Basil Simple Syrup (honey sweetened, or Keto version, refined-sugar-free)

Basil Simple Syrup (honey sweetened, or Keto version, refined-sugar-free)

Basil Simple Syrup is lovely for making homemade drinks and desserts. Use fresh from your garden basil, or store bought. Sweeten with honey, maple syrup or for Keto, your favorite low carb liquid sweetener. So much fun each summer, or year round. You'll love the flavor of Basil Simple Syrup, made without sugar!

Course Dessert, Drinks, topping

Cuisine American, British, French

Keyword aip, basil, herbal, honey syrup, keto, paleo, refined sugar-free, simple syrup, syrup

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 1kcal

Author Megan

Cost $4

Equipment

saucepan

Ingredients

1 cup basil leaves packed, about 1.5 ounces
1/2 cup filtered water
1/2 cup honey , maple syrup, agave nectar, or Keto low carb liquid sweetener, such as allulose

Instructions

Heat the honey (or preferred sweetener) and water in a small saucepan, over medium-low heat, stirring until honey is fully dissolved and syrup is steaming hot, but not yet simmering.
Plunge basil into hot syrup, stirring briefly and pressing down to make it go under the liquid (at first it will seem like there is too much basil and not enough syrup, but the basil will wilt). Allow basil to steep while syrup cools, about 30 to 45 minutes.
After steeping for 30 minutes, the basil wilts and loses its bright green hue. The syrup now rises up over the leaves. The syrup is ready to strain.
Pour syrup through a mesh colander into a bowl, and apply some pressure to basil with a wooden spoon to extract most of the last liquid. Compost the basil. Store your Basil Syrup in the refrigerator, in a sealed jar, until you're ready to use it.
Enjoy refined sugar-free Basil Simple Syrup stirred into strawberries (and served with cake or another dessert), poured over ice cream, to sweeten or flavor homemade lemonade or Limeade, in a layer cake; drizzle on watermelon and ricotta, or liven up a humble fruit salad. Also see Notes below for a special easy dessert with strawberries and crème fraiche.

Notes

Basil Simple Syrup with Fresh Strawberries and Cultured Cream/Sour Cream (Primal, Keto)

This recipe shares how to macerate fresh strawberries in Basil Simple Syrup, then pour the summer flavor explosion over the most decadent food in the world, creme fraiche, also known as cultured cream, or real sour cream. Hand spoons out to your guests, and savor this incredible summer treat.

serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup Basil Simple Syrup
3 cups natural probiotic sour cream or other well-sourced cultured cream or crème fraiche

Instructions

1) Stir together the strawberries and simple syrup and allow the strawberries to macerate, or release their excess water, for 20 minutes. Stir the mixture again.

2) Portion out 3/4 cup cultured cream into each of the 4 dessert bowls.

3) Top the cream with equal amounts of berries and syrup in each bowl.

4) Garnish with a sprig of fresh basil and serve.

basil syrup poured over cream and macerated strawberries

The following nutritional data is for the Keto version of the recipe.

Nutrition