Strawberry Simple Syrup – Barefeet in the Kitchen

Strawberry Simple Syrup is easy to make with just 3 ingredients and it can be used in so many ways!

Add a splash of strawberry syrup to a glass of mint lemonade or to a pitcher of mojitos and you just might find your new favorite drink to sip this summer. Pour it over a stack of buttermilk pancakes or my grandmother’s German pancakes for a breakfast that everyone will love.

Strawberry Simple Syrup

My sister introduced me to this strawberry simple syrup years ago. She excitedly called me up to tell me that she’d made a double batch, and I just had to have the recipe.

We played around with the recipe during a visit later that month. This syrup works well in cocktails, as a topping for pancakes and waffles, and I’ve even been known to add it with some fresh fruit to a bowl of vanilla ice cream.

This delectable infusion of juicy, sun-ripened strawberries has the perfect amount of sweetness. Strawberry syrup takes whatever you put it on and adds a bright pop of color and flavor to it, beyond what you would get with regular syrup. I love having it on hand for guests and special occasions.

This syrup keeps in the fridge for weeks, though I’ve found that at my house it doesn’t last that long before I have to make another batch. My boys love pouring it over a stack of perfect pancakes.

Strawberry Syrup

In addition to pouring this syrup over pancakes and waffles, we enjoy it in cocktails like these brunch martinis and the St-Germain citrus splash. It’s also a terrific swap for the simple syrup in mojitos.

Try adding a splash to your next batch of lemonade, or drizzling it over this strawberry basil fruit salad for extra sweetness. I may have even been known to add it to my yogurt or oatmeal.

Strawberry Syrup Recipe

You’ll need just three ingredients to make this recipe:

How to Make Strawberry Syrup

To make the syrup, start by washing the berries and removing the stems. Then, roughly chop or quarter the strawberries and place them in a medium saucepan. Add the water and bring to a boil.

Once it boils, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the berries for 20 minutes. Carefully skim and discard any foam that rises to the top.

After 20 minutes, the berries will be much lighter in color, and the water should be a dark pink or red. Place a fine mesh strainer over a second saucepan and pour the contents into it.

Resist the temptation to press down on the cooked berries to extract more juice. This will make your syrup cloudy. After straining, discard the cooked berries.

Add the sugar to the liquid and bring it back to a boil. Stir constantly, until the sugar has dissolved completely. Skim and discard any foam that rises to the top.

Remove from the heat and let the syrup cool completely before transferring it to glass jars for storage in the refrigerator. The syrup will last for several weeks.

Strawberry Pancake Syrup

If you want a thicker syrup for a topping on pancakes, ice cream or other desserts, simmer the syrup for 5-10 minutes longer, until the liquid reduces and thickens further.

Also, you can absolutely make this syrup with frozen strawberries. I cannot tell the difference between the taste of fresh versus frozen berries. And, if you get a craving for them out of season, why not grab a bag from the freezer?

For those of you who love breakfasts as much as I do, you’re going to have to try this as a strawberry pancake syrup. Create a classic flavor combination with these irresistible banana pancakes.

This syrup would also go great with these mini german pancakes. And, you could get chocolate and strawberry flavors with this one-bowl hershey’s chocolate cake. But, I must warn you, that cake is hard to stop eating!

originally published 7/11/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 5/15/23

recipe barely adapted from and with thanks to The Shiksa