I’ve shared blueberry syrup in the past, and I realized that I did not ever share my homemade cherry syrup recipe on the blog. I’m rectifying that today. Some links in this post are affiliate links that earn me a commission if you purchase through them.
Homemade cherry syrup is incredibly easy to make. In thirty minutes, you can be adding it to a choco cherry latte or spooning it over ice cream or topping your pancakes or waffles with this delicious treat.
Need more great dessert ideas? Check the list at the end of this article
It has just a few ingredients and has so many uses. I leave the cherries in my syrup because I like the added texture of them.
I also prefer the thicker syrup that drips slowly down my bowl of ice cream, but strain out the cherries (and eat them because – yum!) and omit the cornstarch slurry to have a thinner cherry syrup that mixes well in cocktails, too.
No matter how you enjoy this homemade cherry syrup, I promise you will enjoy it!
And yes, I’ve enjoyed this so much that I had to share in the past. This makes a fantastic gift in a pretty mason jar tied up with ribbon for teachers, coaches, friend, and more whether it’s for a simple thank you or part of a gift basket.
Homemade Cherry Syrup Recipe
I use frozen cherries for this recipe because I know they’re already pitted and they’re all the perfect ripeness, but this is just as tasty with fresh cherries as they start to come into season. We aren’t quite there yet in Chicago, but it’s coming!
I love using a variety of cherries, as well, which gives my homemade cherry syrup a more complex flavor, but choose your favorite variety. If you go with all bing cherries, you may want to reduce the sugar slightly, as they are already naturally sweeter.
Add your cherries, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and water to a heavy saucepan over medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 20 minutes, reducing the cherries by about a third.
Make a slurry with the cornstarch and just a little bit of water, using a fork to stir it until combined. Add the cornstarch slurry to your homemade cherry syrup and stir with a spatula to incorporate.
Cook for another five minutes over low heat, until the syrup has thickened enough to leave a trail when you pull your spatula through it.
Pour into clean glass jars and seal. Once they’ve cooled to room temperature, place them in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy your homemade cherry syrup. This will last in the fridge for a few weeks, but they disappear quickly as you find more and more uses for it!
How would you use this homemade cherry syrup?
More great dessert ideas
- Espresso hot fudge sauce
- Homemade marshmallow fluff
- Blueberry syrup
- Salted caramel sauce
- Homemade magic shell
- Mango filling
- Dessert cheese ball
- Whipped hazelnut yogurt dip
Thirty Minute Homemade Cherry Syrup
Ingredients
- 4 cups pitted cherries
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg fresh ground
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Add cherries, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and water to a heavy saucepan over medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar.4 cups pitted cherries, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1 cup water
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 20 minutes.
- Make a slurry with the cornstarch and just a little bit of water, using a fork to stir it until combined. Add the cornstarch slurry and stir to incorporate.1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Cook for another five minutes over low heat, until the syrup has thickened enough to leave a trail when you pull a spatula through it.
- Pour into clean glass jars and seal. Once cooled to room temperature, store in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Notes
- For a thinner syrup you can add to cocktails, omit the steps starting with the cornstarch. Strain the cherries out once the syrup has reduced for the initial twenty minutes and use the syrup as is.
- For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.
Nutrition
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.
Can I make preserve this syrup in a hot bath and store it in cool dry place?
I wish I had a good answer to this. I don’t can “properly” to make anything shelf stable, so I can’t vouch for it because I’ve never tried it. I feel like it *should* have enough sugar in it for it to work, but I don’t know. One day I will learn to can the right way, and this will be one of the first recipes I test this out on!
if canning this , you must use 1/4 cup of lemon juice to this recipe to have the proper amount of acid. then hot water bath at lest 20 minutes for pints
Thanks for the tip! I don’t can anything at all, so this is not my area of expertise. I appreciate you sharing! 🙂