (also known as ginger beer). The process is very simple, but requires a bit of hands-on time and time to ferment. You can make your own ginger ale variation even faster by simply pouring homemade ginger syrup into sparkling water or club soda. Here are some ways to use ginger syrup:
- Pour a little into hot tea and squeeze a fresh lemon to soothe a sore throat.
- Take a small spoonful as needed for nausea, muscle pain, etc.
- Add a little to your homemade cranberry sauce.
- Enjoy a healthy latte by adding it to your coffee with fresh cream or coconut milk.
- Mix lime juice and carbonated water to make healthy carbonated water.
- Use it to make sweet smoothies, like this creamy pumpkin smoothie.
- Make a salad vinaigrette with ginger syrup and apple cider vinegar.
Fragrant Ginger Simple Syrup
My cough syrup is made by mixing ginger and other herbs with lemon juice and honey. This recipe is similar but omits the other herbs. There are many ways to create different flavors and customize them to your liking.
To make a ginger vanilla syrup that goes well with ice cream, add a little vanilla. Or try boiling lemon and lime zest with ginger for a citrusy flavor. You can also add other warming spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, and clove to increase the anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. Rosemary, orange peel, and lemongrass are also good options for a ginger syrup recipe.
How to Make Ginger Syrup
If you can make tea, you can make ginger syrup. Start by roughly chopping the organic ginger root. If the pieces are too large they will not be injected, but if they are small they are more difficult to filter out. Once the ginger has soaked into the water, strain out the solids and stir in the raw honey. Now your syrup is ready to use!
Ginger Syrup Recipe
This convenient, simple syrup goes well in mixed drinks or mixed into tea. Enjoy all the health benefits of ginger in this easy-to-use syrup!
- ⅓ cup fresh ginger root (roughly chopped)
- 4 cup water
- 1 cup raw honey
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Bring ginger and water to a boil in a small saucepan.
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Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. To reduce the liquid to 1 cup, partially cover the pot to allow some of the steam to escape.
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Strain out the ginger pieces and pour the ginger juice into a heat-safe glass jar. Mason jars are perfect for this. If it is more than 1 cup, boil it a little more. If it is less than 1 cup, add more water to make 1 cup.
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Stir in the raw honey.
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Store the ginger syrup in the refrigerator. This will last about two weeks and can be frozen for longer storage.
Nutrition Facts
Ginger Syrup Recipe
Per serving (1 tablespoon)
calorie 33
% Daily Value*
province 0.01g0%
Saturated fat 0.002g0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.002g
Monounsaturated fat 0.002g
sodium 1mg0%
potassium 10mg0%
carbohydrate 9g3%
0.04 g fiber0%
9g sugar10%
protein 0.1g0%
Vitamin C 0.1 mg0%
calcium 1mg0%
steel 0.1mg1%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This syrup is very thin. If you want a thicker syrup, you can boil the honey and ginger together, but that way it won’t taste as raw.
How to Store Ginger Syrup
This will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks. Honey has a long shelf life (even found in Egyptian tombs!), but herbal teas do not. If you want to save it for later use, you can freeze it in an ice cube tray and use it whenever you need it.
Have you ever made simple syrup before? How would you use ginger syrup? Let us know by leaving a comment!
