Lime simple syrup is a nice balance of sweet and tart. All you need are just 2 ingredients and you’ll have a delicious lime syrup to add to mocktails, cocktails, lattes, and more!

For more citrus syrups, try my 2 ingredient grapefruit simple syrup, orange simple syrup, or lemon ginger syrup (in my green apple mocktail).

Ingredient Notes

Limes – you’ll need both the zest and the fresh lime juice.
Organic cane sugar – my favorite type of sweetener to use. It isn’t as processed and dissolves well, but you could also use white granulated sugar.
Water – to dissolve the sugar.

How to Make Lime Syrup: Step By Step

Here are some quick visual instructions. The full instructions and ingredient list will be in the printable recipe card below!

Zest. Zest the limes into a small bowl using a microplane zester. Set aside.
Juice. Juice the limes once you’ve zested them.
Dissolve sugar. Combine water, freshly squeezed lime juice, and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves then add in the lime zest.
Simmer & strain. Cook the infused simple syrup over medium-low heat then pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the zest.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.

How can you make this lime syrup recipe using what you already have? Here are some ideas…

No organic cane sugar? – use white granulated sugar.
Make lime mint syrup – add fresh mint sprigs once the sugar dissolves and simmer over medium low for 5 minutes. Strain the syrup before storing it once cooled.
Make lemon lime syrup – do a mix of equal parts lemon and lime zest and equal parts lemon and lime juice.

Helpful Tips

Choose limes that easily give in when lightly pressed as they are typically the juiciest.
This syrup isn’t as sweet as simple syrups with a 1:1 sugar-to-water ratio, so you may need to use a bit more in drinks depending on personal preference.
Avoid cooking the syrup over high heat as it can make the lime juice taste bitter.
Using a dark sweetener such as maple syrup, brown sugar, or coconut sugar will alter the color of the syrup.
Let the syrup cool to room temperature before storing it. Otherwise, you risk the jar shattering in the fridge.

How to Use

There are many ways to use lime simple syrup. A few of my favorite ways to use it:

Cold drinks:
- Cocktails – such as margaritas, mojitos, moscow mules, or with tequila and soda water.
- Mocktails – added to a grapefruit paloma mocktail for extra lime flavor,
- Homemade soda – using a couple tablespoons of syrup with club soda or sparkling water over ice for a refreshing lime soda.
- Iced matcha lattes
- Homemade slushies
- Iced teas
- Limeade – to make, combine 4 parts water to 1 part syrup, adjusting the ratios as needed.
Dessert: drizzle over vanilla ice cream or use to sweeten the lime layer in rainbow sherbet ice cream, etc.
Salad dressings: use in place of honey or maple syrup in salad dressings like my lime tahini dressing, sesame lime dressing (in my bok choy salad), jalapeño lime vinaigrette, or the tangy citrus dressing in my tangy grape salad.

Storage

Store the lime syrup in an airtight container or tightly sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

More Homemade Syrups

Did you try this lime syrup? If so, please leave a comment & a star rating below. Thank you!