Colorful Purple-Blue Pansy Syrup Recipe for Cocktails & Mocktails

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This floral pansy syrup recipe is a beautiful way to use your garden’s deep purple, blue, burgundy, or black pansies. It's the perfect addition to springtime cocktails and mocktails!

a flip top jar of dark purple syrup with dark pansy flowers on a wooden board.

Pansies are a staple in my garden. Since they thrive in cool weather, they bring a little excitement and pop of color in early spring, when we’re more than ready to see our gardens burst back to life.

In the kitchen, pansies are more than ornamental - they are edible and versatile! Alongside other springtime classics like lilac sugar, dandelion jelly, and pansy shortbread cookies, a floral syrup is another way to bring flowers into your kitchen.

A close up of a purple pansy on top of a pile of dark pansies.

This syrup adds a lovely wash of color to drinks. Sometimes blue, other times lavender or periwinkle - all depending on your pansies and the acidity of what you are mixing it with.

Two drinks, a lemonade and a cocktail with pansy syrup and flowers. — A syrup layered lemonade and a vodka cocktail

Ingredients for Pansy Syrup Recipe

Other than the pansies, this recipe requires simple ingredients to make a simple syrup.

A pile of dark pansies in front of a glass of water and sugar on a basket.

Dark Pansies - Use the darkest pansies you have growing in your garden. If you have black, that will give the deepest hue. I had a combination of purple, blue, and burgundy.
Granulated Sugar - White sugar dissolves easily and lets the colors of the petals shine through.
Water - Preferably filtered.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Harvest and Prepare Pansy Blossoms

You only want the petals for this recipe. When you're ready to make the syrup, simply pull the petals away from the stem and sepals (the green parts) and place them into a bowl.

If you do not have enough blossoms to harvest at one time, you can harvest whole flowers as they open and save in a container in the refrigerator until you have enough to make a batch of syrup.

A purple pansy in front of green leaves in its pot.

Fingers pinching the petals from it's green parts.

Pull petals away from green parts.

A glass container holding dark petals next to a pile of its green parts.

reserve petals for syrup.

Purple Pansy Syrup Recipe Instructions

After you have prepared the blossoms, you are ready to make the syrup!

A silver pot and wooden spoon stirring the contents.

Step 1: Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and turn the heat to medium.

A silver pot on stove top with boiling simple syrup.

Step 2: Let the mixture come to a boil for a minute or so, then turn off the heat.

A silver pot pouring syrup over petals in glass container.

Step 3: Pour the hot mixture over the prepared petals, using a utensil to press the flowers under the syrup.

A beige plate on top of a glass container with petals steeping.

Step 4: Cover with a plate and let steep for 4 hours or overnight.

pouring pansy syrup in a swing top bottle through a funnel on white table.

Step 5: Strain and pour your syrup in a pretty bottle!

Kitchen Notes

The darker the pansies, the better. Black pansies give the best color payoff, while lighter ones may result in a lighter hue.
You can probably get away with 1 cup of petals if you're working with black pansies. For purple or mixed varieties, plan on using 1½ cups to get a similar intensity.
Expect some variation. The final color of your syrup might differ from mine—that’s part of the charm! Petal color and quantity can affect the result.
Add lemon juice to watch the color shift. Acidity changes the pH, which can transform the syrup to purple or pink.

Equipment

Sauce pan - A small to medium saucepan is best to allow for even heating and to prevent the simple syrup from scorching.
Wooden mixing spoon or heat resistant spatula
Jar or swing top bottle to store the syrup

Storage

Pansy syrup can last for up to 1 month in the refrigerator when stored in a clean, airtight jar.

If you’d like to keep it longer, freezing is a great option. Use freezer-safe containers and plenty of room for expansion.

Canning is not recommended for this syrup, as it isn’t acidic enough to be safely shelf-stable without additional steps.

FAQ

Can I simmer the flowers and simple syrup together?

I know it's tempting, but its best to avoid it. The color in pansy petals is sensitive to heat so prolonged exposure may dull or weaken their vibrant hue. For the best results, steep the flowers after the syrup has been removed from heat.

What does pansy syrup taste like?

To be honest, the flavor of pansies is very subtle. Compared to more fragrant flowers like lilac, rose, or lavender, pansy syrup tastes quite neutral and is more about the color than the flavor.

Are pansies edible?

Yes! Flowers and leaves are edible. As always, be sure to use pansies free of pesticides and chemicals.

Can I use violets instead?

Yes! Pansies, and violets are closely related members of the Viola genus. They can be used interchangeably in this recipe. Just keep in mind that the color and quantity of flowers will affect the final color of your syrup.

Can I adjust the sugar to the recipe?

Yes! You can reduce the sugar or add up to 1 cup more. Just keep in mind that using less sugar will shorten the syrup’s shelf life in the refrigerator.

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Yield: 1.25-1.5 Cup

Colorful Purple-Blue Pansy Syrup Recipe for Cocktails & Mocktails

This floral pansy syrup recipe is a beautiful way to use your garden’s deep purple, red, or black pansies. It's the perfect addition to springtime cocktails and mocktails!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Steep Time 13 hours

Total Time 13 hours 10 minutes