Blueberry Syrup

By Genevieve Ko

Total Time: 15 minutes
Rating: 5(560)
Notes: Read community notes

Run through with plump berries, this compote-meets-syrup mix makes any meal feel as leisurely as weekend brunch. A pair of natural sweeteners takes the place of refined sugar: Fresh berries cook down with only lemon juice to concentrate their natural summery sweetness, then earthy maple syrup adds depth. You can use the larger amount of syrup for a pancake pourable blend, or the smaller quantity for a spoonable topping.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 1¼ cups

2cups blueberries
1tablespoon fresh lemon juice
⅓ to ½cup pure maple syrup

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Combine 1 cup blueberries and the lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until some berries begin to pop, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until about half the berries have burst and the liquid has thickened, about 5 minutes.
Step 2
Stir in ⅓ cup syrup for a compote consistency and ½ cup for a thinner sauce. Add the remaining 1 cup blueberries, raise the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and some whole berries remain, about 5 minutes. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Step 3
Reheat until warm to spoon over pancakes, waffles, French toast, scones, oatmeal or other hot breakfast treats, or grilled pork, chicken or steak. Serve cold over yogurt, ice cream, sorbet, pudding, custard, cheesecake or ricotta toast.

Ratings

5 out of 5

560 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

LLTK2 years ago

Microwaving frozen blueberries makes a wonderful syrup for pancakes - no need for all of that sugar.

Lynda H.2 years ago

Unlike blueberries, raspberries are aggregate fruits--that is, a raspberry is actually dozens of tiny fruits growing together. Those tiny fruits, or bumps, are called drupletes. When cooked, raspberries fall apart into drupletes. The syrup won't be as "chunky" as the syrup you get with blueberries. IMHO, though, it's a very tasty raspberry syrup.

Rett3 years ago

Anyone try this w/fresh raspberries rather than blueberries? How did it turn out?

Pat2 years ago

This will seem truly weird. I had a blueberry sauce at a restaurant which was incredible. When I asked the chef for his secret ingredient, it was lavender flowers! I've never been a fan of any flowers in my food but this was a revelation and I have been adding them to this sauce ever since. Just a pinch.

dana yaks3 years ago

i had no maple syrup in the house last week, so i made a similar syrup, but lower sugar, and perfectly sweet - about 1 cup frozen blueberries heated up with about a TBSP of blue agave syrup. Not a purist - whipping up a quick meal - heated the blueberry and agave, and then, for the last bit, a pat of butter (which i also add with maple syrup) in the microwave, on the pancake plate - no extra dishes) . i ate it right away, so no need for lemon to keep it from turning brown.) Easy-peasy.

Brenda1 year ago

You can also replace the maple syrup with up to one Tablespooon of vanilla. I use this with plain yogurt and walnuts. It helps reduce my sugar intake.

kswl1 year ago

Blueberry compote without maple syrup — and whole blueberries—is easily achieved (and much fruitier) by cooking down the berries with sugar and lemon zest and lemon juice until the desired consistency, then throwing in a handful of fresh whole berries. I always add a bit of vanilla and cardamom to my blueberry compote for a really unusual and delicious flavor. It’s a great accompaniment to Ms Ko’s excellent lemon ricotta pancakes.

Mike in Peoria, AZ1 year ago

Made this today, 17 DEC 2022, as specified. Excellent outcome. Maybe next time I'll try it with strawberries or blackberries. Blueberries are an excellent source of nutrients. One cup (148-gram) of blueberries contains: - Fiber: 4 grams - Vitamin C: 24% of the RDI - Vitamin K: 36% of the RDI - Manganese: 25% of the RDI

Tony P1 week ago

Wonderful recipe i used berries i hand picked and it felt really rustic making this for my family. Unfortunately it turns out i do not like blueberry syrup so this was a bust for me but my family ate them in earnest and loved it. It also made a very picturesque plate that i will be using to brag to friends. I'll use this as a base for other berry syrups in the future as well, thanks for the recipe ♥️

tara sharp2 months ago

I make syrups like this frequently with strawberries. Add a bit of maple syrup or sometimes a few tablespoons of water and a tablespoon of brown sugar. It works with raspberries and blackberries as well, but you have to strain out the seeds.

bee3 months ago

I would probably add some lemon zest next time and cut back the maple syrup since it was a teensy bit too sweet, but absolutely delicious and will be made regularly. Maybe a small pinch of salt to offset the sweetness?

Daisy H4 months ago

I made this with raspberries substituted lime and added a little bit of mint/a pinch of salt 👌🏼

Amanda5 months ago

This simple recipe made a special pancake fundraiser more special. Thank you!

#16 months ago

I love it. Used it with pancakes and oats for a week. Making it the second time now.

Nancyjane6 months ago

Sometimes I just add a cup of frozen blueberries & a cup of frozen raspberries to the hot pan I just used to make the pancakes. After about a minute I remove them from the pan & they make a nice sauce, no need to add sugar or syrup.

Susie Smith6 months ago

Very good; nice and fluffy. FOR BEAUTIFUL PRESENTATION (and added nutrients) sprinkle slivered almonds on top while bottom is cooking. Then flip and cook as normal. When you take off the griddle, serve w/almond size up - really pretty. Substituted 1/4 whole wheat flour for all purpose and turned out fine.

Melissa10 months ago

These are the lightest, most wonderful pancakes. I often don’t care much for ricotta (I find its texture a bit gritty), but it works to perfection here. These come together easily and cook up beautifully. Normally, I make the blueberry syrup, per the recipe, but did it this morning with fresh strawberries and it was delicious (I’ve not tried raspberries, but I’d bet they would be terrific, too).

Sally10 months ago

Absolutely wonderful with yogurt and granola for breakfast in the morning. I make this regularly now. It's so so easy. Personally, I really like the compote texture, and I reduce the maple syrup to 1/4 cup. You still end up with plenty of the blueberry syrup along with whole berriess at the end -- yum! Every once in a while, I'll add lemon zest, too.

Alex1 year ago

I added cinnamon, rose water, and chopped fresh rosemary to serve with baked brie

Liz1 year ago

I loved it! I added a teaspoon of sugar after it cooked for two minutes and then added pure maple syrup. I used it over ricotta pancakes. Delicious!

Kay1 year ago

Wanted a twist of Southwestern flavor to use on a pork tenderloin ~ used only 1/3 cup of maple syrup, plus a dash of Grand Marnier. Let that boil down a bit, then added S&P, some diced fresh serrano, and a dash of ancho chile powder. Boiled it down to a reduction.

Ror1 year ago

I made this with a mix of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Turned out delicious and was a big crowd pleaser.

Corinne Mauri1 year ago

I did this for the pancakes with raspberries, added a bit of grand marnier 1/2 cup and 1/2 cup sugar. used hand mixer to maked it liquid. delicious over ricotta pancakes.

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