This pineapple simple syrup is the perfect way to enjoy the fresh flavor of pineapples in any beverage you can imagine! It 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!
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.
why this pineapple syrup recipe works:
🍍 tropical. This pineapple syrup imparts the fruity tropical flavor of pineapple into anything you put it in! It’s perfect for sodas, iced tea, and cocktails!
🙌 quick & easy. Simple syrups are one of my favorite quick ways to level up homemade beverages. All you need is about an hour of your time, and you can enjoy pineapple drinks all week long!
♻️ less wasteful. This recipe uses the core of the pineapple, which is often thrown away!
🛒 ingredients
optional ingredients
See the recipe card for the exact quantities.
🍍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.
🍳 instructions
1: Add 1 cup water to a 1.5-quart saucepan.
2: Add 1 cup of sugar to the water in the saucepan.
3: Cook over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved.
4: While the sugar dissolves in the water, cut the top and skin off the pineapple, then cut it in half.
5: Cut your pineapple into chunks, about 1-inch big.
6: At this point, your sugar-water mix should be bubbling. Add in pineapple, and cook over medium heat at a simmer for 20 – 30 minutes. Some water will evaporate, this is okay!
7: Add in the lemon juice, if you’re using it.
8: Allow the syrup to cool for up to 20 minutes.
9: 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!
10: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks, or freeze for longer storage.
Hint: While you can cut and process a pineapple using just a knife and cutting board, a pineapple corer is a worthwhile investment if you find yourself using a lot of the fruit throughout the year!
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💡tips & tricks for getting it right
🍽️ serving tips
Simple syrups are best used in beverages because they are so thin in consistency. Since it is so thin, it doesn’t work well for topping desserts like ice cream or on breakfast foods like waffles and pancakes. You can still use it on food, but just be aware that it will be thin and may soak into porous foods quickly.
Cocktails
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!
- 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 – pineapple and tequila are a match made in heaven in a tropical pineapple margarita!
Non-Alcoholic Drinks
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!
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- ripeness – 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.
- 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.
🔆 top tip
This recipe can be made using the entire core of the pineapple! That means you can save more juicy pineapple for snacking!
♻️ substitutions & variations
Missing an ingredient? No problem. Check out these tried-and-true substitutions, or comment below with your question. I’m here to help you troubleshoot!
- 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, and you may need to adjust the sweetness by adding more agave or honey to your liking. 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
Do I need to use a fresh pineapple for this recipe?
You can use canned pineapple or even frozen pineapple for this recipe! Just make sure that the only ingredient is pineapple.
Can I make the pineapple simple syrup without heating it?
You can make this syrup in a no-cook way through maceration. Maceration is when you combine the fruit with sugar, and allow the sugar molecules to draw out the moisture in the fruit. Follow the instructions for the no-cook method if you prefer not to heat your syrup!
Does this syrup thicken up at all?
After it cools and when stored in the fridge, it will thicken up. It will not be as thick as a sauce or jam, though. It will be mostly liquid, with a little bit of viscosity to it.
Think of it like the flavored syrups you see pumping out at your favorite coffee shops. This allows it to easily blend in with hot or cold beverages without clumping.
If you want a thicker syrup, you can let your infusion simmer a bit longer so the liquid reduces. This will also intensify the flavor and make it a rich syrup, which has a higher sugar content than water content.
If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
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Pineapple Simple Syrup (Easy Pineapple Syrup for Drinks)
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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
- 227 g water filtered
- 1 TBSP lemon juice optional, but helps the flavor POP!
Instructions
- Add 200g sugar (1 cup) to 227g of water (1 cup) in a 1.5-quart saucepan.
- Cook over medium-low heat until sugar is completely dissolved.
- 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. You should have about 500g of pineapple, or 3 1/2 cups.
- Add in the pineapple chunks to the sugar-water mix, which should be at a low simmer by now, and cook over medium heat at a simmer for 20 – 30 minutes. Some water will evaporate, this is okay!
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes.
- 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 in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks, or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
Nutrition Information
The information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition facts calculator and actual nutrition facts may vary.
