This delicious strawberry syrup recipe is my favorite thing to make at the peak of strawberry season! Plus, you’ll have the added benefit of knowing what went into your syrup– just three ingredients, all natural, nothing artificial. Sugar acts as a natural preservative, so all you need to do is refrigerate. The syrup will last for weeks (but it’s so addicting, it never lasts that long in my kitchen!).
Homemade strawberry syrup can be used for a number of purposes. It is most commonly added to beverages and cocktails like my strawberry basil martini to give them a strong, sweet strawberry flavor.
Try adding it to lemonade to make strawberry lemonade or seltzer to make a strawberry spritzer. It makes a lovely addition to cocktails and mocktails. Add it to your favorite ice cream float or sundae. You can also drizzle it on pancakes or waffles as an alternative to maple syrup. So many possibilities!
Recipe Ingredients and Notes
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details!
- Fresh Strawberries – I don’t recommend using frozen strawberries for homemade simple syrup. They’re likely to be too watery and may make the syrup bland.
- Water – This is used to boil the berries and forms the base of the syrup.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar enhances the natural sweetness of the berries and provides the proper texture for the syrup. I don’t recommend using any other types of sugar for this strawberry syrup. However, you could try natural sweeteners such as maple syrup, coconut sugar, or agave.
How to Make Strawberry Syrup
- Prep the berries. Rinse the strawberries, and hull them with a paring knife. Then, slice them into bite-sized pieces.
- Cook. Transfer the berries to a medium saucepan, cover them with water, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook to break down the berries.
- Strain. Pour the strawberries into a fine mesh strainer or sieve, straining the liquid into a clean pot. Discard the berries.
- Boil. Add sugar to the strawberry liquid, and bring the mixture back to a boil, allowing the sugar to dissolve.
- Serve. Skim any foam from the top, allow the syrup to cool completely, and enjoy!
Tori’s Tips for the Best Taste and Texture
- Skim the foam. Make sure to skim the foam from the top of the syrup throughout the cooking process for a clear syrup.
- Don’t press the strawberries. It’s tempting to try to smash the strawberries to obtain more juice, but this will make the syrup cloudy!
- Adjust the thickness. For a thicker syrup ideal for pancakes and waffles, let the mixture simmer a bit longer after the sugar dissolves.
Homemade Strawberry Syrup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds strawberries
- 1 quart water (4 cups)
- 2 cups sugar
Instructions
- Rinse the berries clean, then hull them with a paring knife by slicing around and pulling out the stem.
- Slice the strawberries into smaller pieces.
- Place the strawberry slices in a medium saucepan.
- Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a medium simmer and let the strawberries cook for about 20 minutes. Skim any foam that rises to the top.
- After about 20 minutes, the strawberries will have lost most of their color and the water should be deep pink/red in color. Remove from heat.
- Strain the strawberry liquid through a fine mesh strainer into another clean pot, separating the solid berries from the liquid. DO NOT press down on the solids to extract more juice; it’s tempting, but doing this will make your strawberry syrup cloudy.
- Once the strawberry liquid has been strained, discard the solid berries. Add 2 cups of sugar to the strawberry liquid. Bring back to a boil, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar into the syrup. Let the syrup simmer for 5 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved, skimming any additional foam that rises to the top.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Pour into a glass container, seal, and refrigerate. The syrup should last for several weeks.
- Note: if you prefer a thicker syrup for use on pancakes or waffles, you can simmer it for several minutes longer until the liquid reduces and thickens more. The consistency as written is perfect for mixing into beverages.
NOTES
Nutrition
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FAQs
Yes, this method works with other berries. Try my homemade raspberry syrup. Or, use blackberries or blueberries instead.
If you’re looking for even more ideas, this simple syrup recipe makes for a great addition to certain salad dressings – like to make a strawberry balsamic vinaigrette. Or, use it as an alternative to store-bought syrups with ice cream, challah French toast, yogurt bowls, or cake, cheesecake.
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