Bright, sweet-tart, and perfectly primed for cold-weather holiday celebrations, my easy recipe for Cranberry Simple Syrup is the bar cart addition you’ve been looking for. Made with just 3 ingredients and 5 minutes of active time, this berry-infused simple syrup is an easy way to level up your homemade libations and holiday cocktails.
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About This Recipe
With a breathtaking garnet hue and the ideal balance of sweet and tart flavors, this homemade cranberry syrup is a lovely way to add seasonally appropriate flair to all your favorite cocktails.
- Quick & Easy. All you need is a saucepan, a stovetop, and 5 minutes of active time to make this ruby-red sweetener.
- Made With Just 3 Ingredients. It’s truly a simple syrup recipe!
- Versatile. Add a splash to tried and true cocktail favorites like gin & tonics, drizzle over your morning pancakes, waffles, or oatmeal, or brighten up your favorite cuppa with a fun seasonal twist.
- Customizable. Add your own personal touch to this cranberry syrup recipe by experimenting with herbs, spices, and fruit peels. Read on below for lots of fun ideas!
Ingredients & Substitutions
As promised, you don’t need much to make this cranberry simple syrup recipe. Here’s what to grab:
- Granulated Sugar - Plain white sugar is the most neutral-flavored sweetener around. Feel free to swap in light or dark brown sugar, unrefined sugars like demerara, turbinado, or grated jaggery or piloncillo for more of a molasses undertone. You can also swap in your favorite liquid sweetener here, including but not limited to honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar.
- Water - If possible, try to grab filtered water for the clearest, cleanest, and brightest cranberry taste.
- Cranberries - You can use either fresh or frozen (no need to defrost first).
Equipment
Making cranberry syrup (or really any infused syrup) is a snap. All you need are basic kitchen tools. Here’s what I suggest you grab:
- Saucepan - Every kitchen needs a saucepan. If possible, splurge a little bit for one with a heavy bottom — it’ll last much longer than cheap versions and will also help to minimize the chance of scorching.
- Mesh Strainer - You’re welcome to fish out the cranberries using a slotted spoon if you prefer, but placing the mesh strainer over the funnel leading into your squeeze bottle is the quickest, most direct method I’ve tried.
- Squeeze Bottle & Funnel - These are optional, but they are the easiest way I know how to store simple syrup without making a sticky mess of your fridge. The squeeze bottle also makes it easy to measure exactly what you need. You’re also welcome to use a mason jar, delitainer, or any other container with a tight-fitting lid.
How To Make Cranberry Simple Syrup
This perfectly acerbic cranberry simple syrup for cocktails comes together with almost zero effort. Here’s how it’s done:
Step 1: Simmer. Add ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring gently. Bring the temperature down to a simmer and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Steep. Remove the syrup from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Strain the syrup into a container to use as desired!
Optional Variations
One of the great things about making flavored simple syrup at home is you have ALL the latitude you want. Feel free to experiment with adding extra layers of flavor to brew up a whole new coffee and cocktail syrup to play with.
Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
- Spices - Making a spiced cranberry syrup by adding a few cinnamon sticks, a vanilla pod, cardamom pods, star anise, and/or cloves is a great way to double down on fall and winter flavors.
- Fruit - Cranberry apple syrup, cranberry orange syrup, cranberry ginger simple syrup, cranberry jalapeño syrup… the options are endless! And since this is just an infusion, you’re welcome to use what might otherwise be considered scrap materials (e.g. apple cores, orange peels, etc.) to keep waste to a minimum.
- Herbs - Cranberry rosemary simple syrup (or cranberry thyme simple syrup?) sounds like the *perfect* Christmas simple syrups. Cranberry also plays nicely with anise-flavored tarragon, herby cilantro, lemony parsley, or piney sage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Making drinks with simple syrup is probably the most well-known use of this sweet, fruity liquid. Tasty cranberry simple syrup cocktails include Gin and Tonics, Old Fashioneds, Vodka Cranberry and Moscow Mules.
You can also add some tart cranberry flavor to hot or iced teas, drizzle it on cakes to keep them moist, or use it as a breakfast syrup in place of maple syrup or honey.
Because of their high level of sugar, most simple syrups will last in the fridge for at least a month as sugar is a natural preservative. Please note that a rich syrup is made with double the sugar will last for even longer. You’re also welcome to freeze the simple syrup to extend its shelf life to around 6 months.
Sure! If you are watching your sugar intake, simply swap in your favorite sugar alternative. I don’t use them much, but research seems to indicate that any cup-for-cup sugar alternative should do a good job of dissolving into the water. Note that storage times may vary for non-sugar-based simple syrups.
More Flavored Simple Syrup Recipes
Still need more inspiration? Check out my master list of 15+ Flavored Simple Syrup Infusions next!
As always, I love seeing your creations and hearing from you! If you try this recipe, please share your creation with me on social media! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and Pinterest - for more delicious recipes sent straight to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter!
Cranberry Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 g) Water
- 1 cup (200 g) Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
Instructions
- Pour your measured water and sugar into a saucepan and heat on medium.1 cup Water, 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- Cook, stirring the mixture until your sugar has completely dissolved.
- Add cranberries and continue heating at a simmer for 10 minutes before removing from heat.1 cup Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
- Allow syrup to infuse for half an hour as the simple syrup cools completely
- Strain syrup into an airtight container and store in the fridge
Video
Notes
- Spices - Making a spiced cranberry syrup by adding a few cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, star anise, and/or cloves is a great way to double down on fall and winter flavors.
- Fruit - Cranberry apple syrup, cranberry orange syrup, cranberry ginger simple syrup, cranberry jalapeño syrup… the options are endless! And since this is just an infusion, you’re welcome to use what might otherwise be considered scrap materials (e.g. apple cores, orange peels, etc.) to keep waste to a minimum.
- Herbs - Cranberry rosemary simple syrup (or cranberry thyme simple syrup?) sounds like the *perfect* Christmas simple syrups. Cranberry also plays nicely with anise-flavored tarragon, herby cilantro, lemony parsley, or piney sage.
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