This homemade strawberry simple syrup is one of those recipes I keep coming back to all summer long. It takes about 15 minutes, uses four ingredients, and makes every cocktail, mocktail, and lemonade it touches taste like the best version of itself.
Simple syrup is just sugar dissolved in water, and when you add fresh (or frozen) strawberries to the mix, something genuinely wonderful happens. The berries break down as they simmer, releasing their juice and flavor straight into the syrup. What you end up with is this gorgeous, deep ruby-red liquid that smells incredible and tastes like concentrated summer strawberry.
The technique here is really straightforward. You combine everything in a saucepan, bring it to a gentle simmer, cook it for just 5 minutes, let it cool completely, then strain out the fruit. The key word is gentle. You’re not boiling this aggressively or cooking it down to a thick jam. You just want enough heat to dissolve the sugar and bring the flavor out of the berries, and then you’re done. Low and slow is the move.
A tablespoon of fresh lemon juice goes in too, and it does two things. First, it brightens the strawberry flavor and it helps balance the sweetness so the syrup doesn’t taste flat or one-dimensional.
One of the best things about this recipe is that frozen strawberries work just as well as fresh. I actually make this year-round because of that. In summer I use whatever fresh strawberries I have on hand while the rest of the year, a bag of frozen berries from the freezer works perfectly.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ready in about 15 minutes (plus cooling time).
- Just 4 ingredients.
- Works with fresh OR frozen strawberries.
- That color. It is genuinely stunning.
- Keeps in the fridge for 2 weeks, or freeze it for up to 3 months.
- Works in cocktails, mocktails, lemonade, and even on desserts.
Key Ingredients and why
- Strawberries are the star, and both fresh and frozen work beautifully here. Fresh strawberries in peak season have the most flavor and give the syrup a really vibrant, bright taste. But frozen strawberries are picked and frozen at peak ripeness, so they’re consistently good all year. I’ve made this both ways many times and the difference is minor. Use whatever you have.
- Granulated white sugar is what you want here. It’s neutral in flavor, dissolves cleanly, and lets the strawberry flavor shine. Don’t swap in brown sugar because it’ll add a caramel note that muddles the fruit flavor and changes the color.
- Water combines with the sugar in equal parts (1:1 by volume) to make the base of the syrup. That ratio gives you a pourable, properly sweet syrup rather than something too thick or too thin.
- Fresh lemon juice is the ingredient that takes this from good to great. Just one tablespoon brightens everything up and balances the sweetness. It’s non-negotiable, please use fresh lemon juice here, not bottled. You only need a tiny amount and it makes a real difference.
Instructions
Chop the strawberries
- Hull the strawberries and roughly chop them into quarters or chunks. If you’re using frozen, no need to thaw them first.
Combine everything in the saucepan
- Add the chopped strawberries, sugar, water, and lemon juice to a small saucepan. Give it a stir.
- Place over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally to help the sugar dissolve. As soon as you see bubbles forming, reduce the heat to low.
Simmer for 5 minutes
- Let the mixture simmer gently on low for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The strawberries will soften and break down, and the syrup will deepen in color. Remove from heat and let it cool completely to room temperature – this takes about 20-25 minutes.
Strain the syrup
- Once completely cool, set a fine-mesh strainer lined with a piece of cheesecloth or a clean kitchen cloth over a bowl. Pour in the strawberry mixture and let it drain. Don’t press or squeeze the fruit – just let it strain naturally for the clearest syrup.
- Pour the strained syrup into a clean glass jar or airtight container. Store in the refrigerator.
TIPS
- Freeze it for longer storage. The syrup keeps in the fridge for 2 weeks, but if you want to extend that, pour it into ice cube trays and freeze it. Each cube is roughly 1 oz (30ml), which is a perfect single-serving amount for a cocktail. Pop them straight into a drink frozen or let one thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Scale it up easily. This recipe makes about 1 1/4 cups (300ml) of syrup. If you want to make a bigger batch, just keep the 1:1 sugar-to-water ratio and increase the strawberries proportionally.
Ways to use strawberry simple syrup
The obvious answer is cocktails and mocktails, and yes, this syrup is absolutely perfect for that. A few favorites:
It’s the backbone of a strawberry mojito, where it pairs beautifully with mint and lime. It’s what makes a strawberry margarita on the rocks taste like more than just a basic margarita. And stirred into a strawberry martini. It’s also great stirred into sparkling water for a quick homemade strawberry soda, used to soak cake layers to keep them moist, or mixed into a simple strawberry lemonade.
More simple syrups to try
If you’re enjoying making homemade syrups, I have a few more that are well worth keeping in the fridge. The rose simple syrup is floral and beautiful, the cardamom simple syrup is warm and aromatic, and the ginger simple syrup adds a spicy kick to anything it touches.
Strawberry Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen strawberries
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Hull the strawberries and roughly chop them into quarters. If using frozen, no need to thaw first.
- Combine the strawberries, sugar, water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Stir briefly.
- Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. As soon as bubbles appear, reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The strawberries will soften and break down and the syrup will turn a deep ruby red. Remove from the heat.
- Let the mixture cool completely to room temperature, about 20-25 minutes.
- Set a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or a clean kitchen cloth over a bowl. Pour in the strawberry mixture and let it drain naturally. Do not press or squeeze the fruit.
- Pour the strained syrup into a clean glass jar or airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Fresh lemon juice only – bottled will taste flat. One tablespoon is all you need and it makes a real difference to the finished flavor.
- Do not press the fruit when straining. Let it drain naturally for the clearest syrup. Pressing the pulp makes it cloudy.
- To freeze: pour into ice cube trays (each cube is roughly 1 oz / 30ml) and freeze for up to 3 months. Perfect individual portions for cocktails.
