Cranberry Simple Syrup
Sweet and tart cranberry simple syrup is made with just three ingredients. This delicious, vibrant syrup is perfect for holiday cocktails. Use it for martinis, margaritas, or mocktails or pour it over ice cream for a tasty dessert. It comes together quickly and will keep for about two weeks in the refrigerator. The leftover cranberry pulp makes a delicious cranberry spread for a zero-waste recipe.
Cranberry syrup is an easy way to flavor your favorite beverage. Made with just three simple ingredients and less than fifteen minutes of your time, this tangy, sweet, syrup will become a favorite for your holiday cocktails.
To make your drinks even more special, we like pairing this syrup with gorgeous sugared cranberries.
Cranberry simple syrup is a delicious, tart-yet-sweet, vibrant syrup made by combining water, sugar, and fresh cranberries. It is perfect for making cocktails or mocktails, or drizzled over desserts such as cakes and ice cream.
Add it to sparkling water, club soda, or lemonade for a refreshing drink. Or use it in place of juice in cranberry martinis or cranberry margaritas if you want a slightly sweeter drink.
This recipe is easy to make, comes together in less than 15 minutes, and uses just three simple ingredients. You can use fresh or frozen cranberries, so you can take advantage of after-holiday sales on fresh berries, toss them in the freezer, and keep them for when you want a batch of syrup.
The pulp of the strained cranberries can be saved and refrigerated, giving you a little bowl of cranberry sauce or spread. Depending on how much juice is released and strained, you will end up with about 1/3-1/2 cup of pulp. Making this a no-waste recipe. Eat it with a spoon alongside turkey or chicken dinner (or straight out of the fridge like I do), or enjoy it with pancakes or waffles. It makes a delicious topping for pumpkin pancakes.
This recipe will make approximately two cups of syrup, depending on how much water evaporates during cooking and how much juice the berries release. It will keep for approximately two weeks in the refrigerator.
Ingredients & Substitutions
For a full list of ingredients and measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Whole Cranberries – You want to use whole cranberries for this recipe. You can use either fresh or frozen; both will work beautifully. Dried cranberries will not work.
Water – Just plain water, nothing fancy here.
Granulated sugar – This recipe works best with regular granulated sugar. It has not been tested with sugar substitutes; while they may work, measurements will vary by type, and the syrup may not thicken.
Making Cranberry Syrup
Place the water, sugar and berries into a medium saucepan.
Set the burner to high. Gently stir until the water comes to a roiling boil. By this time, you should start to see some of the cranberries splitting.
Once it reaches a rolling boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Gently stir and press the berries against the side of the pot to help them break down and release their juices.
Remove from the heat and immediately pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a heat-safe container. Cool the syrup and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
Pro Tip – Don’t toss the cranberry pulp! Move it to a small bowl and refrigerate. It will thicken as it cools, giving you a delicious whole-berry cranberry jelly or spread.
Storing Cranberry Simple Syrup
Prepared syrup can be stored in an airtight jar or bottle in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Flip-top bottles are a great choice as they are airtight, don’t take up much room, and are easy to pour from.
Mason jars also work well. You can even purchase pour spout tops for mason jars, making them easier to pour from.
FAQS
This will happen if you cook the berries for too long or don’t strain the syrup immediately. Cook it just until all the berries are popped, then strain it before it cools.
More Cranberry Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Cranberry Simple Syrup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup whole cranberries fresh or frozen
Instructions
- Place the water, sugar, and cranberries in a medium saucepan.
- Cook on high, gently stirring to dissolve the sugar, until it reaches a roiling boil. You should notice some of the cranberries beginning to split.
- Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir while gently pressing the cranberries against the side of the pot to squish them and release their juices.
- When you can no longer see whole berries, remove the pot from the heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a heat-safe bowl or jar to separate the syrup from the pulp.
- Refrigerate the syrup until ready to use. You can save the pulp! Move it to a small bowl and refrigerate for a yummy cranberry jelly or spread.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
