Cherry Syrup Recipe (No Corn Syrup)

Make this 4 ingredient cherry syrup recipe at home. In less than 20 minutes you will have homemade cherry syrup to serve alongside cheesecake, in cocktails or as a topping for pancakes. This cherry syrup recipe is grain free, gluten free and vegan.

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Easy cherry syrup has 4 ingredients and is ready in less than 20 minutes. Homemade cherry sauce is perfect to serve alongside cheesecake, in cocktails or as a topping for pancakes.

This cherry syrup recipe is grain-free, gluten-free and vegan.

If you love cherries as much as I do you are going to want to make my recipes for cherry clafoutis, sour cherry pie filling and pectin-free cherry jam.

Cherry season is so short so I try and get as many cherries as I can. I will make bourbon soaked cherries for Manhattans, a few extra pounds so I can make a few batched of cherry pie bars and dry some for almondina pistachio and dried cherry crisp thins.

🍒 Cherry Syrup Ingredients

• cherries stems and pits removed - bing cherries are used in this recipe but a Royal Ann cherry or another sour cherry can be substituted
• sugar - the sugar combines with the water to make a thick syrup sauce.
• water
• pinch salt - salt is important to make sweet ingredients, sweeter.
• lemon - I use fresh lemon juice but bottled lemon juice will work in a pinch.

🥣 Helpful Kitchen Tools

• Multi Cherry Pitter - Simply press and lift and up to six pitted cherries will fall directly into your bowl. Such a time saver!

🔪 How To Make Cherry Sauce (basic instructions)

1. Wash and remove the pit from the fresh cherries.
2. Stir together the cherries, salt and sugar, resting for 20 minutes.
3. Add water, lemon juice, and lemon rind along with the cherries and juice to a medium saucepan and bring to a rolling boil.
4. Cook for 10 minutes at a medium boil.
5. Remove the lemon rind, cool and serve.

📷 How To Make Cherry Syrup (photo instructions)

1. Combine the cherries, pinch of salt and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow the mixture to rest for 20 minutes allowing the cherries to release their juices.
   
2. Add ½ cup of water, lemon rind and lemon juice to the cherries and sugar over medium heat, and dissolve the sugar in the cherry syrup.
3. Optional step: with an immersion blender, carefully pulse the cherries a few times to make a smoother, thicker syrup. Temporarily remove the lemon rind if you choose to blend. Return the lemon rind to the syrup for the thickening boil.
4. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring every few minutes until a boil is achieved.
   
5. Reduce heat to medium. Cook 10 minutes while stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Remove lemon rind. The syrup will thicken slightly when cooled.
6. Cool completely and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator.

🥣 How to thicken the cherry syrup

In this recipe, I use the rind of a lemon to thicken the cherry syrup. To maintain a gluten-free, grain-free, vegan recipe I use the natural pectin in the white part of the lemon to thicken the syrup. 

Many fruits naturally have pectin in them. With genetically modified produce, often the pectin is less than would naturally occur. Lemon rind, the white part and the yellow outside have a higher concentration of pectin than the juice.

By using the rind of a lemon in syrup, it will naturally thicken the syrup by the pectin being extracted through boiling. An organic lemon would be a good choice for this project.

💧 Water bath canning instructions for cherry syrup.

1. Heat canning jars in a large canning pot to a simmer.
2. Make cherry syrup as instructed.
3. Fill jars by ladling hot syrup into hot jars.
4. Wipe the rim of the jar to remove any syrup, place a clean, new lid on the jar.
5. Place a canning ring/bad and finger tighten.
6. Using a jar lifter, place the jelly jars back into the canning pot.
7. Bring to a boil boiling for 10 minutes.
8. Using a jar lifter, remove the jars and rest them on a kitchen towel, wooden cutting board or cooling rack with at least 2 inches of space around them for the air to circulate.
9. 12 hours later, check to see that the lids do not flex when pressed.
10. Wipe clean and store in a cool, dry, dark place for a year.

❄️ Storage Tips

Cool the cherry syrup completely and transfer to freezer save containers. Leave ½ inch headspace for freezing expansion. Use within 6 months.

📝 Frequently asked questions, answers and tips:

👩‍🍳 Chef Tip

This recipe uses bing cherries but I have also made cherry syrup with royal Ann cherries as well as tart cherries. Each cherry variety will give you a different flavor profile for your syrup. Feel free to combine different varieties of cherries for your own unique cherry syrup blend.

Printable Recipe Card

Cherry Syrup

Sarah Mock

Make this 4 ingredient cherry syrup recipe at home. In less than 20 minutes you will have homemade cherry syrup to serve alongside cheesecake, in cocktails or as a topping for pancakes. This cherry syrup recipe is grain free, gluten free and vegan.

4.62 from 18 votes

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Note From Sarah

There is more to a recipe than just the recipe card. Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark, toggle to button to the right to turn GREEN

Course Breakfast Recipes

Cuisine American

Servings 9 ½ cup servings

Calories 117 kcal

EQUIPMENT

Multi Cherry Pitter

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 pound cherries stems and pits removed
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• pinch salt
• rind of 1 lemon

Instructions

 

• Combine the cherries, pinch of salt and sugar in a medium sauce pot. Allow to rest for 20 minutes.
• Add the ½ cup water and lemon rind to the cherries and sugar.
Over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the cherry syrup.
• Optional step: with an immersion blender, carefully pulse the cherries a few times to make a smoother, thicker syrup. Temporarily remove the lemon rind if you choose to blend. Return the lemon rind to the syrup for the thickening boil.
• Bring to a rolling boil, stirring every few minutes until a boil is achieved.
• Reduce heat to medium. Cook 10 minutes while stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Remove lemon rind. 
• Syrup will thicken slightly when cooled.
• Cool completely and store in air tight containers in the refrigerator.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cupCalories: 117kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 112mgFiber: 1gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 32IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition Disclosure

Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.

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published August 15, 2018

👩🏻‍🍳 Sarah Mock

CEO/Owner/Founder/Culinary Blogger

Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 13 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.