This gorgeous floral syrup is made with rose water and is also used as the base for falooda ice cream (a rose syrup milkshake popular in parts of South Asia). This Homemade Rose Syrup is so versatile that it can be used as the base for so many drinks! Like this white chocolate cocktail, rose fizz (rose mocktail), and this falooda drink. 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 to make 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 syrup recipe
I have shared two slightly different rose water syrup recipes here.
Recipe one
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.
Recipe two
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! 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 – Falooda (or 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 falooda milkshake! 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.
How to use homemade rose syrup
Rose syrup is perfect for cocktail recipes 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 waffles, pancakes or crepes (like these sheet pan pancakes, blueberry pancakes, overnight yeasted waffles, and French 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 drink recipes and dessert recipes 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! 🙂 If you liked this rose syrup (vanilla rose syrup or falooda syrup) recipe, don’t forget to subscribe for new (and free) recipes by entering your email address on the side bar (and get all these recipes delivered straight to your inbox), so you don’t miss out on a thing. You can find me on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, YOU TUBE and GOOGLE-PLUS too.
