Strawberry Simple Syrup for Cocktails, Coffee & Drinks

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This sweet and easy strawberry simple syrup recipe is bursting with real strawberry flavor and is the perfect addition to cocktails, coffee, tea, and any other favorite drinks you have! It’s made with just 3 ingredients (1 of which is water) and can be made with fresh OR frozen strawberries. If you love fruit-forward syrups, you should also check out my cherry simple syrup!

strawberry simple syrup in a glass jar. — homemade strawberry simple syrup

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Why You’ll Love this Strawberry Simple Syrup

This simple syrup is one of my favorite flavors to add to drinks, alongside my lavender vanilla simple syrup and brown sugar syrup. Here are a few reasons you’ll love it!

Incredible Real Strawberry Flavor: no artificial flavors or extracts are used in this recipe. This recipe has a higher ratio of strawberries to water for a sweet syrup with an intense strawberry flavor!

Use Frozen or Fresh Fruit: if it’s not strawberry season, no worries! You can use frozen berries or fresh berries to make this recipe.

15 Minute Prep & Cook Time: this syrup is super quick to whip up, with only a couple minutes of prep time.

a bowl of fresh whole strawberries. — a bowl of fresh strawberries

Ingredients

You only need 3 simple ingredients for this homemade strawberry syrup! They are:

Fresh Strawberries, or frozen
White Cane Sugar or Brown Sugar
Hot Water

Substitutions & Add Ins

To Make a Sugar Free Strawberry Syrup

While I haven’t tried this substitution in this particular recipe, I recommend subbing the white sugar or brown sugar in the fruit syrup for Swerve’s Granulated or Brown Sugar or another sugar substitute.

I’ve used Swerve’s products in other recipes, and it performs very similarly to real sugar. You could also try subbing maple syrup or another liquid sweetener for the sugar, however I haven’t tried this substitution and I can’t guarantee results.

Other Add Ins

Lemon Juice or Lemon Peel: add a squeeze of lemon juice or grated lemon zest to help balance the sweetness. Only add this if you’d like a tarter flavor.

Vanilla Extract: add 1 tsp of vanilla extract after the syrup simmers for a flavor similar to strawberries & cream.

Basil: to make strawberry basil simple syrup, add in 1-2 tbsp of fresh basil leaves while simmering the syrup.

Other Berries: swap in your favorite fruit like raspberries for a different flavor.

strawberry simple syrup for drinks in a glass jar on a marble coaster. — strawberry simple syrup for drinks

Helpful Equipment

Fine Mesh Sieve

Medium Saucepan

Airtight Container or Mason Jar

Step-by-step Instructions

🍓 *Ingredient Quantities are in the Recipe Card Below!*

STEP 1: In a small saucepan or pot, add the diced strawberries, sugar, and hot water. Simmer over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes.

📌 TIP: Do not smash the strawberries! This will make them more difficult to strain and scoop out.

the diced strawberries on a wooden cutting board. — the diced strawberries

adding sugar to the strawberries. — the diced strawberries

Simmering the Strawberry Syrup

STEP 2: Gently stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves, the syrup becomes red, and the strawberries look paler in color.

NOTE: At this point, the syrup will be slightly thicker in consistency, but still somewhat runny. It will continue to thicken as it cools at room temperature.

STEP 3: Scoop the strawberries out (see below for ways to use the leftover strawberries). Pour the syrup through a metal sieve into a sealable heat-proof jar or container. Cool at room temperature.

the strawberries in a small white pot on the stove. — the strawberries in a small pot

the simmering strawberries and sugar in a small white pot. — the strawberries in a small pot

Using the Syrup

This syrup is delicious in all sorts of different drinks. I’ve added it to coffee, matcha, cocktails and mojitos before for the best, real strawberry flavor.

Add 1-2 tbsp of syrup to your favorite drinks. Adjust the amount of syrup based on how sweet you like your drinks to be.

You could also pour this syrup on your favorite breakfast treats or desserts. Below are a few ideas:

a glass of homemade strawberry latte with oat milk. — **homemade strawberry latte** with the strawberry syrup

What to do With Leftover Strawberry Puree

The leftover strawberries can be blended with milk (to make strawberry milk), water (for strawberry ice) or other fruit to make smoothies to prevent waste.

🧊 Frozen Strawberry Ice Cubes: you can pour some of the strawberry milk (linked above) into ice cube trays to make fun strawberry-flavored ice for your cocktails or coffee! Place the trays in the freezer for 2-3 hours or until set.

the simmered strawberries in a small white bowl. — the leftover simmered strawberries

the blended and strained vegan strawberry oat milk in a jar. — the leftover simmered strawberries

How to Store the Strawberry Syrup

Transfer the strawberry syrup to a clean airtight container or mason jar with a lid.

📌 TIP: for the best results, make sure the container has been sterilized or cleaned very well prior to filling it. This will help the syrup last longer.

Let the syrup cool completely at room temperature. Once cooled, transfer the syrup to the fridge.

The syrup can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. If the syrup is placed in the fridge prior to cooling completely at room temperature, it may crystallize.

Pro Tips

Follow these simple tips for the best results!

Don’t smash the strawberries while simmering them in the sugar and water: this will make them harder to strain out and will make the syrup cloudy.

Let the syrup cool at room temperature before storing in the fridge: this will help prevent the syrup from crystallizing.

Blend the remaining fruit pulp with milk or other fruit: to prevent waste, you can blend the leftover strawberry puree with milk (to make strawberry milk) or with other fruit to make smoothies.

straining the strawberry syrup into a jar. — straining the strawberry syrup into a jar

FAQ

Can I use simple strawberry syrup on pancakes, waffles, or french toast?

This strawberry syrup can be poured on desserts or breakfast foods like pancakes. However, because it’s a simple syrup (it uses equal parts water to sugar) it is thinner than pancake syrup. For a thicker syrup, double the sugar to 1 cup (2:1 ratio of sugar to water). This is the same ratio I use in my Brown Sugar Syrup for Boba.

Can I use frozen strawberries to make strawberry syrup?

Yes, strawberry syrup can be made from frozen strawberries. Let the berries thaw at room temperature prior to dicing them and simmering them.

Can I pour this strawberry syrup on desserts?

This syrup can also be drizzled on your favorite desserts like ice cream, strawberry shortcakes, or milkshakes! You could even add it to poke cakes or between cake layers to keep them moist.

What types of drinks can I add strawberry syrup to?

This fresh strawberry syrup can be added to cocktails like mojitos, to coffee, iced tea and matcha green tea, or it can be used to make Italian sodas. Add it to soda water for a sweet strawberry flavor perfect for the spring or summer. You could even add it to fresh squeezed lemon juice and water to make a sweet homemade strawberry lemonade!

More Delicious Strawberry Recipes & Simple Syrups:

Did you make this homemade strawberry syrup recipe for cocktails & coffee?

I’d love to know! Leave a star rating and comment below!

Strawberry Simple Syrup for Cocktails & Coffee

Yield: 3/4 cup - 1 cup

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb (16oz) frozen or fresh strawberries, diced (about 2 ½ - 3 cups)
½ cup (100g) granulated white sugar or light brown sugar
½ cup (4 oz) hot water

Instructions

If using frozen strawberries- let them thaw at room temperature prior to simmering them.
In a small saucepan or pot, add the diced strawberries, sugar, and hot water. Simmer over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Do not smash the strawberries!
Gently stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves, the syrup becomes red, and the strawberries look paler in color. At this point, the syrup should be slightly thicker in consistency, but will continue to thicken as it cools.
Scoop the strawberries out or pour the syrup through a metal sieve into a sealable, heat-proof jar or container.
Cool completely at room temperature, then store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
TIP: you can blend the leftover, diced strawberries with milk to make strawberry milk or add them to smoothies!

Notes

This recipe can be doubled. Use a 1:1 ratio of sugar to water.

For a more intense strawberry flavor, use ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup water per pound of strawberries. This is the method I used for my strawberry latte recipe and it yields a wonderful, vibrant strawberry flavor without needing to add extra sweetness to coffee! (You only need to add a few teaspoons of syrup to get a great strawberry flavor.)

Add Ins

Lemon Juice: add 2-3 tsp of lemon juice to taste for a hint of tartness

Lime Juice: same note as the lemon

Vanilla Extract: add 1 tsp of vanilla extract after the syrup simmers for a flavor similar to strawberries & cream

Basil: to make strawberry basil simple syrup, add in 1-2 tbsp of fresh basil leaves while simmering the syrup

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 15Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g

Nutritional info is an estimate.

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