This passion fruit simple syrup recipe is a lush way to turn passion fruits into cocktails, mocktails, and more. It uses fresh passion fruit puree to infuse the intense flavor of the popular tropical fruit into an easy-to-use syrup!
Passion fruit has been popular in the use of tropical cocktails since the days Donn’s Beachcomber in 1930’s Hollywood. Legend has it that passion fruit syrup made an appearance in more than a few cocktails, but Donn Beach worked diligently to keep his recipes a secret. The good news is that this syrup is super easy to make, and whether you keep it secret or not is up to you! With only 3 ingredients and less than an hour, you’ll be ready for tiki drinks of your own!
Use this flavorful syrup to make passion fruit mojitos and passion fruit lemonade. You can also add some to your favorite sparkling water for a homemade passionfruit soda. With over 10 years of experience of making homemade simple syrups, I’ve come across some really special flavors. Passion fruit is one of those flavors that really stops you in your tracks! It’s sweet, tart, tangy and tropical.
💕 why this passion fruit syrup works:
🤌 impressive & unique. It only takes three ingredients to make this syrup, but people will wonder what you did to create such a special liquid sweetener bursting with passion fruit taste!
🏝️tropical & bright. This simple syrup is the epitome of tropical flavor, synonymous with names like Trader Vic and Donn the Beachcomber. It’s perfect for transforming any beverage into one worthy of an island escape.
🙌 quick & easy. The bulk of the preparation time for this syrup is hands-off, meaning it’s great for a quick project!
🛒 ingredients
- passion fruit– in order to get fresh passion fruit pureé, you need either fresh ripe passion fruit or frozen passion fruit pulp or puree. If you are using frozen or shelf-stable passion fruit pureé, make sure it is labeled as pureé and not juice. Passion fruit juice is a mix of passion fruit puree, water, and sugar. 🤓
- filtered water – filtered water is best for keeping the flavor profile nice and clean. Avoid using unfiltered water as it can affect the taste of the finished syrup.
- granulated sugar – regular granulated sugar is perfect for simple syrups. However, you can definitely swap out the sugar for your favorite sweetener of choice. Using a natural sugar or darker sugar like brown sugar will impact the flavor of the finished syrup, so sticking with white sugar is recommended.
See the recipe card for quantities.
🏝️all about passion fruit
Contrary to popular belief, this fruit grows on a vine, not a tree. Passion vine is native to South America from Southern Brazil to Argentina. The ripe fruits are small to medium in size, with a thick “shell” and an inside filled with pulp.
- In South America, passion fruit is called maracujá.
- In Hawaii, passion fruit is called lilikoi.
- The puree is from the pulp inside of the passion fruit.
- Each fruit is filled with small juice “sacks” of pulp that have a bit of liquid passion fruit pureé and black crunchy seeds that are edible.
🍳 instructions
Step 1: Slice 6 – 8 passion fruits and scrape out the inside of the fruits. Strain the passion fruit pulp through a fine mesh strainer to extract the puree from the seeds.
Step 2: Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan, and heat over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the passion fruit puree to the sugar-water mixture.
Step 3: Let the mixture simmer for 15 – 20 minutes. Some of the water will evaporate, this is okay! It will help the mixture thicken up a little more.
Step 4: Allow the mixture to cool before measuring and storing it in an airtight container.
Hint: Heating the passion fruit puree with the sugar water gives you a more stable mixture and allows for a deeper flavor to develop.
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💡 tips and tricks for getting it right
🍽️ serving tips
cocktails
Use this passionfruit syrup in place of simple syrup in any cocktail recipe. It works especially well in tropical rum, tequila, and vodka-based cocktails! A classic passion fruit cocktail is the passion fruit martini, also known as the porn star martini (I promise if you can get beyond the name, it’s a great cocktail 🫣). This flavor is a staple in tiki culture, so you’ll often find it in tiki cocktails, too.
- classic passion fruit daiquiris – classic daiquiris are not the same as the frozen resort cocktail! Replace the sugar in a daiquiri recipe with this simple syrup for a delicious take on a classic!
- passion fruit mojitos – passion fruit blends so well with rum and mint in this easy passion fruit mojito recipe!
- passion fruit mules – ginger beer, lime, and passion fruit make a perfect match in this cocktail variation!
non-alcoholic beverages
You can also use this simple syrup to sweeten non-alcoholic beverages and mocktails! It makes the perfect batch of zero proof tropical drinks!
- passion fruit lemonade – this recipe uses passion fruit simple syrup in place of granulated sugar. This gives the classic lemonade a tropical twist!
- homemade passion fruit soda – mix this simple syrup with a bit of plain seltzer water for a homemade soda! You can also add in some cream to make your own Italian sodas.
- coffee – This syrup is a great addition to coffee! Passion fruit lattes, anyone?!
- passion fruit iced tea – mix this simple syrup with passion iced tea for a refreshing beverage that would impress any barista!
cooking & baking
- keep baked goods moist: Use this simple syrup to brush layer cakes and keep them moist between layers! It would be wonderful used to keep this Kona Coconut Loaf Cake extra moist!
- homemade shave ice topping: This syrup works very well as a homemade shave ice topping. You’ll think you’re on a tropical island getaway for sure! 🏝️
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- puree, not juice – If you use store-bought purée make sure it only has passion fruit as the single ingredient.
- too thick – If you allow your syrup to cook for longer, it will be thicker, like a rich syrup, and the flavor will be more intense. It will also be considerably sweeter and may not mix as easily into beverages with just a spoon. Thicker syrups are great for using on desserts, though!
- too tart – if your syrup is too tart for your taste buds, you can reheat the syrup. Add more sugar, 2 TBSP at a time, and stir until the sugar dissolves.
♻️ substitutions & variations
♻️ substitutions
Are you out of an ingredient? Need to use something else to make your passion fruit syrup? Try these substitutions!
- use another sugar – you can use a different sugar, like brown sugar, demerara sugar, or even coconut sugar in this recipe! Keep in mind that the flavor will be deeper and more caramelized if you’re using a darker sugar.
- honey, agave, or maple syrup – you can also use honey, agave, or maple syrup as a substitute for sugar. The flavor will vary slightly, but it will give you pretty consistent results no matter the sweetener you use. All of these sweeteners are more sweet than sugar, so a good rule of thumb is to use 1/8 of a cup less honey than sugar.
- Add in other fruit – if you can’t find enough passionfruit or don’t have enough juice, try adding some pineapple juice or mango juice to the mix for a tropical blended flavor. Orange juice is another popular combination with passion fruit, and so is guava! POG juice is made from passion fruit, orange juice, and guava juice!
🧰 equipment needed & storage tips
🧰 tools needed
Check out this post for the ultimate guide of essential tools for making homemade simple syrups!
- non-reactive heavy-bottomed saucepan – you can use whatever saucepan you have on hand, I love this 1.5-quart saucepan from All-Clad. The heavy bottom ensures even heating throughout the cooking time, and non-reactive metal ensures that your pan doesn’t impart a metallic flavor to your syrup.
- fine mesh strainer – using a fine mesh strainer and spoon is the simplest ways to extract the juice from the pulp of the passion fruits. You can use a blender or juicer, but you’ll want to be sure to strain the juice through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheese cloth in that case, because the seeds will be broken up from the blender or juicer.
- kitchen scale – using a kitchen scale has so many benefits, from being more precise to helping you do less dishes! If you use a scale, you can simply put everything right in the pot as you measure it, no need to dirty up a bunch of extra dishes!
- heat-proof measuring glass – you’ll need to measure your ingredients, and I love using Anchor Hocking brand measuring cups because they can go from cold to hot without shattering!
- silicone spatula – a silicone spatula is a great tool to use for making simple syrups because it doesn’t absorb or give off flavor while heat-cooking. It also stays cool to the touch, so you don’t need to worry about it getting too hot to hold. Another bonus? It doesn’t absorb flavors (unlike a wooden spoon).
- airtight storage container – Glass stopper bottles from Bormioli Rocco are great for storage, and they look great, too. For versatility you cannot beat the BPA-free plastic squeeze bottles by OXO. I love portioning out simple syrups and freezing them for later in the year.
🫙 storage tips
Your passion fruit syrup will stay in the fridge for up to two weeks or up to three months in the freezer.
Freezing simple syrup is a great way to keep seasonal flavors on hand all year round!
💬 q+a
Where can I get passion fruit?
Check your local grocery store, specialty markets, or farmers markets from January through April for passion fruit. I’ve also seen them at our local Whole Foods market. Do a Google search for specialty fruit stores near you—you might be surprised to find that you can source tropical flavors right in your own neighborhood!
How long is homemade simple syrup good for?
The passion fruit simple syrup is good for up to two weeks when stored in the fridge. You can store it for longer in your freezer, up to three months.
How can I use passion fruit syrup?
Make a batch of passion fruit lemonade, passion fruit mojitos, or just put it in your sparkling water! You can add it to sangria, wine spritzers, or margaritas too! I’ve even sweetened my coffee with it in the morning!
If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Passion Fruit Simple Syrup (Lilikoi Syrup for Drinks)
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Equipment
- 1 saucepan
- 1 fine mesh strainer
- 1 measuring cup
- 1-2 storage containers
- 1 kitchen scale optional, for measuring ingredients
Ingredients
- 4 ounces passion fruit juice 1/2 cup, from 6-8 small to medium-sized passion fruits or frozen puree.
- 200 g granulated sugar 1 cup
- 240 g water 1 cup
Instructions
- Slice 6- 8 passion fruits and scrape the pulp out.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer to separate the juice and seeds. You will need to use a spoon to push the seeds around the strainer, and squeeze the juice out. You should end up with about 1/2 cup of juice. Alternatively give the pulp a few quick pulses in a blender, or use a juicer to extract the juice.
- Combine 200 g of granulated sugar (1 cup) and 240 g of water (1 cup) in a 1.5-quart saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for about 5 – 10 minutes until the sugar is dissolved.
- Pour in the passion fruit juice to the sugar-water mixture, and simmer over medium heat for about 15 – 20 minutes.
- Pour into a glass measuring cup to cool for up to 20 minutes– you should have about 2 cups of passion fruit syrup.
- Store in your bottle of choice. The passion fruit syrup can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks, or in the freezer for up to three months.
Notes
Troubleshooting Tips
- puree, not juice – If you use store-bought purée make sure it only has passion fruit as the single ingredient.
- too thick – If you allow your syrup to cook for longer, it will be thicker, like a rich syrup, and the flavor will be more intense. It will also be considerably sweeter and may not mix as easily into beverages with just a spoon. Thicker syrups are great for using on desserts, though!
- too tart – if your syrup is too tart for your taste buds, you can reheat the syrup and add more sugar to dissolve, 2 TBSP at a time.
Nutrition Information
The information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition facts calculator and actual nutrition facts may vary.
🧯food safety & other information
Food safety is an important ingredient in any recipe for success! Here are some tips to keep you safe in the kitchen!
- While you can allow this syrup to sit at room temperature, don’t leave it out for longer than 4 hours at a time. This helps to inhibit bacteria growth that can happen from the sugars in the syrup. Read more about the temperature danger zone here.
- Use sterilized containers whenever possible. You can sterilize your containers by boiling them briefly, running them through your dishwasher with the sterilize feature activated, or pouring boiling water into the containers.
- While you may be able to use your simple syrup longer than 2 weeks in the fridge, if you see any sort of cloudiness or dark spots in the syrup, throw it out. This is mold growth and is not a recipe for fun.
- Never leave simmering syrup unattended on the stove.
- If you use honey to make this syrup, avoid feeding it to children under the age of 1.
