This homemade Raspberry Simple Syrup has a bright, tangy, and sweet raspberry flavor that's perfect for anything from cocktails, lemonades, tea, and lattes to pancakes, ice cream, and everything in between. It has just 3 ingredients, it takes 20 minutes to make, and it's freezer-friendly!
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Why You'll Love This Raspberry Syrup
Bright sweet flavor - This syrup adds a fresh raspberry flavor to any drink, and it's one of my all-time favorites! Simmering the raspberries for 15 minutes is all it takes to extract all their amazing flavor that stands out in any drink!
Easy and quick - You only need 3 ingredients to make this syrup, and it takes just 20 minutes to make! The only work you do is combining raspberries, water, and sugar in a saucepan on the stove, it's totally fail-proof! Once you realize how delicious and easy homemade syrups are to make, you'll never want to use store-bought syrups again!
Great made ahead - You can easily make this syrup ahead of time and store it in the fridge. It stays fresh for up to 2 weeks, and it's freezer-friendly too! What's great is that due to the high sugar content, the syrup never freezes solid, so there's no need to defrost it! It's pourable straight from the freezer, just very thick.
Endless uses - There are so many drinks you can use this in! Add it to everything from cocktails, mocktails, tea, and lemonade to coffee and matcha lattes! You can even drizzle it over pancakes, yogurt, or ice cream or brush it on cake! The options are truly endless.
Ingredients
- Raspberries - You can use either fresh or frozen raspberries. Fresh raspberries ones are the best during the summer, but if I'm making this syrup any other time of the year, I often use frozen.
- Granulated sugar - I initially used maple syrup in this recipe but later switched to cane sugar when updating this post and reviewing the recipe. I find granulated sugar a better choice in general, and I like cane sugar because it has a very neutral flavor, but it's not as processed as white sugar (white sugar works too). Maple syrup is also great, but it will change the flavor of the syrup slightly.
- Vanilla extract - This is optional, but I like adding a touch of vanilla extract to bring out the flavor of the raspberries and add that little something. You can use vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste interchangeably.
- Water - You'll need equal parts of water and sugar. I recommend using filtered water whenever possible.
Variations and Substitutions
- Make it floral - You can add a splash of rose water to add a touch of floral flavor to the syrup. I also like adding orange blossom water if I'm using the syrup for cocktails and want to make them extra special.
- No sugar - To make this syrup sugar-free, use a sugar-free substitute that can be used in a 1:1 ratio instead of regular sugar. It's important to note that real sugar acts as a preservative here, so if you leave it out, the syrup won't last as long.
- Different sugar - You can use other sugars like maple syrup (I recommend light maple syrup), agave, honey, or coconut sugar. Keep in mind that the sugar you use will change the flavor and possibly the consistency of the syrup as well.
- Different berries - You can swap the raspberries for any fresh or frozen berries you have on hand. I like using a mix of blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries for the ultimate summer flavor!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Combine raspberries, water, and cane sugar in a small saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Take the saucepan off the heat and allow the syrup to cool for 10 minutes. The longer you let the raspberries steep in the syrup, the stronger the flavor will be.
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- Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl or a large measuring cup.
- Transfer it to a glass jar or an airtight container. Wait for the syrup to cool before closing it with a lid. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Tips & Tricks!
- Leftover raspberry pulp - Don't throw out the strained raspberries! They're sweet from cooking in the sugar, and you can use them as you would jam! I like to stir them into oatmeal, smoothies, or ice cream or spread them on toast with butter.
How To Use the Syrup
- Cocktails - This syrup can be used in practically any cocktail! It works great with most spirits and a lot of different fruits, herbs, and florals. Try it in my Chambord and Champagne Cocktail or this Raspberry Margarita. It also shines in this Raspberry Chocolate Espresso Martini!
- Mocktails - It would be really delicious in this Blueberry Mocktail instead of blackberry syrup. It has fresh mint that would go really well with raspberries!
- Lattes - Raspberry syrup is amazing for matcha lattes, but it's also delicious in coffee lattes! I like mixing it with this Chocolate Simple Syrup for coffee. Try it in my Raspberry Matcha Latte!
- Iced teas, lemonades, sodas - This syrup works really well with any fruity, floral, or herbal teas. You can use it as a sweetener for both hot and iced teas! Try it in this Iced Raspberry Passion Tea Lemonade! It's delicious in a raspberry lemonade, or you can simply mix it with sparkling water or club soda and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for an easy, refreshing drink.
- Food - Drizzle the syrup on pancakes, waffles, French toast, yogurt, vanilla ice cream, or any desserts. You can also brush it on fresh cake layers to add moisture and flavor. It's so good with chocolate frosting! You can even add it to this Raspberry Mint Smoothie to double up on the raspberry flavor!
Storing
Refrigerator: Store the syrup in a glass jar or an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. I don't recommend storing it at room temperature. Always use a clean spoon and discard the syrup if you notice a change in flavor, color, texture, or smell.
Freezer: Freeze the syrup in a freezer-safe container for 3-4 months or longer when stored well. I don't recommend freezing the syrup in an ice cube tray because its sugar content prevents it from freezing solid. This makes defrosting really easy because you can use it straight from the freezer, and it takes no time to defrost it and make it completely liquid again.
FAQs
Yes, you can use both fresh or frozen raspberries.
You can use any kind of berries you like, fresh or frozen. You can follow the same recipes for a syrup made with blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, or even cherries! Just substitute the raspberries for your favorite berries. You can also use a mix of berries!
Yes, you can use any sugar-free alternative you prefer, but keep in mind this will change the flavor of the syrup and possibly the consistency as well. Sugar also acts as a preservative here, so if you leave it out, the sugar won't last as long.
You can store the syrup in an airtight glass jar in the fridge for 2 weeks. I don't recommend storing it at room temperature because of the added berries. Shelf-stable syrup also needs to be made in a 1:1 ratio of water and sugar by weight, not volume.
Other Berry Simple Syrups
If you want to try syrups with other berries, check out any of the ones linked below! Berries are my favorite fruit to make syrups with by far, they're so good in so many drinks! Head over to Simple Syrup Recipes for all the latest ones.
- Blueberry Simple Syrup
- Strawberry Simple Syrup (my favorite!)
- Blackberry Simple Syrup
- Cranberry Simple Syrup (perfect for the fall)
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Print📖 Recipe
Raspberry Simple Syrup
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 ⅔ cups 1x
- Category: Flavored Syrups
- Method: cooking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This homemade Raspberry Simple Syrup has a bright, tangy, and sweet raspberry flavor that's perfect for anything from cocktails, lemonades, tea, and lattes to pancakes, ice cream, and everything in between.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups of raspberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Combine raspberries, water, and cane sugar in a small saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Take the saucepan off the heat and allow the syrup to cool for 10 minutes. The longer you let the raspberries steep in the syrup, the stronger the flavor will be.
- Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl or a large measuring cup.
- Transfer it to a glass jar or an airtight container. Wait for the syrup to cool before closing it with a lid. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Refrigerator: Store the syrup in a glass jar or an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Always use a clean spoon and discard the syrup if you notice a change in color, texture, flavor, or smell.
- Freezer: Freeze the syrup in a freezer-safe container for 3-4 months. Due to the high sugar content, the syrup should be pourable straight from the freezer. You can also defrost it in the fridge in about 30 minutes.
- How to use it: You can use it in drinks like cocktails, mocktails, iced tea, hot tea, lemonades, and sodas or you can drizzle it over pancakes, yogurt, oatmeal, and ice cream. You can also brush it on warm cake to add flavor and moisture.
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Samantha says
I made this for our margaritas today and it's so good! Everyone really enjoyed them!
Heatherkleinwolf says
Raspberry is one of my favorite flavors. Love this recipe.
Freya says
Such a beautiful colour! I love that you can add this to a soft or hard drink!
Heather Castillo says
This looks like a great recipe. I can't wait to try it!
Gervin Khan says
This is so easy and I am so excited to make this. I'll go ahead and gather all the ingredients. Thank you!
MELANIE EDJOURIAN says
This is such a great idea. I should make this to add to my cocktails.
Toni says
I love how easy this is!! Thank you so much!
Neely Moldovan says
Not a huge simple syrup fan but I do like raspberry!
Alita says
I love raspberry syrup. I will add this to my next cocktail
Beth Pierce says
There are many benefits of Raspberry syrup. And many uses too. Thanks for sharing
Claudia says
Im a huge fan of raspberry. I prefer it to blueberry actually. thanks for giving these ideas
Alexis says
My kids wanted a fun drink this weekend so I used some of this syrup and they loved it.
Life Mag Health says
Great recipe! This is definitely perfect for the upcoming summer. Gotta try this!
Fransic verso says
I haven't had a raspberry drink before or anything made out of raspberry to drink. This is interesting!
Steph S says
Yum! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Manali Oza says
Is this really sugar free?
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
No, it's not! It can be if you use a sugar alternative instead of the maple syrup or cane sugar that's in the original recipe. You can use monk fruit, erythritol, or stevia.
Nish says
I love raspberry flavor in cocktails. Definitely preparing a batch of this to mix in with my drinks. Yum!
Marysa says
I have never made a simple syrup before, and it would be fun to try making this one. We are a big fan of raspberries and I could see us using this in a lot of recipes.
Zoey says
We made a variation of this since the syrups sold commercially are watery and the boyfriend ends up dumping a half a bottle that costs $10 on just a couple of Chaffles.
How I turn this into a pancake syrup, I used a 12 oz tray of raspberries,.1¼ cups allulose (erythritol will crystallize), 3 cups water, followed your recipe and reduced the liquid about ⅓. After straining followed your recipe and along with the vanilla added a tsp or so raspberry extract (not too much or it will get an alcohol / chemical taste).
After that added a tsp or so xanthan gum and whisked that in. I let it cool then poured into my squeeze bottles and let thicken overnight in the fridge.