Add some violet-colored allure to your beverage cart with my ridiculously simple Blackberry Syrup recipe! This delightfully sweet-tart drink syrup is perfect for pairing with tea, cocktails, and your favorite sweet treats—and it’s made with just 3 ingredients.
We might be in the midst of a polar vortex, but you’d never know it at my house—this blackberry simple syrup is giving serious summer vibes. It’s also here just in time to make copycat versions of Starbucks’ newest releases: the daringly delicious blackberry sage refresher and frosty blackberry matcha frappuccino.
Much like most of my other infused simple syrup recipes, this berrylicious version is a snap to make. Simply mix equal amounts of sugar and water, add some fresh berries, simmer, strain, and voila! A yummy, deep purple bottle of goodness is ready to satisfy your every sipping whim.
I love using homemade blackberry syrup to flavor iced matcha lattes and make homemade raspberry popping boba; swapping it in or adding it to nearly any Starbucks refresher; shaking up a mean happy hour drink; adding extra fruity sweetness to my green smoothies; or using it to soak my cake layers before frosting them.
Craving more bright fruit-flavored tastiness? Try mixing up some of my homemade strawberry syrup or blood orange syrup next!
Jump to:
- What is blackberry simple syrup?
- What does it taste like?
- Why You’ll Love This Blackberry Syrup Recipe
- Ingredients Needed
- Substitutions
- How To Make Blackberry Syrup For Drinks & Desserts
- Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
- Serving Suggestions
- Recipe Success Tips
- FAQs
- Homemade Blackberry Syrup Nutrition
- Other Homemade Syrup Recipes
- Homemade Blackberry Syrup
What is blackberry simple syrup?
This sweet liquid is what is known as an infused simple syrup—in other words, flavored sugar water. 😂 Simple syrups are popular for everything from making flavored coffee and tea drinks, cocktails, and even baking. Here we infuse the syrup with the tangy, tannic flavor of blackberries. Yum!
What does it taste like?
If you could distill a bowl of sugared blackberries into a drizzle-worthy liquid, this blackberry syrup would be the result. Spoiler alert: you can, and it is every bit as flavorful and delicious as it sounds.
Why You’ll Love This Blackberry Syrup Recipe
- Super Simple - True to its name, this blackberry simple syrup is a snap to make. All you need is a handful of ingredients and about 10 minutes of effort!
- Fresh & Fruity - Using actual blackberries ensures this lovely liquid tastes like the real deal. As a bonus, making this drink syrup from scratch means you get to eschew the weird additives, artificial colors, and “natural flavors” that are anything but.
- Budget-Friendly - Why spend upwards of $10 on a bottle of Starbucks, Monin, or Torani blackberry syrup when you can make it at home for a fraction of the price?
Ingredients Needed
- Blackberries - Feel free to use either fresh or frozen berries depending on which is cheaper and whether they’re in season.
- Water - If possible, start with filtered water to avoid any chlorinated flavors from the tap.
- Granulated Sugar - Plain white sugar’s neutral taste means you only sense pure sweetness and the flavor of blackberries. Note that caster sugar or superfine sugar are the same as granulated, just with finer grains—they can be used interchangeably.
- Blackberry Extract - While this is an optional add-in, natural flavor extracts are a great way to intensify the flavor you’re looking for, and adds a slight tartness to the syrup. And don’t fret—this flavor booster is also made from real berries.
Substitutions
- Blackberries - This recipe should work with just about any berry (or mixed berries) you can think of!
- Granulated Sugar - Feel free to swap in less-processed cane sugar if you prefer.
- Blackberry Extract - You can either omit this, or use another berry-flavored extract in its place.
How To Make Blackberry Syrup For Drinks & Desserts
Step 1: Mix. Add the blackberries, water, and sugar to a medium saucepan.
Step 2: Simmer. Stirring occasionally, bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until the blackberries disintegrate into mostly seeds and cores. Remove from heat.
Step 3: Strain the blackberry pulp from the liquid using a fine mesh strainer, discarding the pulp and reserving the liquid. Stir in the blackberry extract if using (this adds some tartness to the syrup), then allow the syrup to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Cool & Store. After cooling time, transfer the syrup to a syrup bottle or mason jar with a lid and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
While I love this recipe for blackberry syrup just the way it is written, it’s easy to make adjustments based on your dietary needs. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Reduced Sugar/Sugar-Free - Feel free to substitute part or all of the sugar for your favorite sugar-free alternative (e.g. monkfruit) to make it both lower-calorie and diabetic-friendly.
- Mixed Berry Syrup - If you can’t find fresh blackberries, and there are no frozen options that are purely blackberries, swap in a mix!
- Rich Simple Syrup - If you’re not sure you can make your way through the whole bottle in 2 weeks, consider doubling the amount of sugar you use to make a “rich syrup.” Since sugar acts as a natural preservative, it should last for up to 6 months in the fridge!
Serving Suggestions
Once you make a batch of this blackberry drink syrup, I have a feeling you’ll have no problem figuring out how to use it. But, if you need some ideas, try:
- Blackberry Matcha Magic - Green tea and blackberry go together like peas and carrots. Add a splash of this syrup to your next tea latte and see for yourself. (It’s also great in regular hot or iced tea! Use any green tea, herbal tea, or black tea that sounds like a good match.)
- Soda Surprise - I generally try to avoid commercial sodas, which are loaded with hyper-processed artificial ingredients. Instead, I like to add about a tablespoon of this blackberry syrup to club soda or seltzer water for a DIY version that both tastes better and is better for you!
- Happy Hour Upgrade - Instead of using regular simple syrup in your cocktails, swap in this berry-flavored gem instead. Try making a blackberry gin sour or blackberry bourbon smash for your next wind-down session.
- Spectacular Sangria - Instead of using sugar to sweeten your sangria or mulled wine, try using this blackberry drink syrup instead. The tannins in blackberries make it a natural pair for red wine.
- Berry Good Breakfast - Drizzle blackberry yumminess over your next batch of oatmeal, cream of wheat, or stack of flapjacks for a fun twist on the typical maple syrup or brown sugar toppers.
Recipe Success Tips
- Shop Smart - Only use fresh blackberries if they’re in season (from about late spring to early fall). While you can get them pretty much year round, the ones you’ll find in the winter are pretty bland (think of the tomatoes you get on a fast food burger 🤢). Instead, shop for frozen ones, which are picked at peak ripeness for maximum flavor. As a bonus, frozen berries are generally cheaper than fresh during the off season.
- Waste Not, Want Not. Don’t toss those berries when you’re done squishing all the flavor out—they’re expensive and delicious! Instead, put them in a container in the fridge to use later. They can easily be cooked down a bit more to make jam, swirled into porridge or plain yogurt, or blitzed into your next smoothie.
FAQs
I’ve never tried it, but I don’t see why not! I’m not exactly sure what ratio you’d need to use, but I think you can add some to a saucepan with water, then heat and whisk until the jam is dissolved. Since jam is made with whole fruit, not juice like jelly, you will likely still need to strain it. If you use jelly, you can skip this step.
If you make it as directed, it should last for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. If you make the rich syrup version in the optional variations section above, it should last for 6 months in the refrigerator. You can also freeze either regular or rich blackberry syrup for 6 months (regular) or a year (rich).
So long as your sugar is free from gluten cross-contamination, yes!
Homemade Blackberry Syrup Nutrition
This DIY simple syrup is pretty much just liquid sugar—each 2 tablespoon serving has about 67 calories, all of which are from the 17 grams of sugar-based carbs. But, that’s what makes it so yummy! There is no fat, protein, or sodium to speak of.
That said, both blackberries and blackberry extract are loaded with nutrients like anthocyanins, vitamin C, and manganese. So, while it’s not exactly a health food, it isn’t something you should feel guilty about using in moderation.
Total nutritional content per serving is:
- Calories: 67 calories
- Total Fat: 0 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Carbohydrates: 17 grams
- Sugar: 17 grams
*This nutritional information is an estimate and calculated based on the ingredients used to create the recipe. The nutritional value of your ingredients may differ slightly. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
Other Homemade Syrup Recipes
Homemade Blackberry Syrup
Equipment
- 1 medium saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 cup blackberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon blackberry extract (optional)
Instructions
- Add the blackberries, water, and sugar to a medium saucepan.
- Stirring occasionally, bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until the blackberries disintegrate into mostly seeds and cores. Remove from heat.
- Strain the blackberry pulp from the liquid, discarding the pulp and reserving the liquid. Stir in the blackberry extract if using (this adds some tartness to the syrup), then allow the syrup to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- After cooling time, transfer the syrup to a syrup bottle or mason jar with a lid and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
xoxo Megan
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