Rose Simple Syrup Using Dried Rose Buds

If you love the flavor of rose petals, you’re going to love this syrup! It’s a great way to add that sweet flavor to any beverage or dessert.

Rose syrup is a rose petal-infused simple syrup. It’s sweet with a delicate rose flavor, and it’s perfect for adding a touch of flavor to your food.

Rose syrup is used in many cuisines, including Indian cuisine, Persian cuisine, French cuisine, Italian cuisine, and Thai cuisine. It is a prominent ingredient in Asian American boba culture!

This is a great recipe to learn at home if you’re interested in using rose petals in your cooking.

Our rose syrup recipe is simple and easy to make, and it takes just a few minutes to get started. It’s great for making ahead and storing in the fridge for later use.

Keep reading to learn more about our rose syrup recipe and how to make it yourself!

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Table of Contents

Why You Should Make Rose Syrup:

• It is versatile! Making your own rose syrup is a great way to customize the flavor of so many foods.
• A little goes a long way. Our rose syrup recipe is simple and easy to follow, and it yields a lot of servings. You can easily make enough syrup for a several cocktails or many servings of dessert.
• It is simple to make! There are only a few ingredients needed in this recipe.
• It is sweet and delicious! Our rose syrup has the distinct and lovely flavor of rose petals. It adds a touch of floral sweetness to your dish without being overpowering.

When to Use Rose Syrup:

Rose syrup has many uses in the kitchen, and it can be used in a variety of dishes. Some of the most popular uses for rose syrup include cocktails and dessert.

We love to make boba drinks at home, and adding a little rose syrup to our milk teas or lattes gives the drink that sweet and delicate rose flavor.

Here are just a few ideas for using rose syrup in your kitchen:

• Mix it into a boba drink like Rose Milk Tea
• Use as a soaking syrup for cakes
• Sweeten your cocktails with a little rose syrup
• Add it to soft tofu and sago pearls for a lovely cup of Taho
• Drizzle some on your pancakes and waffles
• Serve over ice cream and fresh fruit
• Make falooda/faloodeh – an Indian/Persian dessert drink made of rose syrup, ice cream, jellies, noodles, and pistachio nuts

As you can see, there are countless ways to use this versatile syrup!

What is your favorite way to use rose syrup? Please share it in the comments!

How to Store Rose Syrup:

Like most homemade simple syrups, rose syrup can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

You can tell when simple syrup has gone bad if it turns cloudy, forms mold, or smells foul. In this case, it is best to discard the syrup and start over. To maximize the shelf life, use a very clean glass jar and store it in the fridge.

How to Dye Rose Syrup:

If you would like your dish to have a pink color, we recommend dyeing the rose syrup.

With no additional ingredients, plain rose syrup is a light orange-pink color. This color quickly disappears when you add it to food or drink, which is why we recommend dyeing the syrup.

You can use hibiscus flowers for a natural pink color as a healthy alternative to red food dye.

When using hibiscus flowers to dye the syrup, steep them in the syrup for a few minutes and then remove them. If they are steeped for longer, the flowers will begin to impart their flavor into the syrup.

To dye the rose syrup with food coloring, add a few drops once the syrup is at room temperature.

Additionally, it may be helpful to steep with red rosebuds (instead of pink rosebuds.) We have read in other blogs that red roses will have a deeper red color. We haven’t tried this ourselves, so let us know if you do!

At the time when we shot this recipe, we used culinary grade pink rose buds and dyed the syrup naturally with hibiscus. If we were making this for ourselves we would stop here, but for the purpose of this photoshoot, we added 1-2 drops of red food dye to make the color pop.

Where to Find Ingredients for Rose Syrup:

You can find rose buds or rose petals in stores and online! They are quite easy to find especially if you live in the LA area.

If you’re shopping in person, we recommend checking out your local Indian or Persian markets, Whole Foods, or Walmart. And if you’re near an Eataly, they have dried rose petals and/or buds available.

The easiest place to find dried culinary flowers online is Amazon! We’ve linked some products below:

• Suncore Foods Dried Rose Buds
• Ole Rico Dried Hibiscus Flowers

Ingredients

• ½ cup dried culinary grade rose buds or petals
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white sugar
• ¼ cup hibiscus flowers optional
• red food dye optional

Recipe

1. Dissolve sugar in water. See Note 1.

Note 1. You can dissolve the sugar in hot water using either the stovetop or a hot water kettle. If using a hot water kettle, make sure to use a heat-proof vessel to add the hot water. 

2. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, turn off the heat. Add rose petals and (optional) hibiscus. See Note 2.

Note 2. We recommend keeping the flowers separate because they have different steep times and will be easier to remove. We used a tea strainer to do this. 

3. Steep the rose petals for 20 minutes. Remove the hibiscus flowers after 3-5 minutes.

3. Strain the syrup and let cool to room temp. Once cooled, you can mix in red food dye if desired.
4. Store in a clean glass jar and refrigerate until use.

Final Thoughts

This rose syrup is a delicious and simple way to add a touch of sweetness to your dishes. Add this to your mixed drinks, cocktails, and desserts!

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References & Further Reading

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-simple-syrup-for-cocktails

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-store-simple-syrup

https://www.saveur.com/how-to-use-dried-rose-petals-garnish/