This strawberry simple syrup recipe is a great way to add the floral and fruity flavor of strawberries to cocktails, mocktails, and more! It’s made with REAL berries infused into a simple syrup. Once you make it, you’ll never want to be without fresh strawberry syrup in your fridge again!
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. 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.
why this strawberry simple recipe works:
🍓 deep berry taste. Allowing the berries to infuse using a gentle heat gives this syrup a deep jammy taste, bringing layers of strawberry flavor!
💰 money-saving. No more store-bought shelf stable syrups for you! This recipe is a great way to make your own flavored drinks at home for a fraction of the cost.
⏱️ quick & easy. While there is a bit of cooling time, this recipe is super simple to make! It’s also great for making with children as a fun weekend activity!
🛒 ingredients
See the recipe card for the exact quantities.
🍳 instructions
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.
Now, you can add the sweet strawberry flavor to any beverage you choose. You can also freeze the excess to use later if you won’t be using it all within a week or two!
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💡tips & tricks for getting it right
🍽️ serving tips
This recipe works best as a strawberry syrup for cocktails and other beverages. Simple syrups are the best way to sweeten both a hot and a cold drink. Simple syrup is thinner than pancake syrup and dessert sauces, so it will be too watery to top desserts with. You can still use it on food, but just be aware that it will be thin and may soak into porous foods like waffles and French toast quickly.
cocktails
Use this in place of regular simple syrup in any cocktail recipes. It works especially well in tequila, vodka, and rum-based 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 beverages
You can also use this strawberry simple syrup to sweeten non-alcoholic beverages and mocktails! I love using it in iced coffee. Here are a few of my favorite drinks to use this syrup in:
- 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!
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- thick syrup – If you allow your syrup to cook for longer, it will become a thick syrup, 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.
🔆 top tip
You can make this recipe using fresh or frozen berries. If you are using frozen berries, use more berries to maximize the flavor in the syrup.
♻️ substitutions & variations
- 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!
🧰 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.
If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Strawberry Simple Syrup (Easy Syrup For Drinks)
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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
- 12 strawberries medium-sized, washed & hulled.
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed, from half a small lemon
Instructions
- Prep the berries. Rinse, trim, & hull 12 medium-sized strawberries, then roughly chop them.
- Combine sugar and water. Combine 200 g of granulated sugar (1 cup) and 236 g of water (1 cup) in a saucepan.
- Dissolve sugar. Heat the pan over medium 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.
- 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.
Nutrition Information
The information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition facts calculator and actual nutrition facts may vary.
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!! 🍓