Strawberry Simple Syrup is a bright red syrup made with fresh strawberries, delivering sweet, real strawberry flavor. This homemade, summer-ready syrup is perfect for cocktails, lemonade, pancakes, and desserts. It's a quick and easy way to add fresh strawberry flavor to your favorite recipes.
Strawberry Simple Syrup Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Dessert
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 15 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 12 servings
- 🍓 Flavor Profile: Sweet, fruity, and fresh strawberry flavor
- 🥞 Best Served With: Pancakes, waffles, cocktails, lemonade, or desserts
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, store refrigerated for up to 1-2 weeks
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Strawberry picking is one of my favorite times of year, and it always inspires me to make this simple strawberry syrup. Simple syrup is just sugar dissolved in water, but the fresh strawberries are what bring all that bright, sweet flavor to life. I love how something so simple can turn peak-season berries into something you can enjoy all week.
This rhubarb simple syrup, blueberry syrup, and cranberry syrup are other homemade simple syrups that you should make.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's made with real strawberries: There are no artificial colors or flavors in this strawberry simple syrup recipe. I make it with real, fresh berries!
- It has a natural red color: The color of this syrup is all natural, too. It's a lovely, vibrant red that you achieve without food coloring.
- It has endless uses: From breakfast to dessert, there are so many ways to use this syrup. You can even use this strawberry syrup recipe for drinks.
Ingredients
Everything you need to make your own strawberry drink syrup is listed below. It consists of only 3 easy ingredients. about needing only basic ingredients or a short trip to the grocery store, etc.
- Strawberries: Use ripe but not mushy strawberries for this recipe. Overripe is fine because it will cook down. I also use fresh strawberries in this recipe for strawberry rhubarb preserves.
- Sugar: I recommend sticking with white granulated sugar. Brown sugar will alter the flavor and color, and it's much clearer and brighter with white sugar.
- Water: Tap water works just fine here. The water is mainly used to help dissolve the sugar and to add just the right amount of moisture to keep the strawberries from burning on the stove.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Lemon: Add a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and a hint of zest to add some citrus flavor and acidity to the strawberry syrup.
- Vanilla: Stir in a teaspoon of real vanilla extract after you pull the syrup off the heat to add a subtle vanilla flavor and enhance the strawberries.
- Mixed berry: Swap ½ cup of strawberries with blueberries or blackberries to create a mixed berry version.
- Mint: Steep a few fresh mint leaves in the syrup after it's strained for about 5-10 minutes to add depth.
How to Make Strawberry Simple Syrup
Here are the instructions for making this strawberry syrup recipe. It's very simple and quick!
Step 1: Simmer the ingredients. Simmer the strawberries, sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes or until the strawberries break down and the syrup becomes a vibrant red.
Step 2: Strain and cool. Strain the syrup into a clean jar through a fine-mesh strainer. Gently press the strawberries if needed. Once it has completely cooled, store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to drizzle it over homemade banana ice cream.
Expert Tips
- Heat it gently: Keep this strawberry syrup at a simmer over medium heat. High heat cannot only burn it but also make it foamy and taint the color.
- Save the pulp: After you strain the syrup, don't throw the strawberry pulp away. Use it as a topping for yogurt with this chocolate strawberry granola.
- Simmer longer to thicken: If you notice that your syrup is thin or a little watery, allow it to simmer a little longer, uncovered. This will help more of the liquid to evaporate so it can thicken.
- Freezer directions: The best way to freeze strawberry syrup is to pour it into ice cube trays and once solid, move the syrup cubes to a freezer bag. Keep them frozen for up to 3 months.
If you enjoy the fresh strawberries in this strawberry-flavored syrup, you'll love this strawberry and jalapeno jam.
Serving Suggestions
- Ice cream topping: Drizzle some strawberry syrup over your favorite store-bought vanilla ice cream or some homemade rhubarb ice cream.
- Pour it over your breakfast: This syrup would be perfect on strawberry cream cheese French toast or a stack of fluffy mango pancakes.
- Add it to a cocktail: This makes a great strawberry cocktail syrup and would pair well with a fresh cranberry margarita or your favorite fruity adult beverage.
- Flavor your favorite beverage: If you like using this as a strawberry drink syrup, try it in iced tea or even lemon-lime soda like Sprite. I also love this strawberry syrup for lemonade.
Strawberry Simple Syrup Recipe FAQs
There are a few reasons your syrup might turn out cloudy, the biggest culprits being leftover pulp or seeds and boiling the mixture too hard. When you strain it, let the liquid drip naturally instead of pressing the berries, and you'll keep more of the syrup clear. Also, keep an eye on the heat. Boiling can trap air bubbles or cause the sugar to crystallize, so stick to medium heat for the best results.
The strawberry syrup is ready once it becomes a vibrant red and lightly coats the back of a spoon. You don't need a thermometer for this recipe!
If kept in an airtight glass jar or bottle, you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. I highly recommend that you label the jar with the date it was made so you can keep track of how long you have had it.
Yes! It will take about 3-5 minutes longer to simmer, but you don't need to thaw the berries first. Note, the color won't be as bright as when you use fresh strawberries.
Sure! You can use a sugar substitute like Stevia, but it will make the consistency much thinner. Honey or maple syrup also works, but it will slightly change the flavor and color of the final product. If you choose to use any of these in place of sugar, you will use the same amount.
More Delicious Strawberry Recipes
Do you like cooking with strawberries? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Strawberry Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh strawberries hulled and sliced
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Combine the strawberries, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook for 10-15 minutes until the strawberries are very soft and the syrup turns bright red.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly.
- Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer into a jar or bottle, pressing gently on the strawberries to release the liquid.
- Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
- Your syrup can turn cloudy, mainly from leftover pulp or seeds and overboiling. To keep it clear, let it drip through the strainer without pressing the berries, and cook over medium heat to avoid trapped air bubbles or crystallization.
- Simmer the strawberry syrup over medium heat. High heat can burn it, create foam, and dull its bright color.
- The strawberry syrup is ready when it turns a vibrant red and lightly coats the back of a spoon, so no thermometer is needed.
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