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Made with just three ingredients, this strawberry simple syrup is about as easy as it gets. Unlike strawberry sauce, it’s intended to be used as a flavorful liquid sweetener in your favorite drinks. Think strawberry lemonade, green tea, sodas, and more. Perfect for all your summer entertaining!
During the peak of strawberry season, you’ll often find me coming home with cases of the freshest, ripest strawberries. This homemade strawberry syrup is one of my main go-tos.
I love the pretty pink color and it’s such a crowd-pleasing flavor. You really get that sweet strawberry flavor, and I always add a little vanilla extract for a little extra touch.
Even the leftover cooked berries are great! Spoon them over vanilla ice cream or a bowl of yogurt. There’s truly no waste here!
Love entertaining? Explore more simple syrup recipes, like my brown sugar simple syrup or this aromatic cardamom syrup.
Why you’ll love this fresh strawberry simple syrup recipe
- Add color, sweetness, and fresh flavor to drinks and cocktails
- Uses very simple ingredients
- So much better than the artificially flavored syrups from the store
- Makes the best cocktails, lemonades, and more
- Great addition to any drinks table
Ingredients
- Fresh strawberries – Be sure to rinse them well. I usually like to chop them into small pieces for maximum surface area. More surface area, more flavor.
- Water
- Sugar – Regular white sugar works great here. I use a standard simple syrup recipe with a 1:1 ratio of sugar to water. This means you use an equal amount of sugar as water. For a thicker syrup, add twice as much sugar. For less sweetness, use as little as 1/2 cup.
- Vanilla extract – This is an optional ingredient, but it adds more complexity.
How to Make Your Own Strawberry Simple Syrup
- Add the sugar, water, and chopped strawberries to a medium saucepan.
- Heat over medium heat and stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer for about 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Add the vanilla extract, if using. Let the syrup cool to room temperature on the stove. This infusion time really helps the flavor develop.
- Pour the strawberry mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the cooked strawberries. Be careful not to press down! The berries will break apart and cause a cloudy syrup.
- Serve as desired and enjoy!
Use strawberry tops
Making a big batch of strawberry jam? Save the strawberry tops to infuse instead of fresh berries! You’ll need a little more than regular berries, but you still get a delicious strawberry flavor.
(You can also use the tops to make this strawberry infused vinegar!)
Storing Suggestions
Since this syrup contains fresh strawberries, it must be refrigerated. Keep it in an airtight container (like a mason jar or glass bottle) in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Tips & Variations
- Ditch the extract. You don’t have to use it at all, or you can double-down on the strawberry vanilla flavor and add a sliced vanilla bean. You can also add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a little acidity.
- Try other berries. Feel free to use raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or any other fresh berries.
- Use frozen berries. Got a bunch of frozen strawberries on hand? They work too!
- Use the cooked berries. They’re already tender and sweetened, and they taste great over homemade ice cream, blended into salad dressings, and more. No need to waste a speck!
How to Serve Fresh Strawberry Syrup
In general, you use about 1-2 ounces of simple syrup per drink.
As a liquid sweetener, it can be added to both hot and cold drinks. That means you can swirl it into hot matcha green tea, or cold lemonade. You can even use it for homemade strawberry milk!
I often like to make simple syrups for parties and events since they’re inexpensive, but feel decadent.
Plus, you can serve them with sparkling water or club soda for a homemade soda! If you have a sparkling water maker, you can make loads of soda without a trip to the grocery store.
Into cocktails? This sweet syrup makes the best strawberry martinis, spritzers, and more.
You can also brush it on cake layers to lock in moisture and add extra flavor.
More Strawberry Recipes
- Strawberry Rhubarb Scones
- Fresh Strawberry Shortcake Sheet Cake
- Strawberry Top Vinegar
- Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade
- Strawberry Blondies
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment or ask a question below! I’d love to hear what you think or troubleshoot any issues.
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Strawberry Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup fresh strawberries
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add the sugar, water, and chopped strawberries to a medium saucepan.
- Heat over medium heat and stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer for about 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Add the vanilla extract, if using. Let the syrup cool to room temperature on the stove. This infusion time really helps the flavor develop.
- Pour the strawberry mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the cooked strawberries. Be careful not to press down! The berries will break apart and cause a cloudy syrup.
- Serve as desired and enjoy!
Nutrition
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