This intensely powerful, spicy jalapeño simple syrup is the best way to add spiciness to any cocktail or drink. Made with jalapeño peppers, sugar and water. It is easy to make in less than 20 minutes.

Glass jar of jalapeño simple syrup on a metal tin, garnished with a slice of jalapeño, yellow flowers in the background.

Ways to use:

Unlike some other fruit flavored simple syrups, such as this blueberry simple syrup or strawberry simple syrup, the uses of jalapeño syrup are slightly more limited to drinks. (Jalapeno syrup on your waffles or in your yogurt sounds kind of gross..). However, there are still a ton of different and creative drinks you can use this in to make a spicy cocktail.

Margaritas: This is probably the most popular type of spicy cocktail, and easiest one to find recipes for. Make a regular spicy classic margarita, or try a spicy fruit flavored variation, such as a spicy mango margarita or spicy strawberry margarita.
Spicy Mojito: Replace the sugar in a regular mojito cocktail with 1-2 tablespoons of this jalapeño simple syrup for a fiery, minty drink.
Spicy Moscow Mule: This is another classic cocktail that works great as a jalapeño version. Use the syrup in a regular moscow mule, or add in other flavors, such strawberry, peach or grapefruit as well for a spicy and fruity moscow mule.
Lemonade & Limeade: Jalapeño lemonade or jalapeño limeade are actually surprisingly tasty drinks. Add 1 tablespoon of syrup per glass to give it a slightly spicy kick.

Simple syrup in a glass jar on a tray, with a cocktail shaker and yellow flowers in the background, gold spoon in foreground.

Ingredients:

Jalapeño peppers: Don’t reduce the amount of jalapenos used in this recipe. It may seem like a lot proportional to the amount of sugar and water, but this is to make a concentrated, powerful jalapeño flavor. The syrup will become diluted when you add it to your drink, and you don’t want it to be too watered down.
Sugar: Only use granulated sugar for this recipe. Brown sugar won’t go as well and will alter the taste. In addition to adding spice to your cocktails, this syrup will also add a bit of sweetness.
Water: Water helps give the syrup the right consistency, and lets the jalapeno flavor fully infuse.

Overhead photo of a jar of syrup, surrounded by jalapeños, a gold spoon, a metal jigger and yellow flowers.

Expert Tips:

Let it simmer. When you are making plain simple syrup, it is ok to stop heating the syrup after the sugar has dissolved. However, it is important to let this one simmer for longer so the jalapeño flavor has time to fully infuse.
Don’t remove the seeds. Normally recipes call for removing seeds when cooking with jalapeños because they are too spicy. But for this recipe, we want as much spice as possible. So make the syrup with the seeds and separate them out at the end.
Use habaneros instead for even more spice. This jalapeno syrup is spicier than you think it will be, but if you are looking for an even more intense and powerful syrup, you can use habaneros instead. Use cautiously! Habaneros are much hotter than jalapeños.
Store the syrup in the fridge. Store the syrup in an airtight glass jar in the fridge to make sure it stays fresh. It can last for several weeks in the fridge before going bad.

Jalapeño syrup in a jar on a thin metal tray, surrounded by jalapeño peppers.

Other simple syrup recipes to try in your cocktails:

Jalapeño Simple Syrup

Author: Alejandra | The Littlest Crumb
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: ¼ cup syrup 1x
Diet: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

This intensely powerful, spicy jalapeño simple syrup is the best way to add spiciness to any cocktail or drink!

Ingredients

Scale

½ cup jalapeños, diced
2 tbsp granulated sugar
¼ cup water

Instructions

Heat the jalapeños, water and sugar on a saucepan over medium to high heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Maintain a gentle simmer for 10-15 minutes. At this point, the sugar should have completely dissolved.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the syrup cool for a few minutes. Pass the syrup through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds and jalapeño chunks. Let the syrup fully cool to room temperature before using in your drinks.

Notes

Let the syrup simmer. Simmer the syrup for the full 10-15 minutes. This ensures the jalapeño flavor fully infuses.
Don’t remove the jalapeño seeds. The seeds add even more spice and flavor when making the syrup. Only remove them at the end, when straining the syrup through the sieve.
Store the syrup in the fridge. This syrup can go bad at room temperature. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to several weeks.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Syrup
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 tbsp
Calories: 28
Sugar: 6.7g
Sodium: 3mg
Fat: 0g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 7g
Fiber: 0.3g
Protein: 0.1g
Cholesterol: 0mg

Keywords: jalapeño, syrup, simple syrup, spicy syrup, cocktail syrup