This easy homemade blackberry syrup recipe is one you’re going to enjoy all year long. With fresh blackberries in a simple syrup, you’re going to look forward to breakfast and desserts as you seek out new uses for this fabulous recipe.
Homemade Blackberry Syrup
When summer draws to a close and the fresh blackberries are ready for picking, there’s nothing better than grabbing the family and some buckets for some pickin’. We LOVE fresh blackberries around here so I make sure to freeze a bunch to use all year long.
The good news is that this recipe only needs 1 cup’s worth of fresh/frozen blackberries so you can easily pick them up from a store if the idea of picking berries doesn’t appeal to you. While picking can be fun, washing and sorting afterward is always a chore.
Unlike the hours spent picking, sorting, washing, and prepping berries for the freezer, this syrup can be made much more quickly. In fact, it takes about the same amount of time that you would spend cooking your family’s breakfast! Do both at the same time and breakfast should be fairly quick to make so you can spend more time enjoying it.
While the idea of a berry syrup sounds complicated, it’s actually incredibly easy. This blackberry syrup recipe shows you exactly how simple it can be. It doesn’t require many ingredients and can be made fresh to accompany your fluffy pancakes in the morning.
Fair Warning- You may never go back to store-bought syrups again after you try your hand at making this fast and easy blackberry syrup. We love homemade syrup in our house so much! We serve the homemade blackberry syrup recipe over pancakes, cheesecake, pound cake, shortcake, anything!
Blackberry Syrup Recipe Ingredients
- Blackberries: The star of the show is a cup’s worth of fresh or frozen blackberries. Enjoy the berries you picked yourself whether you picked them from the vine or the produce section.
- Sugar: We need granulated sugar to get our syrup to thicken and sweeten into the perfect blend of flavor and texture.
- Water: While the actual amount of water will vary (see recipe card note) this helps to thin down the syrup into the perfect consistency.
- Lemon Juice: Adding a little lemon juice will make sure we have enough acidity that the berries stay fresh-tasting, the color is preserved, and keeps our syrup from being overly sweet.
- Vanilla: This will help to round out and enhance the flavors so there’s a good contrast to the tangy sour berries.
How to make Blackberry Syrup
- In a medium sized saucepan, combine the blackberries, sugar, and water.
- Mash the berries and bring the mix to a simmer.
- Let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes, mashing occasionally as it sits.
- Strain the syrup. This helps to remove the seeds and pulp. But you can add back in as much of the pulp as you want.
- Add in the lemon juice and vanilla extract.
- Let the syrup cool in the pot until ready to use. It will thicken as it cools.
Storing and Freezing Blackberry Syrup
How long does berry syrup last?
Homemade blackberry syrup can last up to several weeks if properly stored in a closed container within the fridge.
Can you freeze blackberry syrup?
Yes, you can store blackberry syrup in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a few months. Thaw and warm before use if desired.
Berry Syrup Recipe FAQ and Tips
Yes, this blackberry syrup recipe is 100% gluten free. If avoiding gluten due to an allergy just be careful not to cross-contaminate between products and pancakes so that it remains safe for consumption.
Making a blackberry syrup is actually pretty similar to making a blackberry jam. The major difference is that it doesn’t have the pectin to solidify it. In fact, water and pectin are the only two differences between this delicious blackberry syrup and my homemade freezer jam.
By cooking the syrup on the stove you can continually stir as it cooks to help reduce the excess liquid, which naturally makes the syrup thicken as you go. For some, this may seem like a lengthy project but there is another way to go if you want the syrup a tad thicker.
– Mix 2 tablespoons of water with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved.
– Whisk that slurry into the syrup while stirring constantly over the heat.
– Whisk until the syrup has thickened.
– Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool.
You can make safe to water-bath can homemade berry syrups. A good resource for the sugar to water ratio and information at this link.
That said, this recipe that I am sharing with you today is not canning-friendly because the ratios of acidity, sugar, and water are not correct.
Berry Syrup for Pancakes and More
You can use blackberry syrup over pancakes, waffles, in lemonade, over a cheesecake, or even on top of vanilla ice cream for a wide range of delicious uses and ideas!
If you’re looking for a healthful syrup, check out this Elderberry Syrup recipe.
Blackberry Syrup Variations
You can adapt and change up this berry syrup recipe to suit your own tastes whenever you want.
Here are some great flavor options you could try individually. Only try one variation option at a time!
- 2-3 mint leaves
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- Pinch of cloves
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger
More favorites from Longbourn Farm
Blackberry Syrup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup blackberries
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water see note
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine blackberries, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan.
- Mash and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer 10 minutes, mashing periodically.
- Strain syrup. Add in as much pulp as you would like (see note).
- Add lemon juice and vanilla extract.
- Let cool.
Dinah Brown says
Have not made it yet, but plan to make it with blackberry scones soon.
John says
Why did you rate it two starts then. You clown.
Judy says
I never got to try this, cuz of all your drop down ads. Why don’t you just have the recipe instead of all the damn ads? Your recipe gets lost in all if your annoying ads. Will never click on this site ever again!
Alli says
Hi Judy. I have one pop-up on my site for my email list so I can send you a free cookbook. If you don’t want it, you can simply click the X in the top right corner to close it. I have in-content ads on my site as well as a banner ad along the bottom so that I can get paid for providing you with free content on my website. If you don’t enjoy free content, I suggest you stick to purchasing cookbooks. I like getting paid for the work that I do, so I’ll stick to having ads on my website. Also, I deleted your 1-star rating because rating a recipe you never tried because you are frustrated that you don’t know how to navigate a website is just annoying and rude.
kyle says
You act like that and you’re trying to run a business I would say your business will not go far get a little couth just because that lady was an idiot you shouldn’t have acted like that for sure goodbye forever like most of the people that have seen this.
Alli says
Thank you for your stellar insight kyle. I’ll be sure to give it the attention it deserves.
Mr Mendez says
I’m interested in buying some of your homemade blackberry syrup for pancakes or let me know as to where can I buy the best.
Alli says
I don’t sell it, but you can use the recipe card in this post to make your own.
Laurie says
Easy and excellent recipe. I added a vanilla bean as I simmered. Blackberry latte here I come!
Suzanne says
This looks so good! What a great way to use up a big harvest and addition to some jam !
Anonymous says
Can you can this recipe? I assume just a typical water bath process? And how long?
How long does this last without canning?
Alli says
I don’t know if it can be canned, I’ve never tested that. It should about a week in the fridge without canning.
Alli says
Such a flavorful syrup recipe!