This easy pineapple simple syrup recipe packs the juicy, sweet, and tropical flavor of real ripe pineapple into a liquid syrup that adds a pineapple punch to all of your favorite drinks and recipes! It’s made with just 4 ingredients and comes together in under an hour, with most of the time being hands-off! Say goodbye to artificially flavored syrups and say hello to a real fruit syrup that brings bright + punchy flavor to every sip!
This pineapple syrup recipe uses fresh pineapple (but you can use frozen), granulated sugar, water, and a pop of lemon to create the most flavorful pineapple syrup you’ve ever tasted. Once you make a batch you can keep it for up to 2 weeks or freeze it for longer, and you can use it in all your tropical drinks. I’ve also got a few super creative food uses for syrups in this post, too! 👀
With over 10 years of experience making homemade beverages, I’ve created a lot of simple syrup recipes. My favorite thing about making syrups at home is you can customize the flavors and create an endless amount of custom drinks with them! Use this syrup in cocktail recipes, like a tropical pineapple coconut margarita, or in non-alcoholic beverages for the whole family, like a pineapple mint lemonade or a homemade pineapple soda.
👀 the secret sauce…
✨ the flavor: This recipe hits The Pop and The Feels Flavor Factors. The balanced acidity of pineapple + lemon plays nicely with the sweet simple syrup base, creating a fruity syrup perfect for nostalgia fueled summers!
🎯 the method: Make your base syrup, infuse the pineapple, add a pop of lemon, then cool, strain, and store. The total hands-on cooking time maxes out at about 25-30 minutes, with the rest of the time used for cooling your syrup!
🏆 the win: This recipe uses the core of the pineapple, which usually goes to waste. That means you get to save more of your fruit for snacking while taking advantage of the whole fruit!!
what are The Flavor Factors?
The Flavor Factor Framework is my lil set of “flavor guideposts” for cooking with confidence! Less following recipes to a tee, more trusting your instincts, getting creative in the kitchen, and becoming a more intuitive cook! 👩🏻🍳
🛒 ingredients needed
See the recipe card for the exact quantities.
🍳 how to make pineapple syrup
1: Combine sugar and water over medium heat, and stir until dissolved.
2: Prep your pineapple by removing the skin and chopping it into large chunks.
3: Add your pineapple to the syrup, and simmer it on medium-low for 20-30 minutes. Then add your lemon juice for an optional pop of flavor.
4: Remove the pineapple syrup from heat and allow it to cool for 20 minutes, then strain and store your finished syrup!
💡tips & tricks for getting it right
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- use the core – this recipe can be made using the entire core of the pineapple! That means you can save more juicy pineapple for snacking!
- lemon juice – lemon juice helps enhance the flavor of the pineapple in this syrup. Be careful to only use a small amount, no more than 1 TBSP, or it can add too much lemon flavor.
- quick cooling – if you need to rapidly cool your syrup for immediate use, you can set the container in an ice bath to bring the temperature down quickly!
- choose a ripe pineapple – make sure to select a ripe pineapple. Pineapples don’t ripen much after being harvested, contrary to popular belief. The more yellow a pineapple is, the riper it is, so avoid greener fruit if you can. Check the tips below for picking the perfect pineapple!
🍍How to pick the perfect pineapple:
- feel: a ripe pineapple will yield and feel slightly soft when you squeeze it. Under all those spikes, that is. If the pineapple doesn’t squeeze and feels, well…like a rock, pick another pineapple!
- smell: give the base of your pineapple a sniff. Pineapple will smell tropical, fruity, and floral when ripe. If it’s overripe, it will smell kind of funky or sour, maybe even fermented. Skip that pineapple and go for another one!
- color: ripe pineapples are yellow in color. The more golden, the better. Green pineapples won’t turn much more yellow because pineapples don’t ripen after being picked.
🍽️ ideas for using your tropical syrup
cocktails to make with pineapple syrup
Use this in place of regular simple syrup in any cocktail recipe. It works especially well in rum, tequila, and vodka-based cocktails!
pineapple vodka sodas
Give your classic vodka soda a bit more flair using a splash of this syrup, or pour an ounce of vodka in a pineapple soda pop!
pineapple mules
Traditionally, a Caribbean mule is a Moscow mule made with rum instead of vodka. Switch it up even more by making a mule using rum + this syrup.
pineapple margaritas
Muddle pineapple with pineapple syrup (or agave nectar) for a tropical twist on this strawberry marg.
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🍍 pineapple mocktail ideas
You can also use this pineapple fruit simple syrup to sweeten non-alcoholic beverages and mocktails! I love using it in iced coffee and tea for unexpected flavor!
- homemade pineapple soda – this homemade pineapple soda is super easy to make; no fancy equipment required!
- pineapple mojito mocktail – mix up a faux-jito using this syrup for a tropical twist on a classic rum beverage, without the alcohol!
- pineapple iced tea – use this syrup in you favorite iced tea. It would be wonderful with passion tea or green tea!
- shave ice topping – use this syrup as a homemade shave ice topping! Add some haupia coconut foam and toasted coconut for a piña colada twist!
🍽️ using syrups in food + other recipes
You can also use your syrups in food recipes like homemade granola or ice cream recipes in place of granulated sugar! Infused syrups are a great way to get layered flavor in tons of recipes, but you may want to gently cook off some excess water.
Since simple syrups are very thin in consistency, they work best in drinks (hot or cold!). You can simmer your syrup a bit more to thicken it up, or use a candy thermometer to heat it to the “soft ball” stage. This will give you a syrup that is closer in texture to honey or agave.
I also love using syrups in salad dressings instead of honey or maple syrup (really!!!). This pineapple syrup would be phenomenal in a summery basil vinaigrette or my all-time favorite parsley vinaigrette dressing.
♻️ customize your pineapple syrup
- sweetener – if you only have light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, or a natural less-processed sugar, you can still make this recipe! Your finished syrup will have a more caramelized flavor. You can also use agave or honey if you only have that on hand. Just be mindful that the flavor of the syrup will change slightly. As a general rule, use 1/8 cup less honey than sugar, and 1/4 cup less agave than sugar.
- minty – add in a handful of fresh mint leaves to make the perfect syrup for pineapple mojitos!
- ginger – the spicy flavor of ginger partners beautifully with pineapple. Adding in a bit of fresh grated ginger or a bit of powdered ginger will turn this into a totally new syrup!
- spicy – pineapples and peppers pair well together! Try adding in some jalapeño pepper or habanero pepper if you want a little kick to your pineapple syrup!
🧰 equipment needed & storage tips
Check out this post here for the ultimate guide of tools to use when making your own simple syrups!
🫙 storage tips
Store your pineapple simple syrup in the fridge for up to two weeks, or freeze it for longer storage. In the freezer, simple syrups can last three to five months.
💬 q+a
If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Pineapple Simple Syrup (with Fresh or Frozen Pineapple)
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Equipment
- 1 1.5-quart saucepan non-reactive, like stainless steel or enameled cast iron
- 1 fine mesh strainer non-reactive, stainless steel
- 1 2-cup glass measuring cup for straining
- 1 kitchen scale optional
- 1 chefs knife
- 1 cutting board
Ingredients
- 500 g pineapple about 1/2 of a whole pineapple, or 3 1/2 cups
- 200 g sugar granulated, 1 cup
- 237 g water filtered, 1 cup
- 1 TBSP lemon juice optional, but helps the flavor POP!
Instructions
- Combine sugar and water over medium-low heat. Add sugar and water in a 1.5-quart saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until sugar is completely dissolved.200 g sugar, 237 g water
- Prep pineapple. While the sugar is dissolving, cut top and skin off the pineapple, then cut it in half. Cut 1/2 of the pineapple into 1-inch chunks, including the core.500 g pineapple
- Add pineapple to syrup base. Add in the pineapple chunks to the sugar-water mix and infuse the fruit into the syrup over medium-low heat for 20-30 minutes. Don't let the heat get too high or let the syrup boil, a low simmer is okay!
- Cool. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes.
- Strain. Strain the mix using a stainless steel mesh strainer. Discard the solids (or use them in a smoothie, or blend them into a sauce for desserts).
- Store. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks, or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- use the core – this recipe can be made using the entire core of the pineapple! That means you can save more juicy pineapple for snacking!
- lemon juice – lemon juice helps enhance the flavor of the pineapple in this syrup. Be careful to only use a small amount, no more than 1 TBSP, or it can add too much lemon flavor.
- choose a ripe pineapple – make sure to select a ripe pineapple. Pineapples don’t ripen much after being harvested, contrary to popular belief. The more yellow a pineapple is, the riper it is, so avoid greener fruit if you can. Check my tips in the blog post for picking the perfect pineapple!
- quick cooling – if you need to rapidly cool your syrup for immediate use, you can set the container in an ice bath to bring the temperature down quickly!
♻️ customize your pineapple syrup
- sweetener – if you only have light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, or a natural less-processed sugar, you can still make this recipe! Your finished syrup will have a more caramelized flavor. You can also use agave or honey if you only have that on hand. Just be mindful that the flavor of the syrup will change slightly. As a general rule, use 1/8 cup less honey than sugar, and 1/4 cup less agave than sugar.
- minty – add in a handful of fresh mint leaves to make the perfect syrup for pineapple mojitos!
- ginger – the spicy flavor of ginger partners beautifully with pineapple. Adding in a bit of fresh grated ginger or a bit of powdered ginger will turn this into a totally new syrup!
- spicy – pineapples and peppers pair well together! Try adding in some jalapeño pepper or habanero pepper if you want a little kick to your pineapple syrup!
