How to Make Any Kind of Berry Pancake Syrup
You can make berry pancake syrup with any kind of fresh or frozen berries you have on hand! Say goodbye to syrups with High Fructose Corn Syrup and say hello to homemade, naturally-sweetened alternatives instead!
If you want to jazz up your pancakes, try topping them with a simple, flavour-filled syrup made with fresh-picked berries! Frozen berries will work, too, but if you’re hitting the U-Pick farms this summer, be sure to set aside some berries for this!
Make a strawberry syrup this month, and blueberry next! When July hits, try it with black raspberries, and in August, enjoy the flavours of blackberries and red raspberries.
Other fruits will work well, too, like cherries or peaches.
After you try this syrup on pancakes, make a batch for other uses, too! Drizzle it over pound cake, use it as an ice cream topping, or pour it over a bowl of fresh fruit!
Another thing I love about this recipe? It’s a good way to stretch expensive maple syrup, without having to buy the fake stuff.

Berry Pancake Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup berries
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
Instructions
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Heat the berries and water in a saucepan over medium heat.
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Measure cornstarch into a small bowl. When the berry mixture begins to simmer, dip out a few spoonfuls into the cornstarch. Mix well.
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Stir the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan. Let everything simmer and bubble for a minute, until the syrup begins to thicken.
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Stir in maple syrup.
Recipe Notes
If using strawberries, you may need to add 2 Tbsp water in step 1, since strawberries may be less juicy than other berries! Chop berries before adding to saucepan.
Peach variation: Substitute berries for finely chopped peaches! Increase the water by 1/4 cup.
Cherry variation: Substitute berries for chopped cherries! Increase the water by 2 Tbsp.
I wonder if I can substitute arrowroot powder for the cornstarch? I’m thinking I can. I can’t always find organic corn starch locally. Love the simplicity of your recipe. Pinned! =)
I use arrowroot in my syrup recipes in place if corn starch..no difference
This looks delicious!
Enjoy the Harvest!
Lindsey
Thanks! I’ll check that out.
Hi there! Looks like a perfect recipe. Since I won’t be canning these syrups, how long do they last in the fridge?
Thanks!
And one more question… say if I wanted to make it a seedless strawberry syrup. At what point would I strain the berries? Before boiling or after?
I use arrowroot in my syrup recipes in place if corn starch..no difference
I too have heard that arrowroot is a great substitute! I need to get some to try.
I am putting on a moose lodge fundraiser. And I thought I would try this out. We are having a pancake breakfast, and I think this would add a wonderful touch. Thank you so much for the recipes.
So neat! I hope the fundraiser went great, and the syrup turned out well! Recently I made this recipe with fresh cherries, and a bit of almond extract stirred in at the end and it was heavenly!
If I make this syrup, how long will it keep in the refrigerator?
It will keep for at least two weeks, potentially three. Of course, if you see any patches of mold growing on the top or the taste has altered, toss it. We’ve never had it around long enough for that to happen!
You can “can” (aka, preserve or bottle) berry syrups, too. Canning fruit syrups is easy to do, and when done following this simple lab-tested method, safely lasts unopened on the shelf for years.
For berry syrups, like blueberry syrup, see
https://pickyourown.org/blueberrysyrup.htm
and for peach, nectarine, plums, pluots, etc:
https://pickyourown.org/peachsyrup.htm