Are you looking for the perfect topping to smother a tower of pancakes? A dazzling drizzle for homemade waffles? This Healthy and Simple Blueberry Syrup is it!
I love to serve this over all my favorite whole grain breakfast foods like these Simple Sprouted Oat Pancakes, Delectable Whole Wheat Waffles, and 100% Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits for a sweet, perfect blueberry boost. But you can also serve this syrup on top of fresh fruit and granola, a hearty bowl of oatmeal, or yogurt (try this Simple Homemade Instant Pot Yogurt). This homemade blueberry syrup is very versatile and you’re going to love the way it tastes!
What Makes This Recipe Work?
First of all, it's refined sugar-free, sweetened with honey or maple syrup instead. Many store-bought syrups, and even some homemade ones, use granulated sugar or other highly processed sweeteners. Using non-refined sweeteners in this recipe means more minerals and antioxidants.
And, speaking of antioxidants, this recipe stars one of my favorite brain foods, blueberries. The syrup is dense with this super fruit which creates a rich, blue color, a sweet and slightly acidic flavor, with a subtle floral aroma from the honey (more or less depending on what variety you use).
Of course, the best thing about this recipe is that it comes together quickly with just a couple of simple ingredients. The total blueberry syrup prep time is less than 15 minutes, and you can even make it ahead of time so it’s ready when the biscuit-baking mood strikes!
Ingredients
Again, this syrup is super simple to make. There are only 2 easy ingredients you need.
- Blueberries- I prefer fresh blueberries, but if all you have is frozen, that will work great as well.
- Honey- You can also use maple syrup if you want. If you aren't opposed to refined sugar you could also substitute granulated sugar.
- Water- This is needed only if you’re using fresh blueberries.
- Salt- Just a tiny pinch of salt helps accentuate the sweetness.
How to Make
- Add your blueberries and honey to a pan.
- Cook for 5-10 minutes on low.
- Pour into a food processor or blender and pulse until it is fairly smooth.
- Return it to the pan.
- Cook until it’s thickened. Mine took about 5 minutes, but this depends on the water content in your blueberries and the thickness you're looking for.
- Make sure to stir frequently as the syrup is cooking. You don't want it to burn.
- You can strain it if you want a smooth syrup or leave it slightly chunky.
- Use immediately or store the syrup in canning jars or any Ziploc or airtight container in the refrigerator.
Tips for Making this Healthy and Simple Blueberry Syrup
- I like to use fresh blueberries in this recipe. The flavor is better, and frozen blueberries release a lot of liquid that makes the syrup harder to thicken.
- How do you thicken homemade berry syrup? Although some syrups use corn starch or flour, I cook the syrup into a reduction. A reduction is a cooking method where you thicken by evaporating the water content. It takes a little longer, but I don't have to use more ingredients than I already have.
- Blueberries are naturally sweet so you don't have to add a lot of sweeteners. The honey does the trick. You can also make a blueberry maple syrup if you want, but I prefer the more neutral flavor of the honey.
- I like to serve this warm on French toast and all the bready breakfast things, but you’ll likely want to chill it for serving over yogurt or fresh fruit.
What can you do with leftover syrup?
As I mentioned, this recipe is so versatile! I love using blueberry syrup for drinks like this Blueberry Lemonade. You can also use blueberry syrup for cocktails or mocktails. Honey doesn’t like to dissolve in cold beverages, though, so I’d suggest creating more of a blueberry simple syrup by adding additional water to the syrup so it’s a roughly 2:1 or 3:1 water to syrup ratio.
You could also add some lemon juice to it and create this Hard to Resist Lemon Blueberry Float or just serve it as-is over vanilla ice cream or lemon gelato. A little drizzle even goes well over grilled pork chops or chicken and pairs well with basil, mint, and rosemary.
FAQ On Blueberry Syrup
I like this syrup a little chunkier, and you can even make it without pureeing the berries at all. If you want to remove all the blueberry skins and seeds, though, just pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer after you’ve run it through the food processor or blender. You can also do this step after you’ve thickened the syrup and before serving/storing.
This syrup holds well for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. I don’t recommend freezing it to make it last any longer, though.
Healthy and Simple Blueberry Syrup
Equipment
- heavy-bottom pan
Ingredients
- 4 cups blueberries I prefer fresh, but you can also use frozen
- ½ cup honey you can use any other sweetener you prefer, but I love honey with this.
- 2 tablespoons water omit if you are using frozen berries
- dash salt It won't take much, but just a little to enhance the flavors.
Instructions
- Place blueberries, honey, salt, and water in a pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and allow to boil about 5 minutes.
- Place mix in food processor or blender. Pulse until fairly smooth
- Add back in to the pan and cook again on medium heat, stirring frequently. Allow this to cook down and reduce. You don't want it super thick, just cook for about 5 minutes.
- I like to strain my sauce, but this is a personal prefence. If you like it a little more chunky, leave it as it is.
- That is it! It is done.
- If you don't use it all in one sitting, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks.
- Now, sit back and enjoy. You deserve it!
Notes
- I like to use fresh blueberries in this recipe. The flavor is better, and frozen blueberries release a lot of liquid that makes the syrup harder to thicken.
- How do you thicken homemade berry syrup? Although some syrups use corn starch or flour, I cook the syrup into a reduction. A reduction is a cooking method where you thicken by evaporating the water content. It takes a little longer, but I don't have to use more ingredients than I already have.
- Blueberries are naturally sweet so you don't have to add a lot of sweeteners. The honey does the trick. You can also make a blueberry maple syrup if you want, but I prefer the more neutral flavor of the honey.
- I like to serve this warm on French toast and all the bready breakfast things, but you’ll likely want to chill it for serving over yogurt or fresh fruit.