This calorie-free, sugar-free Stevia Simple Syrup is the perfect way to sweeten up your cocktails, mocktails, and other beverages only using natural sweeteners

This quick and easy simple syrup is just one way I lighten-up my cocktails. You’re gonna wanna check out these 10 other tips I use all the time to make sure all my drinks are guilt-free, even when I’m ordering from the bar.

Sugar.

It’s in everything, isn’t it? Even foods that totally shouldn’t have sugar in them. Of course, you expect to have sugar in your baked goods. But spaghetti sauce? Dried Fruit? Smoothies from the smoothie shop that are supposed to be healthy?? Some can have up to 60 gram of sugar in just a 16 ounce smoothie. That’s ridiculous.

And this is why I’m too skeptical of eating anything outside of my house and do my best to make everything from scratch.

I’m sure you’re thinking, “what, so you don’t eat anything sweet at all??“

Oh no my friend. I have a major sweet tooth that has a hard time being tamed. But I have found ways around using pure sugar.

Dates, agave, raw honey, and of course Stevia. It is the only dry sugar-replacement that is all natural. Sweeteners like Splenda, Equal, and the like, are all full of nasty chemicals with side effects we’re not quite sure of.

And the unknown side-effects are what scares me.

You’ve probably figured it out by now, but I’m a huge fan of only eating foods that are directly derived from the source. The ground. The tree. The plant. I always want to know where something came from before I put it in my body. Which is why I’m such a huge fan of farm-to-table living.

One day, I will have a huge garden that I will be able to cook from. Well, except for the fact that I unintentionally kill everything I try to grow…

Stevia is an all-natural plant that is actually 30 times sweeter than sugar, so you don’t even need to use as much as you would to sweeten things. Stevia leaves can be eaten in their natural form to sweeten breath. Or they can be dried to sprinkle on foods like a spice or seasoning. Alternatively, stevia can be steeped in water like I’m going to show you today.

But first I want to tell you about my favorite Stevia brand. So when I first heard about Sweet Leaf Stevia and started doing research on the company, I was totally impressed. From the very beginning of their company, they have always had the customer in mind. They work directly with the American Diabetes Association and American Dietetic Association and have committed to provide only the best-tasting product so it would be a seamless alternative to sugar for those who need to cut down on sugar, both out of necessity and desire.

Another mission Sweet Leaf stands by is the drive to fight against childhood obesity by offering a healthy option. This is definitely a company I can stand beside!

When I’m making drinks in my house, the first thing I generally do is start browsing Pinterest. I have a ton of great drinks pinned to my drink board.

Follow Holly @ Happy Food, Healthy Life’s board Drinks: Cocktails, Mocktails, and More.

Most of these drinks seem to call for a simple syrup, and that just doesn’t jive with me. Especially because I’ve already got calories from the liquor. Calories from whatever I’m mixing it with. The last thing I need is more calories from the sugar.

So let’s just eliminate that and make a simple syrup using stevia instead of sugar. And they don’t call it simple for nothin.’

Seriously, two ingredients. Five minutes.

Boom.

I especially like adding it to my whiskey sour recipe to cut down on the sugar.

 

Stevia Simple Syrup

Yield: 0

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Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup stevia, (approximately 20-25 packets)

Instructions

1. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add stevia and let simmer until stevia has completely dissolved.
2. Once stevia has dissolved, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Once cool, place in a jar and store in the refrigerator to use in drinks and other recipes that call for simple syrup.

Nutritional Information: zero.zero.zero.

If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture, upload it to Instagram and tag me (@happyfoodholly) and use the hashtag #inspiredbyholly

Incredibly easy right?! You have no excuses to make it yourself now.

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