Add a little razzle-dazzle to your drinks with homemade Sparkle Syrup, made with edible glitter in any color you desire. Made in less than 10 minutes with just three ingredients, this easy syrup makes every cocktail, mocktail and even coffee shop drinks sparkle and shine.
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About this Sparkle Syrup recipe
Who doesn’t love a drink that brings the drama drama? Whether it’s a bubbling dry ice cocktail at Halloween, a magical color-changing drink or a fragrant smoked old-fashioned, it’s always fun to order a sip that’s a bit of a spectacle. Luckily, most of these magic tricks are pretty simple to pull off at home.
Edible glitter makes this possible when you want a little glitz and glamour. You can add a pinch to any drink, but a homemade glitter syrup helps you make bigger batches you can bring out for parties.
Serve it with a mimosa bar for a little extra shimmer, mix-and-match colors for glimmering margaritas or enjoy it with a
Testing notes
- Quick, easy and makes a lot. This syrup comes together in a few minutes and will last you for a lot of drinks. Multiply it easily if you need a big batch.
- Try it with a few shades of glitter. Sometimes the dyes in the edible glitter look a little off when mixed into a drink. Stock up on a few colors and try a tiny pinch in a tablespoon of syrup to see what it looks like — a little goes a long way.
- Perfect for holidays and special occasions. I served this syrup with a Halloween drink, but it works just as well for Christmas, New Years and birthdays.
Ingredients & essentials
👇 For full measurements and step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card. It’s all there waiting for you!
You only need three ingredients to make your own Sparkle Simple Syrup. I’ve seen it for upwards of $15 at craft stores, which is wild do me — it’s so inexpensive to make!
It starts with a plain simple syrup, which is made with granulated sugar and water. You can use other kinds of sugar, like brown sugar or even a sugar-free substitute for sugar-free syrup, but white sugar works best because it dissolves into a transparent syrup, allowing the color of the glitter to shine.
You can certainly stir it into a bottle of pure maple syrup *, agave nectar * or honey, but since these sweeteners have a brown hue, it doesn’t mix as well with food colors. That is probably fine for pancakes and oatmeal, but plain sugar syrup makes the best base for drinks.
Edible glitter
Also called brew glitter and drink glitter, this shimmery powder comes in sparkly, pearlescent and iridescent shades in a range of colors. Its sole purpose is for stirring into drinks or decorating baked goods. You can buy it online or find it with the food coloring and cake decorating supplies in craft stores.
When it comes to edible glitter, you can use any color as long as it is food-safe. (For the syrup in these pictures, I used silver edible glitter *.) The FDA advises checking for an ingredient list, required by law, even if the label says “non-toxic” or “edible.” Most edible glitter is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan, as it is made with edible pearlescent mica, which is a mineral. However, always check the ingredient list to be certain.
What is edible glitter? Don’t worry, it’s not the glitter of craft projects and wrapping paper! (And thank goodness!) Also called edible luster dust or shimmer powder, this sparkly, flavorless ingredient starts with a base of sugars, food-grade dyes and starches like cornstarch and gum arabic, which act as binders. Mica provides the sparkly element — it is naturally formed from minerals and coated with safe metal oxides, and is also found in makeup.
edible glitter for drinks
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Instructions
First you’ll want to make your simple syrup. To start, you’ll just need sugar, water and a saucepan.
- Combine equal parts of sugar and water on the stove over medium heat, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. It does not need to boil. Let cool.
- Add a tiny pinch of edible glitter. Start with a little — you can always add more!
Experiment with colors in small amounts. In my experience, the powder form of edible glitter does not always yield the color you think it will. I like to put a tablespoon in a shot glass * and add a pinch of the glitter to test the color before I go all in with the big batch.
- Stir until evenly distributed.
- Use it immediately, or store it in the fridge for up to one month.
Tips & tricks
- The glitter may settle in the syrup when it rests. Simply shake or stir it up to redistribute it.
- Use it however you would use simple syrup, in cocktails, mocktails, coffee, tea and lemonade.
- Make a few colors. Simple syrup is easy to make, so make a big batch and divide it up so you can make a few batches of this glitter syrup.
Uses for Sparkle Syrup
You can use your homemade Sparkle Syrup in any drink recipe that calls for simple syrup, especially if the recipe calls for edible glitter.
Stir it into homemade cocktail mixers like sour mix and margarita mix To give your favorite drinks the sparkle effect. This is a kid-friendly recipe, so you can also use it to sweeten non-alcoholic drinks like lemonade.
I love it for Halloween — try it in this Harry Potter potion cocktail or these potion shots for a bewitching effect. This spooky green cucumber kiwi mocktail would also be a good recipe for sparkle syrup.
It’s also incredibly fun for the holiday season. This sparkly Christmas mojito is super fun, or you could mix a little into champagne jello shots.
What else can you do with edible glitter? Its uses don’t stop at drinks! You can also use it in baking. Sprinkle it on cakes or sugar cookie cutouts or dust white-chocolate covered cherries in the glittery goodness.
favorite syrup storage
These syrup bottles and jars make fridge storage easy and gifting even easier.
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FAQ
The only glitter that is safe to use in recipes is glitter labeled “edible” and “food-safe.” It should also have an ingredient list on the bottle, as required by the FDA. The ingredients are typically a sugar like dextrose, food coloring and mica. Glitter intended for crafts is not safe for consumption, even if it has the words “non-toxic.” If it says “for decorative purposes only” and/or does not feature an ingredient list on the label, do not use it.
Homemade sparkling syrup should be stored in an airtight, food-safe container in the fridge. It will last for up to 4 weeks. If it ever has an odor or you don’t remember how long ago you made it, it is safer to make a new batch.
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Sparkle Syrup
ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar or 2 cups for rich syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 pinch edible glitter plus more as desired
instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together sugar and water until dissolved. Then remove from heat. Let cool completely.1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup water
- Stir in one pinch of edible glitter. Add more as desired.1 pinch edible glitter
- Transfer to a glass jar and seal tightly with a lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. The glitter may settle in the syrup when it rests. Simply shake or stir it up to redistribute it.
notes
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