This strawberry simple syrup recipe is bursting with the real, fresh flavor of ripe strawberries. It’s made by gently simmering REAL strawberries into a classic simple syrup, which pulls out alllll their natural sweetness and bright, fruity goodness. It’s perfect for using in all your drinks, from your morning coffee to your happy hour cocktails!
Once you taste how much better homemade is compared to store-bought, you’ll never go back to that artificial stuff again! I’ve been making simple syrups for homemade cocktails for over 10 years now. With that in mind, I’ve learned a few success tips for getting it right the first time.
It is a wonderful addition to this Strawberry Frozé recipe! Margaritas? How about a strawberry margarita?! Heck, you can even use it make strawberry milk or to jazz up your latte like in this recipe for an iced strawberry latte.
👀 the secret sauce…
✨ the flavor: This strawberry syrup delivers The Pop with the unique addition of lemon juice, which helps brighten the flavor profile!
🎯 the method: Fresh strawberries are gently infused in a classic simple syrup, slowly extracting all their natural flavor.
🏆 the win: Unlike store-bought syrups made with artificial flavors, this homemade version captures the true taste of real strawberries!
🛒 ingredients
See the recipe card for the exact quantities.
🍳 how to make strawberry infused syrup
1: Remove the leaves from the berries and hull them. Slice and juice your lemon.
2: Combine the water and sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, and heat to a simmer, until the sugar dissolves.
3: Add in about 12 medium-sized berries and let the mixture gently simmer for 20 minutes. Also add in your lemon juice at this time if you are using it. The berries will lose a little color, and start to collapse a bit. That’s a good sign– it means the flavor is being extracted into the syrup!
4: Allow the syrup to cool, then strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. Store it in an airtight container of your choice, such as a glass bottle, mason jar, or plastic squeeze bottle.
💡tips & tricks for getting it right
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- not flavorful enough – if your syrup lacks The Oomph you’re looking for, you can increase the berries you use to a full pint, or 2 cups! Make sure your berries are bold red in color and without any white or green spots. Ripe berries are the secret to intense flavor!
- too thick – don’t cook your syrup at too high of a heat (no rolling boils!!!). Also, if you allow your syrup to cook for too long, it will become much thicker, and may not mix as easily into beverages with just a spoon (but you can use a cocktail shaker!).
🍽️ how to use homemade strawberry syrup
strawberry cocktail ideas:
classic strawberry daiquiris
Shaken, not frozen! Use this syrup in a traditional daiquiri recipe for a strawberry twist.
strawberry Frozé Cocktail
This popular frozen summer-ready strawberry cocktail is surprisingly easy to make at home!
strawberry mocktail ideas:
strawberry iced lattes
This strawberry syrup is one of my favorite things to keep on hand for my morning coffee! It makes an INSANE strawberry latte, hot or iced!
Fresh Strawberry Lemonade
Use your favorite lemonade recipe and swap the sugar in the recipe for this berry syrup! Use a 1:1 ratio to start, then taste and adjust!
strawberry Italian Sodas
It doesn’t get better than homemade strawberry cream soda! Make sure to top your sodas with homemade whipped cream, too!
♻️ how to customize your strawberry syrup
- frozen berries – you can 100% use frozen strawberries to make strawberry syrup. You may need to simmer for just a bit longer, or use more berries to get the same flavor. I like to buy extra berries from the grocery store when they are in season and on sale, then freeze them myself so I know they’re full of flavor.
- use another sugar – you can use another sugar, like brown sugar, demerara sugar, or even coconut sugar. You can also use honey or maple syrup if you don’t have granulated sugar on hand.
- minty – add a sprig of mint to the syrup as it simmers, for up to 10 minutes, for a minty variation on this syrup.
- basil – strawberry and basil go SO WELL together. Add about 10 whole leaves of basil when the syrup is simmering to make a strawberry basil simple syrup!
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❄️ flavor with fresh vs. frozen berries
You can use BOTH fresh berries or frozen ones, which means you can make this strawberry syrup any time you want, even outside of peak strawberry season. BUT HERE’S THE CATCH!!! Peak-season berries have the best flavor, and not all store-bought frozen strawberries are created equal.
I love to buy berries in bulk when they are in season (and on sale! 🤑) and then freeze them myself! This way, you get to enjoy strawberry season all year long!
If you’re making strawberry syrup with frozen strawberries, you may need to add more fruit so the flavor is as intense as it is with fresh berries. I like to add 5-8 more berries per batch!
🧰 equipment needed & storage tips
Check out my ultimate guide of essential tools for making homemade simple syrups!
🫙 how to store your syrups
Your strawberry simple syrup will stay in the fridge in an airtight container for up to two weeks, or up to three months in the freezer. Check out my post on how to freeze simple syrups! 🤓
💬 q+a
Do I need to use fresh berries for this recipe?
No way, you can actually use frozen strawberries, too. Increase the quantity to about 15-20 berries to accommodate for any loss of flavor.
How long does this strawberry syrup stay fresh?
This syrup will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to two weeks in the fridge. You can portion the syrup out into ice cube trays and freeze for longer storage.
Can I use the whole strawberry to make strawberry simple syrup?
Yes, you can use the whole berry, leaves and hulls included, but this will impact the final flavor. In order to get the most berry-forward flavor, trim your berries of the green leaves and hulls. Strawberry hulls do not have a pleasant flavor, and they can actually impart a bitter flavor to your final product if the berries are not ripe.
Strawberry Simple Syrup Recipe (for Cocktails, Drinks, + More!)
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Equipment
- 1 1.5-quart saucepan non reactive metal, like stainless steel
- 1 paring knife
- 1 fine mesh sieve non reactive metal, like stainless steel
- 1 squeeze bottle or other airtight container
Ingredients
- 225 g strawberries roughly 1 pint of berries, or 10 – 12 medium-sized berries, washed & hulled
- 200 g sugar 1 cup
- 237 g water 1 cup
- 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed, from half a small lemon
Instructions
- Prep the berries. Rinse, trim, & hull strawberries, then roughly chop them.225 g strawberries
- Combine sugar and water. Combine granulated sugar and water in a saucepan.200 g sugar, 237 g water
- Dissolve sugar. Heat the pan over medium-low heat to dissolve the sugar in the water. Be careful not to bring it to a boil.
- Infuse berries. Add the strawberries to the sugar and water mixture, and let them gently simmer over medium-low heat for 15 – 20 minutes. The liquid will reduce a bit, increasing the viscosity and making the syrup thicker.
- Add lemon. Juice half of a small lemon into the mixture, you should have about one tablespoon of lemon juice.1 tbsp lemon juice
- Cool syrup. Remove the pan from heat. Allow the mixture to cool. This should take about 30 minutes. For rapid cooling, you can place the saucepan into a larger bowl that has been filled with ice cubes and cold water.
- Strain berries from syrup. Once cooled, strain the mixture using a fine-mesh sieve into an airtight container.
- Bottle and store. Store in the fridge for up to two weeks, or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- not flavorful enough – if your syrup lacks The Oomph you’re looking for, you can increase the berries you use to a full pint, or 2 cups! Make sure your berries are bold red in color and without any white or green spots. Ripe berries are the secret to intense flavor!
- too thick – don’t cook your syrup at too high of a heat (no rolling boils!!!). Also, if you allow your syrup to cook for too long, it will become much thicker, and may not mix as easily into beverages with just a spoon (but you can use a cocktail shaker!).
🍽️ how to use your syrup
strawberry cocktails
- classic strawberry daiquiris – shaken, not frozen! Use this syrup in a traditional daiquiri recipe for a strawberry twist.
- strawberry mojitos – strawberry and mint are a delightful combination in a cocktail.
- strawberry frozé – this popular frozen summer cocktail is surprisingly easy to make at home!
non-alcoholic drinks
- strawberry lemonade – instead of using sugar in a lemonade recipe, use this syrup!
- homemade strawberry Italian sodas – check out this recipe for a creamy and sweet homemade soda.
- strawberry iced lattes – this strawberry syrup is one of my favorite things to keep on hand for my morning coffee!
- strawberry iced tea – sweeten your iced tea with this strawberry simple syrup for a delightfully refreshing beverage!
I made this strawberry simple syrup from strawberries I had left in my freezer from last year, and it turned out so good! I mixed with with water and lemon juice to make the best strawberry lemonade! This syrup is full of the natural flavor of strawberries, and I’ll definitely be making it again!
Thank you so much for your review, Carissa, I’m so glad it turned out well for you!💕 Your strawberry lemonade sounds amazing! 🍓🍋
Found this recipe on tiktok and had to make it. It’s so good I even used frozen strawberries and it turned out great. I made strawberry sodas and a grown up slushy for a party with it. Both were sooooo good and friends asked for the syrup recipe!!
omg thank you so much for coming from TikTok, Emma! I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a rating and comment! 💕 Both of your beverages sound amazing! Cheers! 🍓
SO GOOD I used it to make strawberry lemonade and strawberry iced tea. Already made another batch!
Thank you so much for sharing your comment, Rosie! I’m so happy you like this syrup!! 🍓