The Sweetener You Should Never Buy At The Grocery Store

When browsing the baking aisle in search of sweeteners, you'll find there are so many formats in which to bring sugar home. Whether granulated white or classic brown, rich turbinado or demerara, coconut- or beet-based options, or liquids like honey, agave, and maple syrup, there's no shortage of ways to satisfy a sweet tooth.

There is one, however, that you would do better to leave on the grocery store shelf — and that's simple syrup. This stuff is super versatile and can be used for so many applications, but while you can find commercially made brand-name versions out there, the reality is that you can easily whip up your own right at home for a fraction of the price.

If you're not familiar with how to make simple syrup for cocktails, it comes down to a combination of solely sugar and water — not exactly expensive ingredients, given what you'll pay in-store. A commercial version is typically the same composition (except that it might also contain citric acid and a preservative like sodium benzoate), and since the entire process essentially comes down to boiling these two elements together and then letting them cool, it's not as if you're sparing yourself a lot of heavy lifting or time either. Plus, not only does homemade simple syrup make good financial sense, it allows you to get creative, too.

When putting together your homemade simple syrup, it's a snap to infuse this solution with a few drops of extract (like vanilla, almond, orange, or a combination), herbs like basil, or spices like ginger. You can even use fruit juice in place of some or all of your water, to create a simple syrup that's packed with natural flavors. You can personalize your sugar selection, too, trying out brown sugar or honey in place of the white granulated kind to add depth and character to your liquid.

Once you have this sweet concoction, there are some applications that make a daily go-to ingredient. It's excellent in your coffee or tea — particularly when iced, as you won't have to worry that about finding a pile of undissolved and gritty granules at the bottom of your cup. You can also utilize it in baking to add flavorful moisture — for example, using simple syrup to prevent dry muffins, or to drizzle over a poke cake.

In cocktails, simple syrup adds body and helps balance more bitter or potently alcoholic drinks, from the Paloma to a margarita. A sweet lavender old fashioned takes the idea and layers in a pleasant floral note to the classic whiskey drink. And while this versatile sugar-based syrup has almost unlimited utility in your creations, it's extra sweet when a super easy DIY project can preserve a little cash, too.