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
Units
Scale
- 6 oz. (about 2 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed and dried
- 1 1/2 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