Osmanthus Syrup Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links.This homemade osmanthus syrup has the loveliest floral aroma and a beautiful golden color. It’s easy to make and perfect for adding a delicate osmanthus flavor to tea, drinks, desserts, and sweet treats.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
🏷️ Recipe Name: Osmanthus Syrup
⏱️ Ready In: ~ 20 minutes
🍽️ Serves: 200 ml
🔥 Calories: 10 kcal per 10 ml (estimate)
🧾 Main Ingredients: Osmanthus flowers, rock sugar, glucose, water.
🥗 Dietary Info: Gluten Free
🧠 Difficulty: Easy for beginner
Have a question? Ask AI!
If you love floral flavors, this homemade osmanthus syrup is such a nice little recipe to keep in the fridge. Dried osmanthus flowers give the syrup a delicate fruity-floral aroma without making it taste overly perfumed.
I especially like how the tiny flowers stay visible in the golden syrup, it makes even a simple drink look a little special. You can stir it into tea, drizzle it over desserts, or use it whenever you want a gentle osmanthus flavor. If you enjoy making fragrant Asian drinks and syrups at home, you might also like my butterfly pea tea, lemongrass pandan tea, and homemade golden syrup. You can also browse more ideas in my homemade sauces, jams, and spreads collection.
If you enjoy the delicate floral flavor of osmanthus, you might also like my osmanthus jelly, another refreshing Asian dessert made with dried osmanthus flowers.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Rock sugar – I prefer using rock sugar because it gives the syrup a gentler, cleaner sweetness than regular granulated sugar. It lets the delicate osmanthus aroma come through without making the syrup taste overly sweet.
Glucose syrup – This helps give the osmanthus syrup a slightly thicker, smoother consistency. If you don’t have glucose syrup, you can substitute it with honey, although the honey will add a little of its own flavor.
Dried osmanthus flowers – These tiny golden flowers are what give the syrup its distinctive fruity-floral aroma and beautiful color. Look for dried culinary-grade osmanthus flowers.
Water – Just enough to dissolve the sugar and create the syrup base.
How to Make Osmanthus Syrup
STEP 1. Place the dried osmanthus flowers in a saucepan and add the water (Image 1). Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a gentle simmer. Strain out the flowers and discard them (Images 2–3). Pour the infused liquid back into the saucepan and add the rock sugar (Image 4). Cook until the rock sugar has completely dissolved.
STEP 2. Add the glucose syrup or honey to the saucepan and stir well (Image 5). Strain the syrup into a sterilized jar for storage (Image 6). Sprinkle in a small amount of dried osmanthus flowers and stir gently (Image 7). Let the syrup cool completely before putting on the lid (Image 8). Store in the refrigerator.
Pro Tips
- Simmer gently, not aggressively. A gentle simmer is enough to draw out the fragrance from the dried osmanthus flowers without making the syrup taste harsh.
- Strain the first batch of flowers well. This gives you a cleaner syrup and removes the flowers that have already released most of their flavor.
- Make sure the rock sugar dissolves completely. Stir occasionally and continue cooking until there are no visible pieces left.
- Add the glucose syrup or honey after the rock sugar has dissolved. This helps give the syrup a smoother, slightly thicker consistency.
- Add a few fresh dried osmanthus flowers at the end for extra fragrance. This step is optional, but I like doing it because the flowers continue to perfume the syrup as it sits. They also make the syrup look beautiful in the jar.
Serving Suggestions
- Make a refreshing iced osmanthus drink. I usually add a spoonful of osmanthus syrup to a glass with ice cubes and cold water, then stir well. It’s especially refreshing on a hot day.
- Make osmanthus milk. Pour the syrup into cold milk and stir to taste. This would definitely be worth turning into its own recipe post later.
- Drizzle it over pancakes or cakes. I like it over dorayaki, where the floral sweetness pairs nicely with the soft pancake texture.
- Serve it with ice cream. Try drizzling it over mango ice cream or ube ice cream for a fruity-floral finish.
- Add it to Asian desserts. A little osmanthus syrup is lovely spooned over mango sago for extra fragrance and sweetness.
Osmanthus Syrup FAQs
Osmanthus syrup has a delicate floral aroma with light fruity notes. It is fragrant but not overpowering, especially when balanced with rock sugar.
You can stir it into cold water, tea, or milk, drizzle it over desserts, ice cream, pancakes, or use it as a topping for Asian desserts such as mango sago.
Dried culinary-grade osmanthus flowers are usually easier to find and give a more concentrated fragrance. If you use fresh flowers, make sure they are food-safe and pesticide-free.
Yes, but I prefer rock sugar because it gives the syrup a gentler sweetness that does not overpower the floral flavor.
Yes. Honey works well as a substitute, although it will add some of its own flavor to the syrup.
Yes, the syrup itself is caffeine-free. Just keep in mind that if you add it to tea, the final drink may contain caffeine depending on the type of tea used.
Storage
Store the osmanthus syrup in a clean, sterilized jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Always use a clean, dry spoon when serving to help keep the syrup fresh.
More Asian Drink Recipes
If you enjoy fragrant and refreshing Asian drinks, here are a few more recipes to try:
Osmanthus Syrup
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
Ingredients
- 10 gr osmanthus syrup
- 100 gr water
- 70 gr rock sugar
- 50 gr glucose or honey
Instructions
- Place the dried osmanthus flowers in a saucepan and add the water. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a gentle simmer. Strain out the flowers and discard them. Pour the infused liquid back into the saucepan and add the rock sugar. Cook until the rock sugar has completely dissolved.
- Add the glucose syrup or honey to the saucepan and stir well. Strain the syrup into a sterilized jar for storage. Sprinkle in a small amount of dried osmanthus flowers and stir gently. Let the syrup cool completely before putting on the lid. Store in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Simmer gently, not aggressively. A gentle simmer is enough to draw out the fragrance from the dried osmanthus flowers without making the syrup taste harsh.
- Strain the first batch of flowers well. This gives you a cleaner syrup and removes the flowers that have already released most of their flavor.
- Make sure the rock sugar dissolves completely. Stir occasionally and continue cooking until there are no visible pieces left.
- Add the glucose syrup or honey after the rock sugar has dissolved. This helps give the syrup a smoother, slightly thicker consistency.
- Add a few fresh dried osmanthus flowers at the end for extra fragrance. This step is optional, but I like doing it because the flowers continue to perfume the syrup as it sits. They also make the syrup look beautiful in the jar.
My husband and I love this fragrant syrup. It’s so refreshing mixed into cold drinks on a hot day, and it’s also lovely drizzled over our favorite desserts.