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I’m just gonna rip the bandaid off. GRENADINE IS POMEGRANATE, NOT CHERRY. Phew. Okay. Now that I got that off my chest, let’s chat about how easy it is to make at home! This sweet pomegranate simple syrup recipe is made using fresh pomegranate juice, sugar, water, and a little squeeze of lemon juice.

A bottle of homemade grenadine, or pomegranate simple syrup, sits on a plate surrounded by pomegranate fruits.

As someone who’s been making homemade drinks for over 10 years, I’ve learned a thing or two about flavor. While there is thankfully a trend happening in cocktail bars of using scratch-made and small-batch syrups, most places still use bottled shelf-stable syrups made of coloring and natural flavors (which, by the way, aren’t all much different than artificial ones 😬).

Use this syrup to make any and all drinks that use grenadine, from a Shirley Temple to a pomegranate lemonade! You can also level up classic cocktails that tend to be overly sweet, like a tequila sunrise, hurricane, or rum runner, or create your own seasonal cocktails like a classic pomegranate daiquiri or pomegranate margarita. Trust me, once you make your own grenadine, you’ll never be able to look at the syrup the same.

why this pomegranate syrup recipe works:

♥️ deep & juicy. Fresh pomegranate juice is what really gives this syrup it’s depth of flavor.

🍭 tart & sweet. Pomegranates are naturally tart, so they are an excellent candidate for homemade syrups that help add intresting flavor to drinks and other recipes!

🏠 better than store-bought. Skip the artificial flavors and colors found in commercial grenadine – this homemade version lets the natural pomegranate shine.

🛒 ingredients

  • pomegranates – you’ll need 2 medium-large fruits to get 1 cup of juice. If your pomegranates are smaller than the size of a whiffle ball, like a tennis ball size, you might need 3 whole fruits.
  • granulated sugar – plain white granulated sugar makes the best blank canvas for the flavor of pomegranates to shine. You can use another sugar, or even a liquid sweetener like agave or honey, but it will impact the flavor of the syrup a bit so keep that in mind.
  • water – make sure to use filtered water so you don’t get any funky flavors in your syrup.
  • lemon – lemon helps the flavor of the pomegranate to really POP in the syrup! I love adding a squeeze of lemon to all my fruit infused syrups for an extra boost of flavor.

See the recipe card for the exact quantities.

🍳 instructions

Juicing pomegranates using an electric citrus press.

1: Slice and juice your pomegranates depending on the method of juicing you’re using.

Pouring fresh pomegranate juice into a saucepan.

2: Add the juice and water to a saucepan and heat over medium heat.

Adding granulated sugar to a pot of pomegranate juice and water.

3: Add in granulated sugar and gently heat the pan until the sugar is dissolved.

Squeezing lemon juice into a pomegranate syrup.

4: Squeeze in fresh lemon juice, from one half of a lemon, if using.

Straining cooled homemade grenadine syrup through a fine mesh sieve.

5: Allow syrup to cool slightly before straining through a fine mesh sieve to catch any sediment.

Pouring homemade grenadine syrup into a storage bottle.

6: Pour into an airtight container for storage.

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💡tips & tricks for getting it right

🍽️ serving tips

Use your grenadine to make a bevy of beverages, from non-alcoholic drinks to cocktails! It’s also wonderful in iced tea!

mocktails

  • pomegranate soda pop – homemade sodas are some of my favorite things to make with infused syrups at home! You can even make your own Shirley Temple by mixing a bit of lemon and lime juice into this pomegranate soda recipe!
  • pomegranate lemonade – another easy way to use syrups is making custom blended lemonades! Try a single serving or full pitcher of pomegranate lemonade!

cocktails

  • rum runner – a classic beach cocktail that can sometimes be overly sweet gets a flavor facelift thanks to homemade pomegranate syrup! Want to take it up another notch? Try making your own creme de mure liqueur!
  • tequila sunrise – get seasonal with this tequila classic by using a special orange juice, like blood orange juice and pomegranate!
  • pomegranate daiquiri – classic daiquiris are one of my favorite cocktails to make. It’s super simple, elegant, and easy to make seasonal variations of, like a pomegranate daiquiri!

ℹ️ troubleshooting tips

  • bitter or tart – make sure to taste your juice before making the syrup! If your juice is overly tart or bitter, your fruit could be overripe. You can try adding in more sugar to offset the bitterness.

🔆 top tip

Other homemade grenadine recipes call for more ingredients like pomegranate molasses, orange blossom water or rose water, and while they do add a delicate flavor, it’s not super noticeable when mixing the syrup in drinks.

♻️ grenadine 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!

  • pomegranate molasses & orange blossom water – if you want a more traditional grenadine syrup, you can buy a jar of pomegranate molasses or even make your own by cooking pomegranate juice down! Add a few dashes of orange blossom water, too, and you’ve got an “authentic” homemade grenadine on your hands!
Slicing pomegranates to juice them using an electric citrus press juicer.

🧰 special equipment needed & storage tips

  • non-reactive saucepan – since pomegranate juice is acidic, it’s important to use non-reactive metal tools when making this syrup. That means choosing something like stainless steel or enameled cast iron instead of aluminum.
  • juicer or juice press – if you have a juicer, you can juice the pomegranate arils using that. I actually use my citrus juicer because it’s easier than removing all the arils then putting them through the juicer! You can also lightly pulse the pomegranate seeds in a blender, or put them in a ziplock bag and smoosh them with a rolling pin.
  • fine mesh sieve – as with the pan, make sure to use a non-reactive metal sieve. Alternatively, you can use cheese cloth!
  • kitchen scale – I love measuring my ingredients by weight because it helps keep the flavor the same every time, and it’s less cleanup when you can measure right into the pot.
  • other tools – you’ll also need a cutting board, a chef’s knife or pairing knife for opening your pomegranates, a spatula or spoon for stirring, and a heat proof measuring glass for helping to pour and strain your syrup.

🫙 how to store homemade grenadine

Store your finished syrup in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freeze your syrup for longer storage. Infused simple syrups have a shorter shelf life than classic simple syrup or rich simple syrup because of the addition of fresh fruit juice.

💬 q+a

What’s the difference between grenadine and pomegranate simple syrup?

Store-bought grenadine is nothing but high fructose corn syrup and flavorings. Other brands include ingredients like pomegranate molasses for depth of flavor and orange blossom water, for a hint of light floral flavor. Since the base flavor of grenadine is pomegranate, it’s technically the same thing!

Can I use bottled pomegranate juice?

Absolutely! You can use bottled pomegranate juice, and the flavor will still be better than a shelf-stable store-bought syrup made on a factory line 6+ months before you get your hands on it. I am contractually obligated to tell you that fresh is best, but you probably already know that. 😜

If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
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A bottle of homemade grenadine, or pomegranate simple syrup, sits on a plate surrounded by pomegranate fruits.

Pomegranate Simple Syrup (Homemade Grenadine Syrup)

This deep and juicy pomegranate simple syrup is full of fresh fruit flavor that's perfect for all of your beverage recipes. It rivals any storebought syrup because it's made with freshly squeezed juice, water, and granulated sugar– no artificial coloring or flavoring. It's also known as homemade grenadine, and once you make your own, you'll never look at Shirley Temples the same way again.
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Beverages, Simple Syrup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: simple syrup
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 16 ounces
Calories: 55kcal
Author: Lindsey Neumayer

Equipment

  • 1 kitchen scale or measuing cups
  • 1 non-reactive saucepan such as stainless steel or enameled cast iron, NOT aluminum
  • 1 non-reactive mesh sieve or cheesecloth
  • 1 spatula or spoon
  • 1 citrus press or juicer
  • 1 heatproof measuring glass

Ingredients

  • 190 g pomegranate juice from 2 pomegranates, 1 cup
  • 200 g sugar 1 cup
  • 120 g water 1/2 cup
  • 10 g lemon juice 1 TBSP, fresh squeezed

Instructions

  • Juice fruit. Cut pomegranate in half and juice it using a citrus press, or separate seeds from the fruit flesh and process using a blender or electric juicer. You should end up with 190 g of juice, or one cup.
    190 g pomegranate juice
  • Combine with water. Add the juice and 120g water (1/2 cup) to a saucepan and heat over medium heat.
    120 g water
  • Add sugar. Add in 200g sugar (1 cup), and gently heat the pan until the sugar is dissolved.
    200 g sugar
  • Pop of lemon. Add in fresh squeezed lemon juice, from one half of a lemon, if using.
    10 g lemon juice
  • Cool & strain. Allow syrup to cool before straining through a fine mesh sieve to catch any sediment.
  • Bottle. Pour into airtight container for storage.
  • Store. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for longer storage.

Nutrition Information

Servings: 16 ounces
Calories: 2mg
Total Fat: 2mg
Saturated Fat: 2mg
Trans Fat: 2mg
Cholesterol: 2mg
Sodium: 2mg
Carbohydrates: 2mg
Fiber: 2mg
Sugar: 2mg
Protein: 2mg

The information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition facts calculator and actual nutrition facts may vary.

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One Comment

  1. 5 stars
    Can’t believe I never knew grenadine was not cherry! I used POM juice since I couldn’t find pomegranates and it turned out great!

5 from 1 vote

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