This Earl Grey syrup is a real treat for tea fans. This delicious and versatile tea syrup can be made in advance and lasts well, making it a perfect and convenient way for adding hints of black tea to your favorite drinks and desserts.
This silky syrup is made using a simple syrup base of one part water and one part sugar, infused with the distinct bergamot flavors of Earl Grey tea.
Whether you're using it to sweeten your morning latte like this Earl Grey milk tea or drizzling it over a slice of cake like this Earl Grey loaf cake, this sugar syrup is sure to add a unique and delightful touch to your culinary creations.
For more unique flavored syrup recipes, check out my ube syrup, butterfly pea syrup, pandan syrup, gula melaka syrup and lychee syrup recipes.
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❤️Why you will love this recipe
- You only need 3 simple ingredients to make it (i.e. water, sugar and Earl Grey tea leaves).
- It takes only 25 minutes to make a batch of the Earl Grey syrup, and you can store it in the fridge for quick use later.
- It tastes as great as the Earl Grey tea itself, and the next time you feel like having a glass of iced Earl Grey tea drink, you can simply add a spoon or two of the syrup into a tall glass, fill it with ice cubes and water and enjoy iced Earl Grey tea in under 5 minutes!
📋Ingredients
- Earl Grey tea bags - tea bags are the easiest as you will not have to strain the tea after making the syrup. But loose tea leaves will be fine too.
- Granulated sugar - granulated sugar is preferred over coarse sugar as it will dissolve quicker. That will help ensure that you need not cook the syrup for long, which in turn can alter the water and sugar ratio in the syrup.
- Water - use plain drinking water or filtered water.
*Refer to the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and exact quantities. For best results, use a digital kitchen scale where applicable*
🧾Substitution and Variations
- White sugar can be substituted with brown sugar. You can also use organic cane sugar. Replace it in the exact same quantity as provided in the recipe card.
- Instead of using tea bags, you can also use loose Earl Grey tea leaves. For each tea bag, use one and half teaspoons of loose tea leaves.
- This Earl Grey syrup can be varied as follows:
- Earl Grey honey syrup - to make a honey syrup, replace the sugar with equal amount of honey. To preserve the qualities of the honey, start by brewing the tea and let it cool down to a warm temperature before adding the honey. Stir well to mix and pour into a bottle to store.
- Earl Grey vanilla syrup - to make vanilla syrup, follow the same steps as indicated in the recipe on this page, but add one teaspoon of vanilla extract to the syrup after adding the sugar.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you do try, please let me know in the comments section below!
👩🍳How to Make
- Start by measuring 1 cup water into a small saucepan.
- Turn on the heat to medium high and bring the water to a boil.
- Pour into a measuring jug until it reaches 100ml measurement. Discard the rest.
- Pour the measured water back into the saucepan.
- Add the sugar.
- Add the Earl Grey tea bags to it.
- Turn on the heat to a low flame and stir to dissolve the sugar. The tea will begin to seep at this stage.
- Continue stirring until the sugar is all dissolved. Given that the water is hot, this should be quite fast.
- Let the syrup remain on heat until it starts bubbling on the sides.
- Turn off the heat and cover the saucepan. Let the Earl Grey tea continue to steep in the hot water for at least 15 minutes. You can leave it longer if you wish.
- Strain the syrup with a sieve.
- Squeeze the tea bags to remove as much flavoring as possible. Discard the bags. Let the syrup cool down to room temperature before pouring it into a clean and dry jar or glass bottle. Store in the refrigerator is not using immediately.
🍽️Serving & storage
- You can use this Earl Grey syrup immediately after making. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for a up to one month.
💡Expert Tips
- For tea to steep effectively, the water must be hot. For this syrup, if you are making in small quantities, the process of boiling water will cause some water to evaporate and that will alter the 1:1 ratio of water and sugar in the recipe. To avoid this, it is advisable to boil the water separately before measuring the required amount to make the syrup.
- Do not let the syrup boil after the sugar is melted as this can cause the syrup to thicken too much.
- You can let the tea bags steep in the syrup for more than 15 minutes. It will actually help to extract more flavor into the syrup.
⭐ What can you use the syrup for?
- You can use this Earl Grey simple syrup in a variety of ways, in both desserts, beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks) and savory dishes.
- Add a splash of this Earl Grey cocktail syrup to your cocktails for a touch of sweetness and unique Earl Grey flavor.
- Add the Earl Grey syrup to iced tea to sweeten it and enhance its flavor. You can also use it as a base for making iced tea cocktails.
- Use as a sweetener in desserts, such as cakes, cupcakes, and cookies in place of simple syrup. It can also be drizzled over homemade churned ice cream or used to make a fruit salad.
- Add the syrup to coffee to sweeten it and for a subtle tea flavor.
- Add to glass of soda water mixed with fresh lemon juice for a refreshing non alcoholic tea spritz.
- Use as a base for marinades for chicken or pork. The syrup adds a sweet and tangy flavor to the meat.
- Add as a sweetener in salad dressings, such as a vinaigrette made with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
💭FAQs
Earl Grey tea is a classic black tea blend that has been enjoyed for centuries by tea lovers around the world. It is known for its distinct and refreshing taste, which comes from the unique combination of black tea leaves and the oil of bergamot oranges.
Earl Grey tea is typically consumed as a hot beverage, often served in a teapot or a teacup. You can enjoy it plain or as Earl Grey milk tea with a splash of milk and a sprinkle of sugar to enhance its flavor. Some people also like to add a slice of lemon to their Earl Grey tea, which can give it a slightly tangy taste.
Earl Grey tea is also a popular ingredient in desserts and baked goods. The tea's unique flavor can be infused into cakes (like this Earl Grey Pound Cake and Lavender Earl Grey Cake), cookies, and other sweet treats to add a delicious and aromatic twist. You can also use it to make a variety of cocktails, and is perfect for those who want to add a touch of sophistication to their happy hour.
Simple syrup is a sweet syrup made by dissolving granulated sugar in an equal amount of water. The mixture is heated over low to medium heat until the sugar fully dissolves, creating a clear liquid. We call it a simple syrup because it only requires two ingredients, sugar and water, and is very easy to make.
Simple syrup is often used as a sweetener in cocktails, coffee, tea, and other beverages, as it blends more easily than granulated sugar.
You can also use it to sweeten baked goods, such as cakes and cookies, and to enhance the flavor of fruits and berries. It can also be flavored with herbs, spices, fruits, or other ingredients to add a unique taste to the syrup.
Yes, you can. If you use more, the syrup will have a much darker color and a stronger tea taste. And if you reduce it, it will be paler and of lesser Earl Grey flavor.
Adjusting the sugar or water in the recipe will impact the consistency of the syrup. Lesser sugar will result in a thinner, more diluted syrup, and adding more will result in a thicker syrup.
Depending on what you intend to use it for, it is best that you do not reduce the amount of sugar, even though you may increase it. For example, when making brown sugar syrup for bubble tea, it is best that the syrup be of a thicker consistency, and therefore, I have used a 2:1 ratio of sugar and water.
Yes, it does just like any other tea.
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📖Recipe
Earl Grey Syrup
For best results, use the metrics measurements. US customary measurements have not been tested and are only meant for guide.
Ingredients
- 100 ml water
- 100 g white sugar
- 2 Earl Grey tea bags
Instructions
- Measure one cup of water into a small pot.
- Turn on the heat to medium high and bring the water to a boil.
- Pour the hot water into a measuring jug until it reaches 100ml measurement. Discard the rest.
- Pour the measured 100ml water back into the pot.
- Add the Earl Grey tea bags to it.
- Next, add the sugar.
- Turn on the heat to a low flame and stir to dissolve the sugar. The tea will begin to seep at this stage.
- Continue stirring until the sugar is all dissolved.
- Let the syrup remain on heat until it starts bubbling on the sides.
- As soon as the bubbling start, turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let the Earl Grey tea continue to steep in the hot water for at least 15 minutes. You can leave it longer if you wish.
- Strain the syrup with a sieve. Squeeze the tea bags to remove as much flavoring as possible. Discard the bags.
- Let the syrup cool down to room temperature before pouring it into a clean and dry jar or glass bottle. Store in the refrigerator is not using immediately.
Notes
- White sugar can be substituted with brown sugar. Use exact same quantity.
- Instead of using tea bags, you can also use loose Earl Grey tea leaves. For each tea bag, use one and half teaspoons of loose tea leaves.
- For tea to steep effectively, the water must be hot. For this syrup, if you are making in small quantities, the process of boiling water will cause some water to evaporate and that will alter the 1:1 ratio of water and sugar in the recipe. To avoid this, it is advisable to boil the water separately before measuring the required amount to make the syrup.
- Do not let the syrup boil after the sugar is melted as this can cause the syrup to thicken too much.
- You can let the tea bags steep in the syrup for more than 15 minutes. It will actually help to extract more flavor into the syrup.
- This Earl Grey syrup can be varied as follows:
- Earl Grey honey syrup - to make a honey syrup, replace the sugar with equal amount of honey. To preserve the qualities of the honey, start by brewing the tea and let it cool down to a warm temperature before adding the honey. Stir well to mix and pour into a bottle to store.
- Earl Grey vanilla syrup - to make vanilla syrup, follow the same steps as indicated in the recipe on this page, but add one teaspoon of vanilla extract to the syrup after adding the sugar.
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