Fresh raspberry syrup adds sweet, tart, fruity flavor to drinks of all kinds, from cocktails and mocktails to lattes or lemonade. Most raspberry simple syrup recipes call for heating the fruit with sugar and water, but I much prefer the flavor of a syrup made with fresh, uncooked raspberries.
Cooked fruit syrups tend to taste like jam, which is great if that’s the flavor you’re after. This recipe is all about preserving the fresh, sweet and sour flavor of ripe, summer berries. Best of all, it’s incredibly quick and easy and doesn’t dirty a bunch of dishes. This fresh raspberry simple syrup will add a pop of fruit flavor and vibrant color to drinks, waffles, cakes, or ice cream.
In addition to having the bright flavor of fresh raspberries, this syrup also has the added benefit of being as brightly colored as those fresh berries. Cooked berries syrups tend to turn a dark red color, but this recipe will yield a vivid red-pink syrup that is ideal for making homemade pink lemonade (more on that below!)
For some reason, a lot of fruit syrup recipes use very specific measurements or peculiar ratios of ingredients. My goal is to help you easily make delicious syrups without a lot of fuss, time, energy – or math. So this recipe is as simple as possible while being as flavorful as possible: use 2 parts fresh berries, 1 part sugar, 1 part water.
We’re making things so easy, you don’t even have to use the stove! Simply combine warm (doesn’t need to be boiling) water with sugar and stir until all of the sugar has dissolved. This is your base simple syrup. Next, we’ll flavor that syrup with freshly extracted raspberry juice.
In a separate jar or container, add your berries and mash them with a muddler, wooden spoon, or potato masher. Once they’re fully pulverized, strain the mush into the base simple syrup using a fine mesh strainer. Press on the solids to extract as much fresh berry juice as possible. Stir to incorporate the juice into the syrup. That’s it!
Store your raspberry simple syrup in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. I like to make small batches so that it’s as fresh as possible, so mine rarely lasts a week. You’ll usually know it’s starting to go south when it appears a bit cloudy. Toss any syrup that looks, smells or tastes off and make a fresh batch. Fortunately, making a new batch only takes a few minutes!
Ways to use fresh raspberry syrup
Some cocktails that use raspberry syrup are the Floradora and the Clover Club. I love to make a classic Clover Club with fresh, rather than heated, raspberry syrup. It makes a big difference in the finished drink.
Other ways to use raspberry syrup are to make a raspberry pink lemonade or raspberry iced tea. A good rule of thumb is that about one ounce of simple syrup will adequately sweeten the average long drink (like lemonade, iced tea, iced coffee, etc). You can always adjust to your personal preferred level of sweetness.
- Raspberry Pink Lemonade: combine 1 ounce (about 2 tablespoons) of raspberry simple syrup with 1 ounce of freshly squeezed lemon juice over ice in a tall glass. Stir to chill, then top with 6-8 ounces of chilled still or sparkling water. Batch this for a group by adding 1 cup of fresh raspberry syrup and 1 cup of fresh lemon juice to a pitcher. Next, add 6 cups of cold water and plenty of ice, then stir to combine. Add more chilled water if extra dilution is needed, but the melting ice should make it just right.
- Raspberry Iced Tea: combine 1 ounce of raspberry simple syrup with the juice of half a lemon in a tall glass filled with ice. Top the mixture with about 1 cup of cold black or green tea and stir well. Garnish with lemon wheels and fresh berries!
- Raspberry Mocha: This one is one of my favorite ways to elevate my afternoon coffee! To a mug, add 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons each of fresh raspberry syrup and chocolate syrup to a mug. Next, add about 2 tablespoons of cream of half and half, then top with 6-8 ounces of hot coffee and stir gently to combine. Garnish with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup! This is also excellent over ice with cold brew.
In addition to these berry drinks, raspberry syrup is also a great way to add sweet and tart berry flavor to oatmeal, pancakes, chocolate mousse, and so much more.
Recipe substitutions
Frozen raspberries: This recipe works really well with frozen raspberries, too! You may need to add some of your base simple syrup (while it’s still hot) to the frozen berries in order to muddle them. You can also let the frozen berries thaw in the refrigerator first.
Different types of sugar: You can use any type of sugar you want, but keep in mind that natural cane sugar, Demerara sugar, and brown sugar will all affect the color of the finished syrup. These sugars make a tan or brown simple syrup base, rather than clear.
You may also enjoy these other syrup recipes:
Fresh Raspberry Simple Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh raspberries (about one 6 oz container)
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup hot water
Instructions
- Combine the hot water and sugar in a mason jar or other heat proof container and stir until all of the sugar has dissolved. This is your base simple syrup.
- In a separate mason jar or other container, add the raspberries and muddle them thoroughly with a muddler, wooden spoon, or potato masher.
- Use a fine mesh strainer to strain the raspberry juice into the jar of base simple syrup.
- Press on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Stir to combine.
- This recipe will yield approximately 1 cup of syrup. Store your fresh raspberry syrup in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.