Homemade Wild Violet Syrup Recipe

Celebrate Spring with this easy-to-make, delicate, floral wild violet syrup recipe made with just 3 simple ingredients! Turn purple violets into a gorgeous syrup that naturally changes color to make fun color-changing violet lemonade and violet cocktails.

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Violets are one of the first wildflowers to bloom in the spring season and you can often find them popping up in your front yard alongside dandelions. Considered by many to be a nuisance weed (!!!), violets are actually a type of edible flower that can be used in a variety of ways like my Wild Violet Sugar Recipe and Violet Jelly Recipe. I’ve been obsessed with them since I was a child, picking tiny violet bouquets for my mom from my back yard every April. She taught me how to make sugared violets and we’d decorate my birthday cake with them ever year.

What is Violet Syrup?

Violet syrup is a delicately flavored, sweet elixir made from wild violet flowers that has been historically used in a variety of preparations for its medicinal and culinary properties. Violets were grown for medicinal purposes in ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt and used to treat coughs, colds, and sore throats.

The syrup became especially popular in Europe during the Victorian era, when it was commonly used add flavoring and a stunning purple color to beverages, cakes, ice creams, and jellies.

It became a popular ingredient in classic cocktails, such as the Aviation, which was created in the early 1900’s. Made with a mix of gin, lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, and violet syrup, which gives it a purple hue, the Aviation cocktail’s namesake comes from the color of the sky it resembles.

Today, violet syrup is still enjoyed for is delicate flavor and beautiful color, and is a fun and easy recipe to make each spring when violets are in bloom.

Why do Violets Change Color?

Because the purple flowers of violets are natural ph indicators you can create color-changing beverages when mixing violet syrup with an acidic ingredient like lemon juice. Making my color-changing violet lemonade in the recipe card below is a fun science activity to do with kids as they watch their drink change color from from blue/purple to pink when the lemon juice is added.

Tips for Foraging Wild Violets

• There are many varieties of wild violets all in the Viola genus with Viola sororia (common blue violet) being the most common variety found here in New England in the United States. Viola odorata or sweet violets, which are common in Europe, are the only variety to have a sweet floral scent and were traditionally used in edible preparations throughout history.
• Wild native violets are easily identifiable by their 5 flower petals and dark green heart-shaped leaves. They are low-growing plants that prefer fertile soil and are commonly found in meadows, pastures, lawns, and at the edges of wooded areas.
• Always use caution when foraging for wild edible plants. Make sure to identify the plant correctly by referencing guidebooks and asking an experienced forager to confirm a plant’s identity.
• Avoid foraging for violets alongside roads where there is a danger of wild edibles absorbing road runoff water that may be laden with chemicals.

Ingredients

Violets – There are many varieties and colors of violets, but not all wild violets are suitable for making violet syrup. The best violets to use are purple or blue violet varieties, which will give the best violet color to the syrup. Violet species such as Viola sororia or common blue violets and Viola odorata or sweet violets are both great to use in this recipe. Sweet violets will also give a sweet aroma to the syrup, because they are the only violet variety to have sweet scent. Yellow or white violets won’t produce a purple colored syrup and are not recommended. Use only the flowers heads or petals of the violets and discard the stems and mature violet leaves as they can change the color of the syrup and leave a bitter taste.

White Sugar – White granulated sugar or caster sugar will not affect the color of the syrup and are the best to use in this recipe. Darker sugars or unrefined sugars will give the syrup a muddy brown color. Honey can be used but can also add a brown tint to the finished syrup in varying degrees depending on the color of the honey used.

Water – Water is needed to extract the color of the violet petals. As the violet petals steep in hot water the blue color leaches out to make a violet tea. I use tap water from our well, but filtered water, spring water or distilled water are all fine to use. You know your water best.

Lemon Juice – Lemon juice is acidic and with each drop that is added to the violet syrup the color of the syrup changes from blue to purple, eventually turning a vibrant pink color. Wait to add the lemon juice directly to drinks or cocktails to watch the color change in the glass.

See the full ingredient list and amounts in the recipe card below.

How to Make the Best Wild Violet Syrup

Step 1: Make violet-infused water

First, remove the any green parts from the violet flowers like their stems and calyxes. Gently rinse the fresh violets in a bowl of water then place them on a towel to drain.

Cover the violet flowers with boiling water in a heat-proof bowl or glass jar and let the the violet tea or violet infusion steep for at least 1 hour or overnight to extract the most color from the petals.

Step 2: Make sweet violet syrup

The next day, strain the violet water infusion through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium saucepan, pressing the flowers with the back of spoon to extract all of the liquid.

Add the sugar and gently heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring until all of the sugar dissolves. Remove the saucepan from the heat once the sugar is dissolved.

Step 3: Optionally adjust the color at this stage

Optionally add drops of lemon juice one drop at time to change to change the color of the syrup from cool blue to purple.

Stir the lemon juice into the syrup after each drop until your desired color is reached. Or keep the blue color as is and don’t add any lemon juice at this point if you’d like to create the color change later on when making lemonade or other drinks.

Step 5: Bottle the homemade violet syrup

Pour the violet syrup into a sterilized or clean glass bottle or mason jar. Let it cool to room temperature then store it in the refrigerator.

Storage

Store violet syrup in a clean bottle or jar in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

How to Make Color-Changing Violet Lemonade

Step 1: Mix the violet lemonade base

Add 2 tablespoons of violet syrup per 1 cup of water.

Step 2: Add lemon juice to change the color

Stir in 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice per cup of water and watch the color change from blue to pink before your eye.

Step 3: Add garnishes

Add violet ice cubes to glasses and garnish each glass with lemon slices, mint sprig and fresh violet flowers as desired.

How to Make Violet Ice Cubes

Making violet flower ice cubes is very simple and straightforward. Simply add clean violet flowers to an ice cube tray and fill it with cold water. Freeze the tray until the ice cubes are solid. Pop the flower ice cubes out of the tray and store them in a freezer safe bag in the freezer until you are ready to use them. Add violet ice cubes to drinks and cocktails.

How to Use Violet Syrup

Besides making violet lemonade, you can use violet syrup in a variety of ways to add color and flavor to other beverages and desserts. Here are some suggested uses for violet syrup.

Violet Icing – Add violet syrup and lemon juice to powdered sugar to make a purple violet icing to drizzle over sugar cookies, shortbread, scones, or loaf cakes.

Violet Frosting – Mix violet syrup to buttercream frosting to add a hint of violet color to the frosting for decorating cakes and cookies.

Violet Soda – Add violet syrup to club soda or seltzer and serve over ice to make a refreshing homemade soda.

Violet Iced Tea – Sweeten violet tea with violet syrup and serve it over ice.

Violet Latte – Add violet syrup to frothed milk of your choice to create a purple latte.

Violet Jello – Make homemade violet jello with violet syrup, water and gelatin. Mix half of the water with the violet syrup and bloom the gelatin over it. Heat the rest of the water then whisk it into the gelatin mixture. Add drops of fresh lemon juice to adjust the color. Chill until the violet jello is set.

Violet Meringue – Use violet syrup to replace a portion of sugar in your favorite meringue recipe.

Homemade Violet Ice Cream – Use violet syrup to sweeten, flavor and color a vanilla ice cream base.

Violet Cocktails To Try

Aviation Cocktail – 2 oz gin, 3/4 oz lemon juice, 1/2 oz maraschino liqueur, 1/4 oz violet syrup, 1 whole maraschino cherry – Fill a shaker with ice cubes. Add all ingredients. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Violet Cosmopolitan – 1-1/2 oz vodka, 3/4 oz white cranberry juice, 3/4 oz violet syrup, 1/2 oz fresh lime juice – Fill a shaker with ice cubes. Add all ingredients. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

Violet Mojito Cocktail – 3 mint leaves, 1/2 oz violet syrup, 2 oz white rum, 3/4 oz fresh lime juice, Club soda to top – Muddle mint with violet syrup in a shaker. Add rum, lime juice and ice. Shake and strain into a highball glass over violet ice cubes. Top with club soda. Garnish with a mint sprig, violet flower and lime wheel.

Violet Margaritas – 2 oz blanco tequila, 1 oz violet syrup, 1 oz fresh lime juice -all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel and kosher salt rim (optional).

Violette 75 Cocktail – 1 oz gin, 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice, 1/2 oz violet syrup, 3 oz Champagne (or other sparkling wine) Garnish: lemon twist – Add gin, lemon juice and violet syrup to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a Champagne flute. Top with the Champagne. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Final Say Cocktail – 3/4 oz gin, 3/4 oz violet syrup, 3/4 oz maraschino liqueur, 3/4 oz fresh lime juice, 1 whole maraschino cherry (optional) – Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Violet Martini – 2 oz gin, 1 oz violet syrup, ice cubes – Fill a mixing glass with ice cubes. Add all ingredients. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a violet flower.

Violet Orchid Cocktail – 2 oz gin, 1 oz violet syrup, 1 whole egg white, ice cubes – Fill a shaker with ice cubes. Add all ingredients. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a violet flower.

Health Benefits of Violets and Violet Syrup

• Violets are rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin C.
• Violets have anti-inflammatory properties and can be used.
• Violet syrup can be used to sooth coughs and sore throats. 
• Violets contain salicylic acid, a precursor to the pain-relieving compound in aspirin, and have been used to ease headaches and to support sleep.
• Violets aid in digestion by soothing the digestion tract.

Frequently Asked Questions:

For more delicious ways to use edible flowers check out these recipes:

• Wild Violet Sugar
• Candied Violets
• Violet Jelly Recipe
• Violet Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
• Lilac Syrup
• Elderflower Cordial
• Rose Simple Syrup
• Wild Elderflower Honey Lemon Drizzle Cake
• Vegan Squash Blossom Tacos

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