Cranberry Simple Syrup

Name: Cranberry Simple Syrup Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 cup water; ½ cup sugar; 1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen); 1½ inch piece of ginger (peeled); 2 cinnamon sticks; ½ tsp whole allspice

Learn how to make this deep red spiced cranberry simple syrup. It's quick and easy to make and gives great flavor to fall or winter drinks. Deep red and flavorful spiced cranberry simple syrup that is perfect for fall and winter cocktails.

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cranberry simple syrup bottles with fresh cranberries and cinnamon sticks

Like the name already says, cranberry simple syrup is really “simple” to make but so full of flavor. You only need a few basic ingredients and your cranberry flavored syrup is ready in only 10 minutes. This delicious homemade syrup compliments all your fall and winter cocktails, mocktails, punches and sangria. You can even use it to give your morning or afternoon tea a little extra flavor. You will love the tangy, fruity flavor of cranberry simple syrup as well as the hint of warm fall spices. This is the best cranberry syrup recipe and it will sure take the flavor of your holiday drinks to the next level.

three bottles of cranberry simple syrup with fresh cranberries and cinnamon sticks

Table of Contents

What is Cranberry Simple Syrup?

Simple syrup is a liquid sugar you can add to drinks to sweeten them. Make a basic simple syrup recipe by combining 1 part water with 1 part sugar. Then stir the mixture over medium/high heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring it to a boil, take off the heat and let cool completely. Flavor this easy recipe with zest, spices, herbs and fruit for homemade cocktails. This cranberry syrup gets its amazing flavor from fresh cranberries, cinnamon sticks and whole allspice. It is a great addition to any fall or winter cocktail or party punch. It can also be used for non alcoholic drinks or tea. This cranberry version is also used for a fruit salad dressing.

Notable: sweet, deep red syrup full of cranberry and cinnamon flavor
Main Ingredients: water, sugar, cranberries, ginger, cinnamon sticks, allspice
Cooking Method: stovetop
Nutrients: Cranberries are full of vitamins and antioxidants
Cooking Time: 5 minutes of prep time, 5-7 minutes of cooking time
Pairs well with: holiday cocktails, such as Thanksgiving Sangria
Diets: gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan
Special Equipment Needed: small saucepan, whisk, fine mesh strainer, bowl

looking down at 3 bottles full of cranberry syrup

Ingredients

You may have all of these easy cranberry simple syrup ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts and print the recipe.

1 cup of water
½ cup of white sugar
1 cup of cranberries fresh or frozen
1½ inch piece of ginger peeled
2 cinnamon sticks
½ tsp whole allspice

ingredients for cranberry flavored syrup

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: Use this flavorful cranberry simple syrup to make our delicious Thanksgiving Sangria. It is a bold blend of red wine, sparkling cider, rum and cranberries with a hint of spice! The absolute best cranberry sangria recipe this holiday season. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years.

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Fine-mesh strainer – This helps remove any small spice particles that you don’t want in your finished syrup.

Instructions

This section shows how to cook your own cranberry simple syrup on the stovetop, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below. You can print the recipe with or without photos.

COMBINE: In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine water, sugar, cranberries, ginger, 2 cinnamon sticks and allspice. Stir and bring mixture to a boil.

cranberry simple syrup ingredients in a pot

simple syrup with cranberries boiling in a pot

SIMMER: Lower the heat to low and simmer for about 5-7 minutes.

cranberry syrup strained through a fine mesh sieve

finished cranberry simple syrup in a bowl with a spoon

STRAIN AND COOL: Strain mixture. Pour the syrup over a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium mixing bowl. Reserve the cinnamon sticks and discard the rest. Set the syrup aside until cooled. Use immediately or store in an airtight container or bottle in the fridge.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love the bright and tangy flavor of cranberries then you’ll love Stef’s Cranberry Jello Salad. No more boring old can of cranberry sauce, this scrumptious combination of raspberry, cranberry, and orange is a sure crowd pleaser.

How To Serve Homemade Cranberry Syrup

Use this homemade simple syrup in a variety of flavorful ways. Our favorite way to use our own simple syrups is in sangria or other favorite cocktails.

Cranberry Sangria — This holiday sangria includes this cranberry syrup, cranberry juice, Pino Noir, spiced rum, sparkling apple cider, a pear and tart cranberries. Serve in a wine glass.

Cranberry Moscow Mules — Combine 1.5 ounces Vodka, 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice, 1 ounce cranberry simple syrup, 4 ounces chilled ginger beer. Serve in copper mugs with an orange peel.

Cranberry Fruit Salad Dressing — Sweet homemade salad dressings are perfect for fruit salads. Drizzle cranberry dressing over your salad for a tangy sweet addition to your favorite fruits.

Give As A Gift — Pour the homemade syrup into a cute glass bottle and decorate with a bow. Include our sangria recipe on a little hand written card.

Make Ahead

You can make this cranberry flavored simple syrup up to 2 weeks ahead of time. Make sure you store it in an airtight container, mason jar or bottle and keep it in the fridge.

Recipe Tips

Follow these tips to make the best cranberry flavored syrup.

Tip: Pick over your cranberries before adding to the syrup. Only firm and bright red cranberries are fresh and guarantee best flavor. Discard soft and mushy ones.
Tip: Gently squeeze cranberries when straining. But do not make mush. This way you get all the delicious flavor out of the berries.
Tip: Store simple syrup in the fridge. Refrigerated cranberry syrup keeps its fresh taste and lasts longer.

Stef says….

If you have any fresh cranberries leftover, you have to try my Sugared Cranberries recipe. These tasty treats are crisp, sweet, and incredibly easy to make – the perfect combination of a sugary coating with a burst of tart cranberry flavor underneath!

How To Store

Refrigerate: In case you do not use the simple syrup right away, store in an airtight container, bottle or jam jar in the fridge. Refrigerated cranberry simple syrup will last up to two weeks.

Freeze: Pour simple syrup into a freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 1 year. We recommend freezing simple syrup in ice cube trays. This way you can pull out just the right amount you need for a cocktail.

Defrosting: Thaw in the fridge overnight or let sit on the counter until ready to use.

bottles of cranberry simple syrup with a bowl of fresh cranberries

Common Questions

What is the best sugar/water ratio for simple syrup?

Generally there are 3 common mixing ratios. For light syrup mix 2 parts water with 1 part sugar (1 cup water + ½ cup sugar). The most popular mix is 1 part water and 1 part sugar (1 cup water + 1 cup sugar), this is called basic simple syrup. Lastly, there is thick syrup. Mix 1 part water with 2 parts sugar (1 cup water + 2 cups sugar). The more sugar is in the syrup, the longer it lasts.

Can I make other flavors of simple syrup?

Of course. In fact you can make loads of different flavored simple syrup. You can add flavor by simply switching to brown sugar, and your syrup will have a slight caramel flavor. Besides fruit, you can also add spices, such as vanilla, anise, or cloves. Furthermore, you can add herbs to the water and sugar mixture to make flavors such as mint or elderflower. Adding zest such as orange, lemon or lime, for example, creates syrup with amazing citrus flavor.

How long does simple syrup last?

The amount of time you can store simple syrup depends on a couple of factors. Firstly, the amount of sugar in the syrup. The more sugar you add, the longer it lasts. Secondly, the method of making the syrup. You can either dissolve the sugar by bringing the water/sugar mixture to a boil (which creates a more stable syrup). But you can also simply add cold water to the sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Boiled syrup lasts longer than, cold water syrup. And thirdly, the shelf life also depends on whether your syrup is flavored or not. Unflavored syrup lasts longer than flavored ones.

Basic simple syrup (1:1 ratio) lasts up to 1 month in the fridge.
Flavored simple syrup as well as light syrup lasts about 2 weeks in the fridge.
Thick simple syrup lasts about 2-3 months in the fridge.

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