I love adding fresh and whole fruits, especially berries, to breakfast and dessert because it has a natural way of making things feel lighter, more healthy. On mornings when I want to add a lighter sweetness to my breakfast, I turn to this simple berry syrup recipe. It’s sweet but not as sugary as a traditional jam or marmalade and still packs a delicious fresh fruit flavor. It’s a syrup but also has bits of fruit in it, which I love. And the best part, you’ll have it made in about 5 minutes. Love that! This syrup is great with breakfast but also can add a nice berry touch to a scoop of ice cream, slice of cheesecake or other yummy desserts. It will only take 5-minutes and 3 ingredients (if you count the water 😉 ).
Here’s how you’ll start. Pick your preferred berry: strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, blackberry or even mixed berries would be fantastic. I love making simple strawberry because my family loves strawberries AND we always have a couple quart size bags of whole frozen strawberries in our freezer on any given day. In a sauce pan add the berries (fresh or frozen-thawed), water and sugar. If using fresh berries, it might take a bit longer because the berry will need to cook down a bit. When frozen berries thaw, they berry becomes very soft. If using fresh frozen berries, this syrup come together extremely fast (5-minutes or so).
Next, mash berries with a fork or potato masher. This helps break down the fruit and spread the flavor.
Lastly, over medium high heat, bring to boil and cook 3-5 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken and the sugar has dissolved.
You have your very own berry syrup, ready for a tall stack of flapjacks or a scoop of ice cream.
This syrup is perfect for pancakes, waffles or french toast–especially if its on a piece of this yummy French Toast Bake. YUMMMM!!!
If you happen to have any left (I could drink it straight from the jar), store it in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.
What do you top with your pancakes, waffles or french toast?
5-minute Simple Berry Syrup
Yield:
2 cups
Cook Time:
5 minutes
Total Time:
5 minutes
This 5-minute Simple Berry Syrup adds beautiful color, delicious fruit flavor and a touch of sweetness. Add it to your breakfast or dessert for a sweet berry twist.
Ingredients
- 2 cups berries of your choice (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries), fresh or frozen-thawed
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- In a sauce pan, add all ingredients. Stir and mash berries with fork or potato masher.
- Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil. Boil 3-5 minutes or until berries begin to break down and mixture begins to thicken.
- Serve immediately or cool and store in refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.
Notes
If using fresh berries, chop before adding to pot. Fresh berries may extend cooking time.
Hi Lauren! Adding this to sparkling water is a fantastic idea! Thanks for sharing.
This is super yummy and really nice in sparkling water. Thanks for the recipe!
This would be amazing with yogurt! Thanks for stopping by.
Looks fab and really easy! Will have to have this with my yoghurts sometime, maybe put some in a glass with ice cubes and milk!
Cornstarch can thicken it. Start with a small amount and add it via a slurry (cold water or juice mixed with the cornstarch). This will help you avoid lumps when you add it to the hot mixture. If you don’t plan to heat the syrup again, cornstarch is what I would use. Regular cornstarch doesn’t do well if you plan to reheat. I hope this helps.
What can you use to thicken. I’ve got blackberry juice. Cornstarch?
Sounds great! Thanks for sharing your experience and I am so happy this recipe helped you.
Used 1/4 cup of raw sugar and and a little less than 1/4 cup of honey. The sugar didn’t overpower the fruit taste as much and it had a lot more depth of flavor. Thank you for the info on how to make a syrup. It gave a great base to start experimenting from.
Just made some!How easy & yummy!
So glad you liked it. Thanks for stopping by.
This recipe was so good I made it for my school cooking composition
Yum! This would be delicious on pancakes or strawberry shortcake!
I didn’t realize how easy this would be to make, and it would sure be a wonderful way to take waffles to the next level. I can’t wait to try your recipe!
Thanks Natalie!
Thanks Shelah! It’s delicious over pancakes 🙂
Great idea! I love this as an alternative to sugary maple syrup!
I love making syrups like this for crepes, french toasts, and ice cream. Your recipe looks so good. Need to give it a try!
Wow this is so simple! I bet it’s delicious too!
Rachel | The Confused Millennial
Oh my that looks and sounds delicious! And so simple to make too.
Berry syrup are so easy and quick to make. Plus experiment and combine different berries together.
This looks so good. I think I’ll make some and add it to my afternoon smoothies! Thanks for a fun post!
I bet my daughter would love this! She’s crazy about strawberries.
That syrup is a beautiful, vibrant color. It would taste amazing poured over pancakes.