Homemade Blueberry Syrup

This homemade blueberry syrup is a tasty addition to anything from cocktails and mocktails to pancakes and waffles! Enjoy this simple, flavorful blueberry syrup.

This blueberry syrup is a great addition to cocktails, adding a sweet and fruity flavor to your drinks! I’ve used it in cocktails and mocktails. But it’s also been a great topping for oatmeal, waffles, and pancakes. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to make this tasty syrup! You only need a few simple ingredients.

What Is Blueberry Syrup?

Blueberry syrup is simple syrup with fruit cooked into it. Simple syrup is just equal parts sugar and water heated until the sugar dissolves, and here you’re adding blueberries so they burst and give up their juice while it cooks. What you end up with is a deep purple syrup that tastes like actual blueberries, not like the flat blueberry flavor you get from a squeeze bottle.

It costs almost nothing to make, especially in the summer months when blueberries are cheap and actually taste like something, and it keeps in the fridge for a couple of weeks. If you’ve been buying fancy cocktail syrups, this is the one to stop buying.

• Blueberries. Fresh blueberries are the move in the summer months when they’re in season, and frozen work just as well the rest of the year. No need to thaw frozen ones, just give it an extra minute or two on the stove.
• Sugar. Granulated sugar keeps the blueberry flavor clean and does the work of thickening the syrup. Scroll down for honey and sugar substitute swaps.
• Water. One part water to one part sugar.
• Lemon juice (optional). A tablespoon stirred in at the end brightens the whole thing up. Blueberries are sweet and a little one note on their own, and a bit of acid wakes them up.

Ingredients

• Blueberries- You can use fresh or frozen blueberries.
• Sugar- You’ll need granulated sugar to create the syrup.
• Water- You’ll use 1 part water to 1 part sugar.

How to Make Blueberry Syrup

Ways to Use Blueberry Syrup

Once you make a batch of this syrup, you’ll want to use it in everything!

1. Cocktails: Use blueberry syrup as a sweetener in your cocktails to add a fruity twist. It pairs well with gin, vodka, tequila, and whiskey. Try it in a blueberry margarita, blueberry mojito, or blueberry gin and tonic. My favorite way to use it is this blueberry lemon drop martini!
2. Mocktails: Blueberry syrup is also great in non-alcoholic drinks like lemonade, iced tea, or soda water. Add a splash of blueberry syrup to your drink for a sweet and fruity flavor.
3. Desserts: Drizzle blueberry syrup over ice cream, pancakes, waffles, or cheesecake for a sweet and fruity topping.
4. Breakfast: Use blueberry syrup as a topping for oatmeal, yogurt, or granola. It’s a delicious way to start your day with a burst of flavor.
5. Marinade: Mix blueberry syrup with soy sauce, garlic, and ginger to make a flavorful marinade for chicken, pork, or salmon.
6. Salad Dressing: Use blueberry syrup as a base for a salad dressing. Mix it with olive oil, vinegar, and Dijon mustard for a delicious vinaigrette.
7. Baking: Add blueberry syrup to your baking recipes for a fruity twist. It works well in muffins, scones, or cakes.

Tips for the Best Blueberry Syrup

• Keep it at medium-low heat once the sugar dissolves. A hard boil cooks off the fresh blueberry flavor and pushes the syrup toward tasting like jam.
• Stir every couple of minutes so the sugar doesn’t scorch on the bottom of the pan. Scorched sugar is bitter and there’s no fixing it.
• Set the fine mesh strainer over a bowl and let gravity do most of the work. Press the berries to get the juice out, but don’t force the pulp through unless you want a cloudy syrup. For cocktails, you want it clear.
• Want a thicker syrup? Simmer it another 5 minutes after straining, or start with 3/4 cup of water instead of a full cup. It also thickens as it cools, so don’t judge it while it’s hot.
• Don’t throw out the strained berries. Stir them into oatmeal or yogurt. There’s still a lot of flavor left in there.

Flavor Variations

• Vanilla. Half a teaspoon of vanilla extract stirred in after you pull it off the heat. Vanilla and blueberry are made for pancakes and waffles.
• Cinnamon. Drop a cinnamon stick in while it simmers and fish it out before you strain.
• Lemon. A tablespoon of lemon juice at the end, which is my default for anything going into a cocktail.
• Fresh herbs. Steep a few sprigs of basil, thyme, or mint in the hot syrup for 10 minutes, then strain them out with the berries. Mint is the one for blueberry mojitos.
• Mixed berry. Swap half the blueberries for raspberries. The color is unreal.

Can I Use Honey or a Sugar Substitute?

Honey works, and it will change the flavor. It’s sweeter and much more assertive than sugar, so it competes with the blueberries instead of getting out of their way. Start with a little less than the recipe calls for and taste as you go. Maple syrup works the same way, and tastes like maple.

A sugar substitute works too, with one caveat. Sugar isn’t only sweetening here, it’s what gives the syrup body and what keeps it from spoiling. Allulose and monk fruit blends dissolve fine, but the syrup comes out thinner and it won’t last as long in the fridge. If you go that route, plan on using it within a week.

How to Store Blueberry Syrup

Let the syrup cool to room temperature, then pour it into an airtight container with a tight fitting lid. A glass jar works, and a bottle with a pour spout is even better if you’re using it in drinks. Store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

To keep it longer, freeze it. Pour it into a freezer safe container, or into an ice cube tray so you can pull out one cube at a time for a single drink, and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.

Blueberry Syrup FAQs

Do I have to strain it?

Nope. Skip the strainer and you’ve got a chunkier, compote style sauce, which is honestly better over pancakes and ice cream than the smooth version. For cocktails, strain it, or you’ll be chewing your drink.

Why is my syrup thin?

Usually one of two things. Either it hasn’t cooled yet, since syrup thickens a lot as it comes down to room temperature, or there was too much water to start. For a thicker syrup, simmer it another 5 minutes over medium-low heat after straining.

Can I use frozen blueberries?

Yes, and you don’t need to thaw them. Add them to the saucepan straight from the freezer and give it an extra minute or two. Frozen berries actually burst a little more easily than fresh ones.

How long does blueberry syrup last?

Two weeks in the fridge in an airtight container, or up to 6 months in the freezer.

Can I double this blueberry syrup recipe?

Easily. It’s one part blueberries, one part sugar, one part water, so scale it however you need. Use a bigger saucepan than you think you need and add a few minutes to the cook time.

Is this the same as simple syrup?

It’s simple syrup with blueberries cooked into it. Same sugar to water ratio, same method, just with fruit doing the flavoring.

Print

You can store the blueberry syrup in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a month. Enjoy your delicious blueberry syrup in cocktails like a blueberry martini or blueberry gin fizz!