Strawberry Simple Syrup
This 3-ingredient homemade Strawberry Simple Syrup comes in handy when you want to add a burst of sweet, juicy strawberry flavor to iced drinks, cocktails, smoothies, strawberry shortcakes, and just about any drinks and treats you like enhanced with strawberry flavor.
This simple syrup is made with fresh strawberries, sugar, and water and is the perfect way to make just about anything strawberry-flavored!
You should learn how to make strawberry simple because:
- Only 3 ingredients (water, strawberries, and sugar).
- Great way to extend the shelf-life of fresh strawberries.
- Strawberry-flavored iced teas, lemonades, cocktails, and mocktails are everyone’s favorite!
- For strawberry shortcake!
- AMAZING with pancakes, waffles, ice cream, yogurt, and much more.
With these step-by-step instructions, you’ll have strawberry syrup ready in minutes. So pick out your strawberries, and let’s do it!
🍓 Ingredients
A few notes about what you’ll need for this recipe:
- Strawberries – You can use fresh or frozen strawberries. If strawberries aren’t in season, go with frozen as you can guarantee they were picked at their prime. No need to thaw. Frozen berries will take another minute or two to cook down and get juicy.
- Water – As sugar dissolves, the water thickens into a sweet syrup. If possible, use filtered or distilled water for the purest flavor and to reduce the risk of bacterial growth during storage.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar or caster sugar work best, as the granules are tiny and dissolve quickly.
👉 Recommended tools: For this DIY syrup, you’ll need a small saucepan and a glass jar or bottle for storage. You’ll also need a fine-mesh sieve to strain the strawberries.
🥣 How to make (step-by-step photos)
1️⃣ Step One: Dissolve sugar
Combine water, strawberries, and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar dissolves and the strawberries begin to break down and release their juices
2️⃣ Step Two: Press strawberries
Once the liquid thickens into a sticky syrup, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. To press out more juice and flavor, use a cocktail muddler to muddle the pulp, and then strain again. Finally, add the juice to the syrup.
3️⃣ Step Three: Cool and store
Let cool, then pour the syrup into a glass jar or bottle and keep it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. To freeze, freeze the syrup in ice cube trays. Then, store the cubes in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to six months.
❔ Questions + quick tips
Technically, yes, but there’s a big difference between the fresh strawberry flavor and artificial strawberries. For every cup of simple syrup made with a 1:1 sugar to water ratio, add 1 teaspoon of raspberry extract.
To make a sugar-free version, replace regular sugar with an allulose granulated sweetener. You can also use monk fruit or erythritol with 1/8th teaspoon of xantham gum to help thicken into a syrup. Check out this keto simple syrup guide for more info.
DIY syrup infusions are encouraged. As for store-bought syrup, “Monin,” “Torani,” & “Roses” are also good brand name options.
🌿 Variations
Want to spruce up this syrup? Here are a few ways to make strawberry syrup even better.
- Enhance with fresh herbs: Add sprigs of fresh basil, mint, or rosemary to the saucepan for added botanical flavor.
- Dessert flavors and spice: Add strawberry juice to vanilla simple syrup for an extra sweet, cream-like flavor. Add star anise, cinnamon, or nutmeg to the saucepan for a touch of warming flavor.
- Brown sugar: You can also make this with brown sugar. The added molasses will create a syrup with a richer, caramelized flavor.
🍹 Ways to use it
Let’s start with cooking uses. Add a splash of strawberry syrup to all of your favorites:
- Emulsify into salad dressings for sweet berry flavor.
- A topping for muffins, pancakes, waffles, crepes, yogurt, and oatmeal.
- Enhance desserts. Drizzle over strawberry cheesecake, shortcake, pie, sundaes, etc.
Now for the drinks! Add a drizzle to your favorite drinks:
- Stir into sparkling water, club soda, lemonade, and iced tea.
- Add to strawberry almond milk for extra strawberry flavor.
It’s also great in cocktails. See below for easy recipes with strawberry simple syrup.
- Strawberry Margaritas – Shake 1.5 ounces of tequila, a splash of strawberry syrup, and freshly squeezed lime juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Then, strain into a tall salt-rimmed glass of fresh ice.
- Strawberry Martinis – Add 2 ounces of strawberry vodka, 1 ounce of strawberry syrup, a splash of freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice, and ice to a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into a martini glass.
- Mimosas – Sweeten up champagne or prosecco with strawberry syrup.
🧊 How to store
Before storing, let simple cool completely to room temperature. Also, be sure to use sanitized jars to prevent bacteria growth.
- Refrigerator Storage: After cooling, store in the fridge for up 2 weeks.
- Freezer Storage: Freeze in small plastic containers or ice cube trays for up to 6 months.
🍉 More fresh fruit simple syrup recipes
Looking for more ways to make simple syrup with fresh fruit flavors? We’ve got you covered:
- Peach Simple Syrup
- Raspberry Simple Syrup
- Pear Simple Syrup
- Blueberry Simple Syrup
- Orange Simple Syrup
- Blackberry Simple Syrup
- Mango Simple Syrup
Strawberry Simple Syrup
Equipment
- 1 Small Saucepan
- 1 fine mesh sieve
- 1 glass jar or bottle
- 1 cocktail muddler
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water filtered or distilled
- 1 cup strawberries sliced
- 1 cup sugar
Instructions
- Combine water, sliced strawberries, and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat (about 5 minutes).
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the sugar dissolves and the strawberries begin to break down and release their juices (about 5 minutes).
- Once the liquid thickens into a sticky syrup, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the strawberry juice.
- To press out more juice and flavor, use a cocktail muddler to muddle the pulp, and then strain once more. Add the extra juice to the syrup.
- Let cool, then pour the syrup into a glass jar or bottle and keep it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks
- To freeze, freeze the syrup in ice cube trays. Then, store the cubes in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to six months.
