This Blueberry Simple Syrup is the best way to use up fresh summer berries. It’s perfect for sweetening cocktails, drizzling over your favorite breakfast foods, or pouring over rich desserts like cheesecake or pound cake. Make this homemade staple with just 3 simple ingredients!
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📋 About the Recipe
- Perfectly sweet. Adding lemon juice helps tame down the sweetness of this syrup, keeping it from tasting overly sweet.
- Can be added to just about anything! In addition to using it to make homemade cocktails like my Red, White, and Blue Sangria and Blueberry Vodka Lemonade, you can use blueberry simple syrup to help moisten a cake, drizzle it over french toast, waffles or pancakes, swirled into yogurt parfaits, or on top of ice cream and much more. The possibilities are endless!
- Make ahead friendly. Treat your family or guests to homemade syrup without the stress. Make it a few days ahead of time and pull it out of the refrigerator right before you need to use it.
- Great for gifting. If you’re looking for a summer treat you can gift to neighbors, teachers, or friends, this blueberry simple syrup is perfect! Bottle it up in cute glass bottles and wrap a simple gifting bow around it with written ideas on how to use it.
🛒 Ingredients
A few notes about the ingredients:
- Blueberries - For this easy sweetener, you can use either fresh blueberries or frozen. Frozen blueberries can be sweeter and contain more nutrients because they are picked when ripe. Fresh blueberries are still sweet, but they are typically picked before optimal ripeness and can be more tart tasting.
- Lemon Juice - Freshly squeezed lemon juice balances the sweetness from the berries and sugar and is important for depth of flavor. I do not recommend using pre-bottled lemon juice. It tastes very different from freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Sugar - Cane sugar is the perfect sugar to use when making homemade syrups because it dissolves quickly and is neutral in flavor. I have not tried this blueberry simple syrup with any other sugar.
📓 Instructions
- Add the ingredients into a small saucepan. Combine the blueberries, sugar, and water over medium heat.
- Heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer syrup ingredients together until the sugar has dissolved and the blueberries burst open, about 5 minutes. Mash the blueberries with the back of a spoon or even a potato masher.
- Strain over a fine mesh sieve. Over a large measuring cup or container with a pour spout, strain blueberries from the blueberry syrup using a fine mesh sieve. Discard blueberry skins.
- Add in the lemon juice. Once the syrup is fully strained into the measuring cup, stir in the lemon juice and set aside to cool completely.
- Transfer to a storage bottle. Add to drinks, pancakes, yogurt parfaits, or drizzle on top of cakes to keep them moist.
⁉️ Substitutions and Alterations
- Mixed berry option: If you don’t have exactly 1 cup of blueberries, you can add in a mix of strawberries or raspberries or all 3. It will slightly change the flavor but still be delicious!
- Making simple syrup to host or gift to a crowd? This easy at home sweetener is very easy to make in larger batches. It also stores well in the refrigerator and can be prepared ahead of time.
❄️ How to Store
How long does simple syrup last? Store your cooled and bottled syrup in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Can simple syrup be frozen? If desired, you can also freeze blueberry simple syrup. This is a great way to use up a lot of fresh fruit that's about to go bad! To freeze, make and cool as usual, then pour into a freezer safe container. You can also freeze the syrup in ice cubes for single serving portions. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
🔍 FAQs
Some sweeteners (particularly store-bought versions) can be stored at room temperature, but this blueberry version should be refrigerated because it contains fresh fruit and will spoil if left out.
If you are making my Blueberry Vodka Lemonade or my Red, White, and Blue Sangria, you need the amount listed in each specific recipe.
Simple syrup and triple sec are similar, but not the same. The biggest difference being that triple sec contains liquor and simple syrup is non alcoholic. Both however can be flavored and are sweet tasting.
💭 One More Tip
Make sure to mash the blueberries well before straining. This is going to ensure your syrup has the best, sweet blueberry flavor and a smooth consistency.
🍴 Related Recipes
Share your cooking with me! If you make this recipe, I'd love to know! Tag @yourhomemadehealthy on Instagram or leave a comment with a rating and some feedback at the bottom of this page!
📖 Recipe
Blueberry Simple Syrup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (about ½ a pint)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine blueberries, sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Cook until sugar is dissolved and blueberries burst open, about 5 minutes. Mash blueberries with the back of a spoon.
- Into a large measuring cup or container with a pour spout, strain blueberries from the syrup using a fine mesh sieve. Discard blueberry skins. Mix in lemon juice and allow syrup to cool completely.
- Store in a glass bottle or jar in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Add to drinks, pancakes, yogurt parfaits, or drizzle on top of cakes to keep them moist.
- Makes about 1 ½ cups simple syrup.
Notes
- Make sure to mash the blueberries well before straining. This is going to ensure your syrup has the best, sweet blueberry flavor and a smooth consistency.
- Use white granulated sugar. This recipe has not been tested with other sweeteners.
Nutrition
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David
I've ,made this recipe for my wife, I do not care for sweet drinks. After tasting the blueberry simple syrup, which is incredible, I've decided one sweet drink is not so bad. My preference is bourbon straight, room temperature. However, I do have a favorite espresso martini I make on the weekends = 1 part room temperature espresso, 2 parts top shelf vodka, 1/2 part coffee liquor I prefer Tia Maria. garnish w/ enough ground espresso to cover the top of drink( I feel the garnish is key, as well as excellent espresso).
BTW- You live in Berkley, I grew up in Detroit and now live in Grosse Pointe Park. I met and lived w/ a woman from Berkley in Manhattan, for a year in 1982.
David
When I said I made this recipe, I was referring to both the blueberry simple syrup and the blueberry vodka lemonade.
Alana Lieberman
The simple syrup does go perfectly with the blueberry lemonade! I'm glad you enjoyed both 🙂
Alana Lieberman
That's great! I'm happy you enjoyed the simple syrup enough to give it a try!
Jené
This was so easy! I’m branching out and trying it with different fruits. Thanks! I’m hooked! Love all your recipes!
Alana Lieberman
That's amazing! Thank you for your comment. I love the idea of adding different fruits too!