Sugar-Free Lemon Simple Syrup - Only 3 Ingredients

This Sugar-Free Lemon Simple Syrup is a keto-friendly lemon-infused cocktail syrup that adds a bright and delicious lemony flavour to anything it is stirred into, drizzled on or baked with. Only 3 ingredients, it is ridiculously easy to make and adds both sweetness and a lemony kick to any sugar-free cocktail and desserts.

Sugar-Free Lemon Simple Syrup

This sugar-free lemon simple syrup is made using just 3 ingredients and is a delicious addition to almost anything from cocktails, to cakes to ice cream!

With an abundance of lemons in Florida, I decided to take my plain Sugar-Free Simple Syrup and give it a lemon twist!

When stored in an airtight container in the fridge this keto simple syrup keeps almost indefinitely. Since it is mainly sweetener, there really isn't anything that could technically go "bad". However, I can not tell you exactly how long it lasts as we have always used it up in under 1 month (and sometimes in 1 week!)

This sugar-free lemon simple syrup can be used to make sugar-free cocktails such as lemon drop martinis or make your own summer keto cocktails.

Not looking to make sugar-free cocktails? No problem! You can use this sugar-free lemon simple syrup to make sugar-free lemonade or a homemade sugar-free Arnold Palmer (that's a combination of lemonade and ice tea for those of you that have never heard of it!).

Plus, since this keto simple syrup is a great way to use up any leftover lemons, you can also bottle it up and give it as a gift to friends, family and neighbours!

Perfect for any lemon-lover, you can also make this as tart or as sweet as you like by simply adding more or less water to the mix. You can even dilute it after you make it in case different family members have different taste preferences.

What is Sugar-Free Simple Syrup?

In general, simple syrup is a liquid that is usually made with equal parts water and sugar. The mixture is heated to help the sugar dissolve, which yields a sweet syrup that can be used to sweeten and flavour just about anything!

One ounce of regular simple syrup contains on average about 10 grams of sugar. This keto simple syrup, however, contains only 0.3 grams of sugar per ounce which means that you can easily create your favourite summer keto cocktails!

This recipe combines my Sugar-Free Simple syrup recipe and adds a ton of lemon juice to make this delicious and refreshing sugar-free lemon simple syrup. Bright, crisp and citrusy, this is the BEST refreshing summer recipe to add to any drink.

Sugar-Free Lemon Simple Syrup Ingredients

Like I mentioned above, this recipe is pretty straightforward since you only need 3 ingredients. However, there are some tricks and some substitutions that can be made if needed.

Lemon Juice – Fresh lemon zest and juice give this syrup all its flavour. I don’t recommend using bottled lemon juice. Also, if you can find Meyer lemons, they are my first choice when making this sugar-free simple syrup. Compared to regular lemons that are larger in size and brighter in colour, Meyer lemons have a deeper yellow skin and dark yellow pulp. When it comes to taste, Meyer lemons are less acidic and sweeter in taste. If you use regular lemons, you may need to add some additional sweetener to suit your tastes.

Lemon Zest - Lemon zest is the small shavings from the brightly coloured and intensely flavoured outer skin of lemons. Use a micro planer to zest your lemons and try not to get too much pith (the white part) as it is VERY bitter. Also, if you don't use organic lemons, the lemons you buy at a grocery store may be waxed. To remove wax, simply pour boiling water over the lemons and then scrub the wax off the lemons under running water. You can also place the lemons in the microwave for about 20 seconds to soften the wax. Then, place the lemon under running water and scrub to remove the wax.

Sweetener – This recipe calls for Allulose as it is a keto sweetener that will not crystallize as it cools. All erythritol-based sweeteners will become grainy when stored in the fridge so I do not advise using them. You can always use pure Monk Fruit or liquid Stevia sweetener instead. I have not tried using either one of these so I am unsure of how much to use so just keep tasting it as you go along. Also, if you use a liquid substitute, the amount of final sugar-free simple syrup will be less.

Making Sugar-free Lemon Simple Syrup?

This recipe is so great since it requires only 3 simple steps and about 20 minutes to make.

Step 1 - Add the sweetener and lemon juice to a small saucepan.

Step 2 - Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture just begins to boil. Depending on your beginning water temperature, this should take roughly 3 minutes to reach a boil.

Step 3 - Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the zest - allow the keto simple syrup to fully cool before sealing it and placing it in the fridge.

*You can always add more sweetener (either in powdered form or liquid) to suit your tastes. If you find this sugar-free simple syrup too sweet, simply add a little water to the mixture to dilute it*

Adding Fresh Herbs

I make this sugar-free simple syrup all the time and sometimes I like to add some fresh basil or mint.

To add fresh herbs, simply add them to the pot at the beginning and let them simmer along with the lemon juice for the full 20 minutes.

Once the simple syrup has thickened, pour the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the fresh herbs.

That's it! Now you have created either basil or mint lemon simple syrup! Easy, right?!!

How Can You Use this Keto Lemon Simple Syrup?

I’m sure it’s no surprise, but my favourite way to use lemon simple syrup is to brush it on cake layers!! It adds both moisture and flavour to all your gluten-free and keto cakes!

Make sure to level each cake layer before adding the syrup so that the syrup does not run off the domed cake as well is readily absorbed.

If you tend to freeze your cakes before decorating them, I recommend thawing the cake layers before adding the simple syrup.

I love using this on my Raspberry Coconut Cake to add a little lemony flair to the cake!

Here are some other uses for this lemon syrup

• Cakes and Muffins – drizzled over the top while they’re still hot so that they absorb all the liquid
• Make Skinny Cocktails and use it in place of a regular simple syrup
• Make Lemonade by adding it to sparkling water
• Use it like maple syrup and drizzle it on all your keto pancakes and waffles
• Add it to your water or iced tea to create a delicious lemon flavour with some added sweetness

How Do You Store Lemon Simple Syrup?

This recipe can be made in advance or leftovers can be stored in a sterilized airtight container in the fridge for at least 4 weeks.

I usually keep mine in a mason jar but any container with a good lid should work just fine.

Due to having such a high sugar content, it won’t freeze completely but storing it in the freezer will keep it good for much longer. Make sure not to overfill your jars though as liquid expands when freezing.

What to do with all that lemon peel?

I hate wasting anything, especially those beautiful lemon peels that are filled with lemony flavouring!

I like to place them in a sealed ziplock bag in the freezer. Then, if I am making any cocktails, like my Easy Watermelon Cranberry Freedom Cocktail or my Sugar-Free Grapefruit Paloma Cocktail, I will add some peel to the shaker for a little added lemon twist. I also have added to the peel when I am making my Instant Pot 5-Ingredient Lemon Chicken for an even deeper lemon flavour. Lastly, you can stuff inside the chicken before you make this Rotisserie Chicken in a Ninja Foodi Air Fryer or add some peels to this Almost Sugar-Free Kombucha recipe for a lemonade version.

If you use a Microplane to create very fine zest, you can use it in cakes and desserts to give them a lift.

More Sugar-Free and Keto Lemon Recipes

• How to Make Sugar-Free Lemonade Concentrate
• How to make Keto Lemon Pudding - Ultra-thick and Creamy!
• Keto Lemon Lime Bars with a Graham Cracker Crust
• 4-Minute Microwave Keto Lemon Curd Recipe
• Keto Blackberry Lemon Muffins

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