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Home Recipes
Posted:2/11/2018
Updated:12/8/2019

How to make Rose Syrup (Falooda Syrup) for cocktails and drinks

20 mins
Recipes
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Rose Syrup for cocktails and other drinks, like Falooda (Rose syrup milk shake). Vanilla Rose syrup made with rose water, perfect for drinks and other desserts. 

An easy and versatile Rose Syrup (or Vanilla Rose Syrup or Falooda Syrup) to elevate your cocktails and mocktails, to sweeten your teas and lattes, or drizzle over cakes, crepes and pancakes! This gorgeous floral syrup is made with rose water and is also used as the base for falooda (a rose syrup milkshake popular in parts of South Asia).

Use this lovely rose syrup to make delicious cocktails and other drinks!

Learn how to make Rose syrup. Perfect for cocktails and other drinks. Made with rose water and can be naturally colored or colored with food coloring.

This Rose Syrup is so versatile that it can be used as the base for so many drinks! This gorgeous floral syrup not only adds a lovely aroma, but it actually adds a subtle floral flavor as well.

You CAN make this rose syrup with rose flower petals, but you will need to find culinary-grade rose petals for this and for some this might be hard to come by. I have made this with culinary-grade rose petals before, but I’ve come to prefer making it with rose water (also known as rose water syrup, sharbat syrup or falooda syrup) instead.

Why I prefer making rose syrup with rose water instead of rose petals

  • I always get consistent results with rose water. You can buy good rose water from Asian grocery stores or online. Pictured below is one of the brands that I like to use to make this rose syrup.
  • On the flip side, rose petals don’t always give me the desired result depending on what’s available. I’ve tried using home grown roses (since I know they are organic), and culinary-grade rose petals purchased online. Interestingly, the roses I purchased online provided more consistent result for the strongest floral aroma.
  • Using petals is also an extra step, and it requires soaking them overnight to get the most out of the petals. Rose water on the other hand is obviously less time consuming and you get a wonderfully strong floral smell and flavor.

Rose water for Faluda syrup

I have also shared two slightly different rose water syrup recipes here.

One is a standard rose syrup with just rose water + sugar. I added a few petals of dried hibiscus after making the syrup to add a subtle rose-colored hue. The hibiscus is there only to add to the color, and it wasn’t steeped long enough to actually impart any noticeable flavor. So the hibiscus serves to naturally color the syrup without adding artificial coloring.

Rose Syrup for cocktails made with rose water. This has been naturally colored with a few hibiscus petals, for a lighter pink color.

The second is a Vanilla Rose Syrup (or Falooda Syrup). I added pink food coloring to this in order to get that strong pink color that I desired. I personally like the vanilla rose syrup better as the vanilla adds to the flavor. It’s a delightful syrup with a very interesting flavor profile, and if you guys haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend it! It’s a really great way to elevate any cocktail or mocktail!

Vanilla Rose Syrup to make Falooda (Rose syrup milkshakes). This syrup is perfect to make Falooda, and is colored with pink food coloring for a deeper color.

But another reason why I love the vanilla rose syrup is because it’s the base for one of my absolute favorite drinks in the world – the Sri Lankan Falooda (or Sri Lankan Faluda), an addictive milkshake that’s very popular in Sri Lanka and India and other parts of South Asia. It’s like a cross between a milkshake and an ice cream sundae, where this vanilla rose syrup is mixed with milk, ice cream, jello, basil seeds and vermicelli. It’s SO freaking good! 🙂 So since I have shown you how to make this rose syrup for falooda (or the rose syrup milkshake), you can go ahead and make your own glass of falooda by following the recipe right here that I shared previously.

Sri Lankan falooda drink (rose syrup milkshake)

Sri Lankan Faluda and Faluda syrup from scratch

But whichever rose syrup that you decide to make, I guarantee that you’ll be able to create some beautiful mocktails and cocktails! It’s such a versatile syrup, and very refreshing.

Falooda cocktail (vanilla rose and white chocolate cocktail)

Vanilla Rose and White Chocolate Cocktail - This cocktail is one delicious, sweet decadent cocktail with beautiful floral flavours and a spectacular look! An inspired Falooda Cocktail with exotic flavours and an edible floral decoration! REPIN to save! CLICK to get the recipe now. #TheFlavorBender

So what can I use this rose syrup for?

  • Rose syrup is perfect for cocktails and non alcoholic drinks. Just replace the sugar syrup with this rose syrup.
  • This is the best homemade rose syrup to make falooda (rose syrup milkshake).
  • Use this rose syrup to sweeten lemonade for a refreshing rose lemonade!
  • Sweeten your teas and lattes (without using food coloring of course).
  • It’s a great base for mimosas or bellinis, for those girls’ weekend brunches and celebrations!
  • Drizzle this over pancakes or crepes for an excellent brunch-for-dessert.
  • Soak cake layers with this rose water syrup for delicious rose flavored cakelets.

So go ahead and elevate your drinks and desserts and snacks with this versatile, gorgeous rose syrup (or vanilla rose syrup)! I can’t wait till the weather starts warming up again so that I can use this rose water syrup to make some exotic lemonades and milkshakes! 🙂

Ginger Rose Fizz (Cocktail or Mocktail). Drinks that you can make with Rose syrup.

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Rose Syrup for cocktails and other drinks, like Falooda (Rose syrup milk shake). Vanilla Rose syrup made with rose water, perfect for drinks and other desserts. 
5 from 4 votes

Rose Syrup for Cocktails (Falooda Syrup)

Cuisine: Indian, South Asian, Sri Lankan
Total Time 20 minutes
Serves 12 servings (1/4 cup each)
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Print Rate

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups white sugar (400 g)
  • 1 ¾ cup rose water (not rose water extract)
  • Pinch salt
  • 2 tsp Madagascar bourbon vanilla or a good vanilla extract
  • Pink coloring for a deeper pink color
  • ¼ cup corn syrup optional - to prevent crystallization of the sugar syrup.
  • 2 - 3 dried hibiscus petals or a few raw pieces of beet optional if you want a natural light color

Instructions:

  • Place the white sugar, 1 ½ cups rose water and salt in a saucepan (optional - add the corn syrup if using as well).
  • Stir to combine and allow the sugar to dissolve over medium heat. When the sugar has dissolved, let the syrup come to a simmer, and simmer for 5 - 7 minutes.
  • Add the remaining ¼ cup of rose water to the warm syrup and stir it in.
  • To make vanilla rose syrup (falooda syrup) - add the vanilla at this point and stir it in.
  • To color the syrup - add the hibiscus flower petals and let them steep for no more than a couple of minutes until the syrup gets a light pink color. You can steep the flowers for longer for a deeper color, but the syrup may have slight citrus notes from the hibiscus then.
    You can also add the pieces of beetroot to get a pink color too. Let it steep to get the color you desire, but the longer they are left, the earthier the flavor of the syrup.
  • For falooda syrup, you will need a deeper pink color. Add a few drops of dark pink food coloring to get the pink color that you desire.
  • Let the syrup cool down and store in jars or bottles. Store in a dark, cool place and use as needed.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 4tbspCalories: 149kcal (7%)Carbohydrates: 39g (13%)Fat: 1g (2%)Sodium: 5mgSugar: 39g (43%)Calcium: 1mgIron: 1mg (6%)
Course:Beverages, Cocktails
Cuisine:Indian, South Asian, Sri Lankan
Keyword:Beverages, Cocktails, Soda syrup
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  1. Sid says

    December 1, 2020 at 06:09

    5 stars
    Loved it!! Reminds me of home. Thanks Dini.
    I was wondering if i already have a sugar syrup and i add rose water and vanilla at the end in the cool sugar syrup, will that have the same flavor?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      December 2, 2020 at 11:38

      Hi Sid
      Unfortunately the rose flavor won’t be as pronounced if you add it to premade sugar syrup. If you have rose extract (or concentrated rose flavor), this can be added to sugar syrup instead.

      Reply
      • Sid Charania says

        December 4, 2020 at 17:34

        Thanks Dini. 🙂

        Reply
  2. Drikie Smal says

    May 10, 2020 at 07:43

    Wonderful recipy for rose syrup

    Reply
  3. Neelambari says

    May 5, 2020 at 15:38

    Hi Can I use monk fruit sweetener instead of white sugar ?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      May 5, 2020 at 20:16

      Hi Neelambari
      I personally don’t like the taste of monk fruit sweetener. But I think it’s still possible to make a “sugar syrup” with monk fruit. I am not 100% certain on how it will turn out because I haven’t tried it myself though.

      Reply
  4. Renee Goerger says

    January 4, 2019 at 08:26

    5 stars
    I’ve always wanted to make my own rose syrup so I’m thrilled to have found your recipe. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m excited!!

    Reply
  5. Aimee Shugarman says

    January 4, 2019 at 08:22

    5 stars
    This sounds wonderful. Saving for Mother’s Day!

    Reply
  6. kris says

    June 9, 2018 at 16:20

    how long does the rose syrup last in the fridge?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      June 12, 2018 at 20:03

      Hi Kris!
      My syrup didn’t last longer than 1 week because we used it all up! It should be fine for upto 2 weeks at least, but if you store the syrup in a sterilized glass jar or bottle, it should last even longer.

      Reply
  7. Rosamond says

    May 30, 2018 at 07:47

    5 stars
    Hi,
    Do you know in Shiraz city in Iran people make one of the most tasty and colorful Falooda syrup in the world?

    Reply
  8. cakespy says

    February 17, 2018 at 06:01

    What a wonderful syrup to have on hand in one’s pantry…so many ways it can pretty and fancy up recipes. <3 And the prettiest pink hue!

    Reply

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