Peppermint season is here, and a bottle of homemade peppermint syrup is the easiest way to make peppermint mochas, lattes, hot chocolate and Christmas cocktails at home. It takes 10 minutes, costs a fraction of the coffee shop version and tastes like real peppermint, not candy.
Before The Boozy Mermaid, I owned a cocktail company, Southern Twist Craft Cocktail Infusions, and our syrups were made with erythritol. So I've made a lot of low-sugar syrup, and I can tell you real ingredients taste so much better than the store-bought bottles. Here's how I make peppermint syrup at home, both ways.
Classic Homemade Peppermint Syrup
This is the regular version: sugar, water and pure peppermint extract. Add fresh peppermint leaves if you have them for an even brighter, more natural flavor.
Peppermint Syrup Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract, plus more to taste
Optional: a handful of fresh peppermint leaves
How to Make It
Stir the water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
Optional: add the mint leaves, take the pan off the heat and steep for 15 minutes, then strain.
Let the syrup cool slightly, then stir in the peppermint extract. Taste and add a drop more if you like it stronger.
Pour into a clean bottle and refrigerate.
Makes about 1 1/4 cups. Keeps 3 weeks in the fridge. Use pure peppermint extract, not imitation mint, for the cleanest flavor.
Low-Sugar Peppermint Syrup (Erythritol)
Same bright peppermint flavor with a fraction of the sugar. This is the version I make most at home.
Low-Sugar Peppermint Syrup Ingredients
1 cup water
1 1/3 cups powdered erythritol (or 1 cup of a 1:1 erythritol blend like Swerve)
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional, for body)
1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract, plus more to taste
How to Make It
Warm the water in a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the erythritol until it's completely dissolved. No need to boil.
Take the pan off the heat and sprinkle in the xanthan gum while whisking so it doesn't clump.
Let cool slightly, then stir in the peppermint extract.
Pour into a clean bottle and refrigerate.
Makes about 1 1/4 cups. Keeps 2 weeks in the fridge.
Low-Sugar Sweetener Options
Erythritol is my favorite for syrups. It tastes clean and natural, it has no aftertaste for most people, and it lets the real flavors come through. Here's how the common options compare:
Erythritol (my pick): clean, natural flavor. It's about 70% as sweet as sugar, so use 1 1/3 cups per cup of sugar, or a 1:1 blend like Swerve cup for cup. Powdered dissolves best.
Allulose: the best texture of any sugar substitute and it never crystallizes. Use about 1 1/3 cups per cup of sugar.
Monk fruit blends: most are monk fruit plus erythritol, so they work exactly like erythritol. Check the label for a 1:1 ratio.
Liquid sucralose: works in a pinch, but it's very concentrated and adds no body, so the syrup will be thin. Sweeten to taste and use the xanthan gum.
Skip granulated Splenda here. It's great for baking but makes a watery syrup.
Why xanthan gum? Sugar is what makes regular syrup thick. A tiny pinch of xanthan gum gives low-sugar syrup that same silky body so it feels like the real thing in your coffee and cocktails. It's optional, and a little goes a long way.
How to Use Peppermint Syrup
In Coffee
Peppermint mocha: 1 tablespoon peppermint syrup and 1 tablespoon chocolate sauce in a latte or hot coffee, topped with whipped cream.
Peppermint latte or cold brew: 1 to 2 tablespoons per 12 oz drink.
Peppermint hot chocolate: stir 1 tablespoon into a mug of hot cocoa.
In Cocktails
Peppermint espresso martini: use 1/4 oz in place of, or alongside, the schnapps.
Spiked peppermint hot chocolate: add 1 oz vodka or peppermint schnapps to the hot chocolate above. More ideas in my boozy hot chocolate recipes.
Peppermint white Russian: 2 oz vodka, 1 oz coffee liqueur, 1/4 oz peppermint syrup and a splash of cream over ice.
How to Store Homemade Syrup
Store in a clean, airtight bottle or jar in the fridge.
Regular syrup keeps about 3 weeks; low-sugar syrup about 2 weeks. If it looks cloudy or smells off, toss it.
Erythritol can form crystals when it's cold. Warm the bottle in a bowl of hot water or microwave for a few seconds, shake, and it's good as new.
Label the bottle with the date so you know when you made it.
Peppermint Syrup FAQ
Can I use crushed candy canes? Yes. Dissolve about 1/2 cup crushed candy canes in 1 cup hot water. It's sweeter and turns pink, but it's a fun shortcut.
Is the low-sugar version sugar-free? Erythritol has essentially no sugar or calories, so the low-sugar version is effectively sugar-free.
Why is my low-sugar syrup crunchy? That's erythritol recrystallizing in the cold. Warm it gently and shake, or switch to allulose, which never crystallizes.
Shake It Up at Home
Making cocktails with your syrups? Our handcrafted cocktail shakers are made in Charleston, SC and designed by a professional bartender. They make a great gift with a bottle of homemade syrup, too.