Basic Recipe for Fresh Fruit Syrup

berries on spoon and in bowl
Julia Khusainova/Getty Images
  • 15 mins
  • Prep: 5 mins,
  • Cook: 10 mins
  • Yield: 1 cup (16 servings)
Ratings (38)

By Carroll Pellegrinelli

Updated 04/02/18

Do you want to make your own basic fruit syrup to serve with pancakes, waffles, crepes, to mix into yogurt or hot cereal, or use on other desserts?  You might also use fruit syrup to add to salad dressing or marinades. You can mix it with seltzer or punch or add it to cocktails.

You can make a batch of fruit syrup in 30 minutes or less so you can enjoy the fruit of your choice without any additives, preservatives, artificial colors or flavors.

You can use fresh or frozen fruit for this recipe. If you have plenty of berries from the garden, bananas that are getting overly ripe, or you want to use up a bag of frozen fruit that has been aging in your freezer, this recipe can turn it into a delight.

Have you thought about a combination fruit syrup you think would be ideal? Here's your chance to make it yourself. You can easily vary the proportions of different fruit you want to use.

Equipment Needed: Saucepan or pot, masher, strainer, measuring cups, serving container. It's best to avoid using a non-stick pot as you will be mashing the fruit in the pot. Optional: food processor.

What You'll Need

  • 1 cup fruit (fresh or frozen)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup water

How to Make It

  1. Peel, de-stem, or remove seeds from the fruit, as appropriate.
  2. Place the fruit, water, and sugar into a pot.
  3. Cook the fruit with the sugar and water, bringing it to a boil and then lowering the heat to simmer.
  4. Smash the fruit while it is cooking.
  5. Simmer until the mixture has thickened to a syrupy consistency. This should take about 10 minutes.
  6. Once the mixture has thickened, you can press it through a strainer to make a thin syrup.
  1. If you prefer a thicker syrup, process the cooked syrup in a food processor.

Note: You don't necessarily need to thaw frozen fruit before cooking it, but if you can remember to take it out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator a few hours before your preparation, it would speed the cooking. 

You can serve the fruit syrup warm, which is ideal for pancakes and waffles. If you want to save it and serve it chilled, keep it in the refrigerator.

While the sugar will help extend the shelf life of the cooked syrup, it may develop mold after several days. It's best to use this fresh fruit syrup within a few days or to freeze it. Frozen, it should last for several months. To use, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator for several hours.

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
Calories 42
Total Fat 0 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Unsaturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 0 mg
Carbohydrates 11 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Protein 0 g
(The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)