Quick and easy homemade strawberry syrup, perfect for serving over waffles, pancakes, or ice cream.
It is an absolute fact that the best breakfast in the world is waffles with whipped cream and strawberries in strawberry syrup (we can fight about this in the comments if you want 😉).
Here on the blog, I have a recipe for (the best) homemade waffles and whipped cream (made three ways), and today I’m adding the recipe for strawberry syrup so you have all the tools needed to make the breakfast waffle stack of your dreams.
If you’ve never made strawberry syrup at home before, you’ll be shocked at how easy and good it is. The cooking process is mostly hands-off–you just need to slice some strawberries, let them simmer, and give them a stir every once in a while.
The end result is a sweet and tangy bright red syrup that you’ll want to drizzle over pretty much everything.
Ingredient & Equipment Notes
- Fresh strawberries: It’s okay to use strawberries that are a little past their prime for the syrup, but this will affect the cooking time. The time it takes for the syrup to thicken will vary depending on how much liquid was in your strawberries (old strawberries will produce significantly less liquid and therefore cook much faster). Keep this in mind if it seems like your syrup is thickening more quickly than expected.
- Fine-mesh strainer: A fine-mesh strainer is essential for getting a perfectly smooth and clear syrup. However, if you don’t own one, you can simply remove the cooked strawberries with a slotted spoon. You’ll have some seeds and a bit of strawberry pulp in your syrup, but it will still taste great.
How to Make Homemade Strawberry Syrup
1. Roughly chop your strawberries, cover with water, and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Strain the juice from the strawberries.
3. Wipe out the pot, return juice, and add your sugar.
4. Stir and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until mixture is thickened. Transfer from the pan and enjoy!
How easy was that!?
Where to Use Strawberry Syrup
FAQ
How much syrup will this make/how many will it serve?
This recipe will make between ½ to ⅔ cup of syrup. Depending on how much you use, that should serve 2 to 3 people.
Can I make a larger batch of this?
Yes. This recipe can be doubled or tripled without any preparation changes. You just might need to extend the second simmering time slightly.
To change the recipe yield, hover over the serving size in the recipe card below or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider.
Can I use this syrup in drinks?
This syrup is a little thick to stir into cold drinks. If you’d like a syrup for strawberry milk, milkshakes, or flavored sodas, go check out my strawberry milk recipe. The syrup in that recipe is cooked for less time so it’s thinner and better for stirring into cold liquids.
How do I store this syrup?
Store the syrup in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 2 weeks.
More Sauce & Syrup Recipes
Homemade Strawberry Syrup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup hulled and chopped strawberries
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a small pot, combine strawberries and the water and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until water is bright red and strawberries are dull.
- Strain the juice from the strawberries through a fine mesh strainer and discard the strawberries.
- Wipe out the pot, return juice, and add your sugar.
- Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 15 minutes*, until syrup is thickened and reduced to about ½ to ⅔ cup. Syrup will seem a bit runny at this point, but will thicken as it cools.
- Serve over waffles, pancakes, or ice cream, and enjoy!
Notes
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using them. There is absolutely no additional cost to you.
Dawn @ Girl Heart Food says
I don’t know if I can pick a favourite breakfast, Tracy! I think it varies ’cause I just like too much stuff, lol…but I know that waffles with fresh fruit would surely be up there 😉 Wow….this syrup is so easy! Love that there’s not too much sugar in there too. Pinning and trying soon for a nice Saturday brunch 🙂
Tracy says
Thank you, and thanks for pinning! 🙂
gail says
Tracy, I’m diabetic. What’s the least bit of sugar I could use and it would still be sweet but not sugary? Thank you for sharing.
Tracy says
Hi Gail, I’m not actually sure on this one. The sweetness level is going to depend a lot on the berries, but I’m also not sure how cutting the sugar is going to affect the consistency of the syrup. If you are up for experimenting, I would cut the sugar in half and go from there. If you do try, please let me know how it turns out–I’m sure readers would love to know.
Amy says
Looks so good!!! After seeing this on Pinterest, I went straight to the fridge and cut up fresh strawberries. I could literally drink it, it’s SO good!!! I let the syrup simmer at the end for 15 min. I thought it was thickening so I poured it in a jar, let it sit for a while and put it in the fridge. Will it thicken up? I made it company coming in the weekend! 🙂 Mmm
Tracy says
Hi, Amy. Glad initial taste tests were positive! 😉 It will thicken up some as it cools, but if it’s not thick enough for you after that, you can just pop it back on the stove and simmer some more of the liquid out of it.
Amy says
Great, thank you!!! 🙂
Kuismom says
Made this recipe tonight for breakfast tomorrow. I think I’m going to serve it with fresh Strawberry Crepes. Definitely looking forward to it. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Tracy says
Thank you! I love serving this syrup with crepes (and whipped cream 😉 ). Hope you enjoyed it!