This Cranberry Simple Syrup recipe is bright, tangy, and impossibly red, providing a quick homemade syrup that transforms cocktails, mocktails, or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream. With just fresh cranberries, sugar, and water, it captures the flavors of the holidays, but it's just as good in a refreshing summer spritzer.
Flavored simple syrups are an incredibly easy way to provide unique sweetness for drinks, yogurt, or even cakes. Of course, the color is striking. Fresh cranberries create a ruby-red syrup that's ideal holiday cocktails or mocktails. If you love making homemade syrups for cocktails, mocktails, or desserts, this easy recipe is a must-try.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Three simple ingredients that are fresh, real, and easy to find
- Gorgeous ruby color and tart-sweet balance
- Lasts 2 weeks in the fridge
- Freezes beautifully
- Works for cocktails, mocktails, and desserts
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Ingredients That Matter
This recipe is perfect for home mixologists and dessert lovers alike. This is one of those recipes you'll make make and keep a jar of in your fridge all season. Like all simple syrups, this cranberry cocktail syrup uses basic ingredients readily available at your local grocery store:
- Fresh Cranberries. For tangy, ruby red color, use fresh or frozen cranberries. They provide a unique bright flavor and striking appearance.
- Granulated Sugar. Regular granulated sugar is mostly flavorless and allows the cranberries to play the starring role.
- Water. Regular tap water works great for simple syrups.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Cranberry Simple Syrup
All simple syrups are easy to make yourself. All you need to do is heat the water enough to melt the sugar. But, there's a few important steps to get the most out of flavored syrups.
- Step 1: Start by rinsing and drying the cranberries well then add to a small saucepan with the water. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat, and cover and reduce heat maintain a moderate simmer. Cook until the berries burst, 3-5 minutes.
- Step 2: Turn the heat off and uncover. Immediately add the sugar and gently stir until the sugar dissolves. The residual heat will melt the sugar without boiling again.
- Step 3: Set the mixture aside to steep for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Step 4: Carefully transfer the mixture to a mason jar or syrup jar. I like to strain it through a cocktail or fine-mesh strainer. You'll yield about 1 ½ cups of syrup and 1 cup of leftover cranberries. See below for suggested uses of the leftover cranberries. Store the syrup in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Adam's Pro Tip
Why does the recipe call for first boiling the cranberries in water without the sugar? The goal is to extract as much flavor as possible from the cranberries while maintaining a clean and transparent color. Adding the sugar at the beginning could encourage crystallization and develop a cloudy syrup. Instead, simply boil the berries until they burst before adding sugar.
Substitutions
There are only a few basic ingredients in this fresh cranberry syrup recipe, but there are some key substitutions you can make if desired, including:
- Sugar - Granulated sugar is mostly flavorless, making it ideal for cocktail syrups. However, you could make this recipe with brown sugar or coconut sugar for a more toasty, molasses-flavored syrup.
- Honey or Maple Syrup - Technically, you can make this recipe replacing the granulated sugar with honey or even maple syrup. However, these sweeteners have strong, distinct flavors that may distract from the cranberry flavor. If that's what you desire, then by all means make the switch.
- Cranberries - Fresh cranberries are not always available in the produce section of your grocery store. If making this recipe outside of fall and early winter months, use frozen cranberries instead. There is no need to thaw them first, but note it may take a bit longer to come to a boil.
More Simple Syrup Varieties
A basic simple syrup provides a pourable sweetener, ideal in cocktails, mocktails, and even some coffee drinks. It's quite easy to make flavored syrups yourself. Try these:
- Brown Sugar Simple Syrup - warm and toasty flavor
- Blueberry Simple Syrup - A summer fresh berry syrup, perfect for homemade blueberry lemonade
- Blackberry Simple Syrup - A mouthwatering, juicy summer fresh syrup, ideal in martinis and mocktails
How to Use Cranberry Simple Syrup
This homemade cranberry syrup recipe has a bright, tart and slightly jammy flavor. The taste is more similar to cranberry sauce rather than cranberry juice. It also has a striking ruby red color. Here are some suggested ways to use this syrup:
- Cranberry Gin Fizz or Vodka Collins
- Sparkling mocktails with lime and seltzer
- Drizzle over Greek yogurt or vanilla ice cream
- Brush onto sponge cake
- Pour over pancakes, waffles, or my Cranberry Dutch Baby
- Drizzle on fruit desserts like Gluten-Free Blueberry Crisp or Yogurt Plum Cake
- Mix into frosting or a glaze
How to customize for cocktails: In general, when making a cocktail or mocktail, use ½ ounce of cranberry syrup for a hint of tartness or 1 ounce for a bolder flavor. It pairs beautifully with gin, vodka, or sparkling wine.
Storage
Store leftover homemade cranberry simple syrup in an airtight container like a mason jar or syrup bottle for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. You can also portion it into ice cube trays and freeze for up to 3 months. Use frozen cubes of cranberry syrup to chill and flavor a holiday punch.
The syrup should be discarded if it becomes cloudy or develops any mold along the edges of the storage container.
Variations
I always recommend trying a recipe first before making adjustments. Once you've mastered this easy syrup recipe, try the following variations:
- Spiced - Add a cinnamon stick and a couple whole cloves for holiday warmth.
- Citrus - Use orange or lemon peel to provide a pleasant citrus note.
- Herbs - Steep the cranberry cocktail syrup with fresh rosemary or thyme.
- Tangier Version - Cut the sugar back to ½ cup for a tangier version. Note that this variation isn't technically a simple syrup.
How to Use the Leftover Cranberries
You will have about 1 cup of leftover burst cranberries, which are slightly sweet and tart. They make a delicious addition to oatmeal, yogurt parfaits, or ice cream. Try spooning some onto toast, pancakes, or waffles. Spread onto baguette slices for these delicious Cranberry Goat Cheese Crostini.
FAQ
Yes! You can make homemade cranberry simple syrup using frozen cranberries instead of fresh. Just simmer a few minutes longer until the berries burst.
Overcooking or overboiling the berries can break down the pectin, creating a cloudy syrup. Cook only until the berries fully burst and be sure to simmer gently.
Yes. Use 1 ½ cups of sugar instead of 1 cup, or simply reduce the water by half.
Technically, no, as it wouldn't be a simple syrup without the sugar. You can use honey or even maple syrup for a natural sweetener, swapping in the same volume for the sugar.
More Syrups and Sauces
If you love making homemade syrups, sauces, or dressings, try these recipes:
Desserts
These are my favorite dessert recipes:
Recipe
Cranberry Simple Syrup
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 1 /2 cup 1x
Description
This Cranberry Simple Syrup recipe is bright, tangy, and impossibly red, providing a quick homemade syrup that transforms cocktails, mocktails, or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream. With just fresh cranberries, sugar, and water, it captures the flavors of the holidays, but it's just as good in a refreshing summer spritzer.
Ingredients
- 6 oz. (about 2 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed and dried
- 1 ½ cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Add cranberries and water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil, covered, over medium high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a moderate simmer and cook, covered, until the berries fully burst, 3-5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the sugar. Gently stir to dissolve the sugar. Steep the mixture off heat for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Carefully pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer or a cocktail strainer into a mason jar or syrup jar. To remove all seeds pass the mixture through cheesecloth or a coffee filter, if desired. Label the jar and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Frozen berries work great but it may take the mixture a bit longer to come to a boil.
- Avoid overcooking as the mixture could become cloudy.
- Why is the ratio not 1 part sugar and 1 part water like regular simple syrup? That is because we want to boil the berries a bit first to extract as much flavor and color as possible. Then the sugar is added when the mixture is still hot but not boiling to avoid over-reducing the syrup.
- Add strips of lime or orange zest, fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme, or cinnamon and cloves for unique flavor combinations.
- Use this cranberry syrup with a cocktail like a gin fizz, or in mocktails, and even in seltzer. Or, serve with our Cranberry Dutch Baby or Oat Milk Pancakes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
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