Strawberry Simple Syrup
Y’all, this strawberry simple syrup is gorgeous! It’s a perfect way to preserve the taste of red, ripe, delicious strawberries. Use it for cocktails, mocktails, lemonade, strawberry milk, and much more!
Seriously, I can’t get over how pretty this strawberry syrup is. It’s completely natural. The color and flavor come from red, ripe strawberries. It perfectly complements drinks and desserts by adding a fresh, sweet strawberry flavor. I like making strawberry cocktails for Mama and Dada and pink strawberry milk for the kiddos. Mama might be sneaking sips of the strawberry milk. It reminds me of the powdered stuff from my childhood, but so much better!
Make this 3-ingredient strawberry simple syrup when you have plenty of fresh strawberries!
Ingredients
Use fresh strawberries for this simple syrup to make the strawberry flavor shine. Try making it with locally sourced berries at the peak of strawberry season!
Good old-fashioned granulated sugar turns the beautiful berries into a sweet syrup.
Water to form a solution and extract all the fresh strawberry flavor.
Variation: Use Frozen Berries
You can use frozen strawberries if you can’t find fresh ones. Try freezing local strawberries for later use to ensure they’re high quality. Thaw them and follow the directions for using fresh berries. Make sure to include any juice that the strawberries lose as they thaw.
How to Make Strawberry Simple Syrup
Add the berries and sugar to a saucier or small pan. Then, use a masher to crush the strawberries into the sugar. They will release their juices and form a liquid. Then add the water and stir to combine.
Now, heat the berry mixture over medium-low and gently stir until the sugar is dissolved. It should take 5 minutes or less. Don’t boil it! Remove it from the heat and let it sit for 20 minutes without stirring.
Line a strainer with several layers of cheesecloth or a straining bag. Slowly strain the syrup into a mason jar.
Don’t stir or squeeze the cheesecloth while it strains. That will cause you syrup to get cloudy. It’s perfectly edible if it does get cloudy, but it looks so pretty when it’s crystal clear!
You can change out the cheesecloth if it gets clogged during the process.
This recipe will make about 3 cups of strawberry syrup. You can save the leftover pulp. It’s sort of like strawberry compote and is delicious when stirred into yogurt or cottage cheese!
Storage
Store in a closed mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
What to do With Strawberry Simple Syrup
There are so many ways to use strawberry simple syrup. You’ll be ready to make a second batch in no time! From crafting beverages to keeping a cake fresh, this will earn its keep in your fridge! Keep it simple by adding a splash to your favorite drinks and using it as a sugar syrup for cocktails. Check out more ideas below.
Make Crafted Cocktails and Spirits
- Strawberry Daiquiris
- Love Potion Cocktail
- Strawberry Margaritas
- 4th of July Layered Cocktail
- Strawberry Mule
- Strawberry Spritzer Cocktail
Make Mocktails and Non-Alcoholic Drinks
- Strawberry Milk
- Strawberry Vanilla Frappe
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Strawberry Iced Tea
- Hibiscus and Berry Iced Tea
- Strawberry Ginger Mocktail
- Strawberry Soda
Add it to Baked Goods and Desserts
- Make strawberry milkshakes.
- Use it as an ice cream topping.
- Toss it with sliced strawberries. You can use that for strawberry shortcake or as a cheesecake topping.
- Use it in a fruit salad.
- Use it as a pancake syrup.
- Brush it over cakes and cupcakes to keep them from drying out.
More Cocktail Essentials
How to Make Classic Simple Syrup
What’s your favorite way to use strawberry simple syrup? Let me know in the comments!
PrintStrawberry Simple Syrup
Preserve fresh strawberries by turning them into a beautiful and delicious simple syrup. Use it in your favorite drinks, desserts, and more!
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: about 3 cups 1x
- Category: Syrup
- Method: Dissolve
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, washed and green tops removed
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Add the sugar and strawberries to a small pot or saucier. Use a masher to crush the strawberries into the sugar. They will release their juice and mix it with the sugar.
- Add the water to the pot and stir it to combine.
- Heat the strawberry mixture over medium-low heat. Stir gently until the sugar is fully dissolved. It should take less than 5 minutes. Do not boil it.
- Remove from the heat and allow it to sit for 20 minutes. Don’t stir it.
- Strain into a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or a straining bag.
Notes
Use immediately or store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Take your time straining. If you squeeze it through the cheesecloth, it may become cloudy. You can change the cheesecloth if it becomes clogged while straining.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ounce
- Calories: 67
- Sugar: 16.9 g
- Sodium: 0.6 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.1 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Frequently Asked Questions
Save the strained strawberry pulp after straining. It’s like a strawberry compote. Mix it with yogurt or cottage cheese. It’s like those individual fruit on the bottom yogurt cups, only better!
Squeezing the strawberry syrup through the cheesecloth can cause it to become cloudy. To keep it crystal clear, strain it slowly and change the cheesecloth if necessary. If it does become cloudy, it will taste fine!
The acidity of the strawberries can sometimes cause milk to separate. You’re seeing the curds and whey separate. It’s perfectly safe to eat. Pretend you’re Little Miss Muffet, and carry on. I’ve never had this happen.
How would you use this to make strawberry lemonade? Just add lemon juice? Thank you!
Hi Amanda,
I’ll update the post soon with a lemonade recipe! You can make a 2-quart pitcher of strawberry lemonade with this syrup.
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice + the spend lemon halves
1 cup strawberry simple syrup
4 cups of cold water
ice
Directions:
Add the lemon juice, squeezed lemon halves, and strawberry simple syrup to a pitcher and stir to mix.
Add the cold water and stir again. Taste and add more simple syrup if it is too sour.
Fill the remainder of the pitcher with ice and serve over ice.
I hope you enjoy it 🙂