Strawberry Simple Syrup

This strawberry simple syrup is exactly what it sounds like - sweet, bright, and made with real strawberries. Stir it into lemonade, shake it into a cocktail, drizzle it over pancakes, or add a splash to your iced coffee. You'll find an excuse to use it on everything, and honestly, that's kind of the point.

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• 🍓 Strawberry fun facts
• 🧾 Ingredients
• ⭐ Ingredient notes
• 🔍 What to look for in strawberries
• 🥣 How to make strawberry simple syrup
• 💫 Variations
• 🥤 Ways to use strawberry simple syrup
• 🧺 Storage
• 👩‍🍳 Pro tips
• ❓ FAQ
• 📝 Recipe

The smell alone is worth making it - strawberries and sugar warming on the stove is basically summer in a pot. It's one of those things that feels a little fancy but couldn't be simpler, and once you have a jar in the fridge, you'll find yourself putting it in everything. Your morning coffee, your lemonade, your cocktails. It's that kind of recipe.

It takes about 10 minutes start to finish, and works with fresh or frozen strawberries, which means there's never a wrong time of year to make it. Try it stirred into our strawberry cocktail or mocktail, drizzled over our strawberry shortcake waffles, or spooned onto our strawberry crunch cupcakes for a little extra something. Fair warning: one batch never lasts two weeks.

🍓 Strawberry fun facts

Strawberries aren't technically berries. A real berry has its seeds on the inside - blueberries, grapes, even bananas qualify. Strawberries wear their seeds on the outside, which makes them what botanists call an aggregate accessory fruit. They're also members of the rose family, which feels about right for something that smells this good.

🧾 Ingredients

• Fresh or frozen strawberries
• Granulated sugar
• Water

⭐ Ingredient notes

• Strawberries - Fresh strawberries give you the brightest flavor, but frozen work beautifully too, especially in the off-season. No need to thaw them first - just toss them in.
• Sugar - Standard granulated sugar is all you need here. It dissolves well and lets the strawberry flavor do the talking.
• Water - Tap water is fine. Nothing fancy needed.

See the recipe card below for full ingredients and measurements.

🔍 What to look for in strawberries

The riper and more fragrant the strawberry, the better your syrup will be. Look for berries that are deeply red all the way through, smell like actual strawberries, and are slightly soft to the touch. This is honestly a great recipe for berries that are just starting to get a little too ripe for snacking on their own. Don't toss them - make syrup.

🥣 How to make strawberry simple syrup

Hull and slice your strawberries. If you're using frozen, no need to thaw first.

Combine the strawberries, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan and give it a quick stir. Place over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer. You'll start smelling those strawberries almost immediately, and it's heavenly.

Let it simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The strawberries will soften and release all their juice, and the whole thing turns a beautiful deep red.

Remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh sieve into a jar or bowl. Discard the pulp, or eat it straight off the spoon. No judgment here.

Let it cool completely before transferring to a sealed jar or bottle, then refrigerate and enjoy!

💫 Variations

• 🍋 Add some citrus - A strip of lemon zest or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice added to the pot gives the syrup a bright, slightly tart edge that works well in cocktails and lemonade.
• 🌿 Herb it up - Add a few fresh basil or mint leaves to the saucepan while it simmers, then strain them out with the strawberries. Strawberry basil simple syrup is something really special.
• 🍦 Add a little vanilla - Stir in a splash of vanilla extract at the end. It's especially good if you're planning to use it over ice cream or pancakes.
• 🌶️ Make it spicy - Add a few slices of fresh jalapeño while it simmers for a strawberry jalapeño syrup that's great in cocktails and margaritas.

🥤 Ways to use strawberry simple syrup

• 🍹 Cocktails and mocktails - Strawberry daiquiris, margaritas, or a simple sparkling water with a squeeze of lime, it plays well in all of it. Try it in our strawberry cocktail/mocktail.
• ☕ Coffee and lattes - A splash of this simple syrup in iced coffee or cold brew turns it into something that feels like it was expensive. Stir it into a latte or mix into cold foam for a little something extra.
• 🍋 Lemonade - Strawberry lemonade is one of summer's simple pleasures, and this syrup makes it a five-second project. Just mix, stir, done.
• 💧 Water - Stir a spoonful into still or sparkling water for a simple, lightly flavored drink that feels a little more special than plain water. Add a squeeze of lemon and you're basically fancy.
• 🥞 Pancakes, waffles, and desserts - Warm it slightly and pour over a stack of good old fashioned pancakes or homemade waffles. Spoon over vanilla ice cream, use it to soak a layer cake, or drizzle over strawberry shortcake waffles. It's not picky.

🧺 Storage

Store your syrup in a sealed jar or bottle in the refrigerator and it will keep for up to two weeks. A mason jar works perfectly, and if you want easy pouring, a squeeze bottle is the way to go.

👩‍🍳 Pro tips

• 🍓 Don't rush the simmer. Five minutes is all it needs, but keep the heat gentle so the syrup doesn't get too thick.
• 🥄 Store in a squeeze bottle for easy drizzling.
• 🔥 Warm slightly before using over pancakes, waffles, or ice cream.
• 🧊 Freeze in ice cube trays for easy single-serving portions for cocktails or smoothies.
• 🍓 The riper the strawberries, the better the syrup. This is a great use for berries that are just past their prime.

❓ FAQ

Do you love fun, easy recipes as much as I do? Check out a few more of our delicious recipes:

• Strawberry Cocktail/Mocktail
• Strawberry Shortcake Waffles
• Strawberry Crunch Cupcakes
• Gingerbread Simple Syrup
• Sweet Cream Cold Foam
• Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew

📝 Recipe