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 Stevia Simple Syrup is just one way I lighten-up my cocktails. You're gonna wanna check out these 10 other Smart Drink 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, powdered or granulated stevia can be steeped in water like I'm going to show you today in my Stevia Simple Syrup.

How do you make Stevia Simple Syrup?

First of all, you only need two simple ingredients.

Powdered stevia
Water

It doesn't get much simpler than that.

As for the procedure, it's equally as simple:

Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add powdered stevia and let simmer until stevia has completely dissolved.
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.

What can Stevia Simple Syrup be used in place of?

I mostly use Stevia Simple Syrup in recipes that are calling for plain old syrup. Generally cocktails and mocktails. Or any drinks that are adding maple syrup, sugar, or agave. With a stevia simple syrup on hand, it's easy to add just a splash to get the sweetness you're looking for.

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 already have calories from the liquor. And then there are the calories from whatever I'm mixing it with. The last thing I need is more calories from any added sugar.

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

Seriously, two ingredients. Five minutes.

Boom.

USE THE STEVIA SIMPLE SYRUP IN THESE VEGAN DRINKS:

Healthy Whiskey Sour
Grapefruit Vodka Cocktail
Ginger Lime Drink
Peach Whiskey Cocktail
Watermelon Basil Margarita

COMPLETE THE PARTY WITH THESE VEGAN SNACKS:

NOW THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO MAKE STEVIA SIMPLE SYRUP, IT’S TIME TO SNAP A PIC OF YOUR COCKTAIL AND LOAD IT ONTO INSTAGRAM (TAGGING ME OF COURSE @HAPPYFOODHOLLY) SO I CAN SHARE YOUR CREATION!