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Did y’all know that 16% more U.S. adults are drinking during this Coronavirus pandemic? And a recent CNN report unveiled that alcohol beverage sales shot up 55% in the third week of March 2020 compared to the same time in 2019. The first study found that more U.S. adults also admit to eating more during this quarantine time, but it’s no secret: we all have our vices.

I won’t lie, I’m right there with that 16%. Between not having to worry as much about strenuous deadlines at work, sitting through rush-hour traffic, or having to get up bright and early to face morning commutes, it’s all too easy to get creative in the kitchen and think up new keto-friendly cocktails to enjoy on our patio in order to have some sense of normalcy in these weird times.

But whether you’re taking the edge off or simply trying to relax and unwind turning downtime, enjoying a cocktail during quarantine shouldn’t have to mean cheating on your keto lifestyle.

Discovering the Perfect Keto Simple Syrup Recipe

When Cinco de Mayo was drawing near, I was determined to recreate our family’s favorite spicy jalapeño margarita from our local Mexican restaurant since we couldn’t enjoy it there in-person as per tradition. In doing so, I finally perfected the keto simple syrup I’ve been tinkering with, which has opened up LOADS of options for delicious, refreshing cocktails without compromising my waistline or blood sugar levels.

A typical simple syrup is usually one part sugar to one part water. First thing: we know that sugar thickens into a syrup naturally upon simmering for some time. Second: anyone who has cooked or baked with alternative sweeteners knows that, although a great substitute, they don’t tend to work exactly one-to-one in substitution to the real thing without some after tastes or effects.

So, my goal was to get a sugar-y sweet liquid with a slight thickness texture to it like syrup. Oh, and all the while I need to make sure it doesn’t re-crystallize back into granular sweetener. Challenge accepted.

What Do You Need to Make Keto Simple Syrup?

The beauty of simple syrup is that it’s so easy to make! The name alone contributes to just how “simple” of a recipe it is. For this recipe, you’ll only need the following to make a shelf-stable keto simple syrup:

Stevia blend
Xanthan gum
Fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Water
Orange extract (optional, for Triple sec type syrup)

How to Make a Keto-friendly Simple Syrup

For this recipe, we’re going to use water, the spoonable Truvia stevia blend, xanthan gum, and a bit of lemon juice. The xanthan gum is optional and can be omitted, but I recommend using it to give your syrup a thicker consistency as sugar would when boiling down. Sweetener does not mimic this, so the xanthan gum helps to make it more of an actual syrup. If you do use the xanthan gum, you will need a fine mesh strainer to strain out any clumps that form during this boiling process.

Why lemon juice in the syrup? Sugar and sweeteners alike tend to crystalize as they cool. Using distilled water can help with eliminating this with its purity, as can an acidic ingredient such as lemon juice or cream of tartar to break up the bond of the sugar. I opted for lemon juice in this case since almost all the drinks I’d be using this sugar-free simple syrup in would be citrus-based.

I’ve noted that you can optionally splash in some orange extract. This is an easy way to turn your simple syrup into more of a triple sec syrup for margaritas, cosmopolitans, or any other cocktail that calls for it. I prefer to keep mine without it and add in the orange extract individually to the cocktail I’m making, instead. But, the option is there!

Here’s some tips on making this easy keto simple syrup:

To start, you’re going to boil together with the stevia and water in a small pan on top of the stove until the stevia dissolves. At this point, you’ll add the lemon juice to keep the sugars from crystallizing. (If you’re using the orange extract, you can mix it in at this time)
After that, you’ll bring the mixture down to a simmer and sprinkle in the xanthan gum. It’ll likely clump a little on the surface but that’s OK. Trust me, it’ll still get the job done. Another tip is to use a wooden or plastic spoon for this, as metal tends to cling to the xanthan gum more. While you might be tempted, do NOT add more xanthan gum in at first. It can be deceiving and seem that it’s not working, but as the syrup cools it WILL get thicker. Besides, you really don’t need this solution too thick as it’s going to be going into a mixed drink after all is said and done. It’s best to have it less thick than too thick in this case. If you’re not happy with the consistency once this syrup is cooled you can always put the mixture back on the stove and then add a tiny bit more in.
Use a fine-mesh strainer to strain the syrup into a heat-safe, tempered glass mason jar. This will make sure to filter out any of the clumps that may have formed from the xanthan gum. I like to keep my mason jar on top of a silicone trivet like these since the liquid will be very hot.
Let the solution cool completely as you put together your other ingredients for the drink you’re preparing to make. This syrup is shelf-stable and can be kept on your counter or in your pantry once it has cooled to room temperature. Just seal the jar with the lid (or saran wrap and a rubber band if your jar did not come with lids) and store until ready to use. It’s unlikely in my experience, however even though we’ve used the lemon juice in the syrup, you may see a few crystals at the bottom. If this happens, you can reheat this syrup to dissolve those if need be then pour back into the cleaned-out mason jar.

So, This Simple Syrup is Keto AND Good?!

You betcha! The biggest deterrence to sticking with a keto diet long-term is being unable to find a recipe dupe that ACTUALLY takes place for something you missed prior to this way of eating, which in turn causes you to binge/cheat/give up.

I wanted to make a real, useful simple syrup that could stand up to the normal stuff without being too crazy complicated, because ain’t nobody got time for that (even if we are quarantined and going bananas). This recipe has become a staple for our at-home happy hour drinks. One batch creates about 4-5 drinks worth, depending on how much simple syrup your particular recipe calls for. You can absolutely double this batch for more servings and store on your counter or in your pantry with no problem.

So, enough about the syrup. Once you’ve got your spoonable stevia blend and xanthan gum in hand, let’s get down to actually making it: