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My homemade Blueberry syrup is next-level amazing! My secret ingredient? A splash of lemon! It’s the perfect balance to those sweet, juicy berries and makes your morning pancakes totally irresistible!

Overhead shot of homemade blueberry syrup in a jar with golden spoon sticking out.

A Reader’s Review

This was easy and tastes wonderful. Not too sweet. This recipe is now in my favourites. Even the hubby loved it.

– Shelly

Why This Recipe’s a Total Keeper!

  • Berry Bliss: This syrup has the BEST blueberry flavor. My secret? A splash of lemon that brings out the brightness of the berries in every bite.
  • Fast, Fresh & Foolproof: Ready in under 10 minutes and made with just 4 ingredients, it delivers big flavor with barely any effort.
  • Swap out the Flavor: Swap in raspberries or strawberries to create your own IHOP-style syrup lineup. Same recipe, endless variations.

Ingredients Needed

Overhead shot of labeled ingredients.
  • Fresh vs. Frozen Blueberries: Fresh blueberries give the best taste and texture, but frozen blueberries work too! No need to thaw, just simmer a little longer.
  • How to Pick Ripe Blueberries: Look for plump, dark blue berries with a slightly gray “bloom.” If there’s red, they’re not ripe and too tart.
  • Fruit Substitutions: Want to use strawberries or another larger fruit? Just crush or blend them before cooking for a smoother syrup.
  • Sugar Swap: Feel free to substitute the sugar with honey or monk fruit sweetener in a 1:1 ratio.

How to Make Homemade Blueberry Syrup

It takes less than 10 minutes and only a few pantry staple ingredients to whip up! Serve this up on Buttermilk, Cornbread, homemade pancakes, or Waffles for a breakfast that is sure to be a hit with the family!

  1. Boil: In a medium saucepan, add sugar, cornstarch, water, and lemon juice and whisk. Bring to a gentile boil over medium-high heat and then add the blueberries.
  2. Simmer and Serve: Reduce the heat to low (185–200°F) and simmer gently for 4-5 minutes until the blueberries burst and the syrup starts to thicken. Remove from the heat and serve.

Alyssa’s Pro Tip

Smooth or Chunky Texture? For a smoother homemade blueberry syrup, blend and pour it through a strainer. If you like it chunky? Just leave it as is.

Side shot of a stack of pancakes with blueberry syrup on top and drizzling down the sides.

How to Store Homemade Syrup

This syrup has staying power! Store it in the fridge or freezer and enjoy homemade goodness for days (or months).

  • In the Fridge: Store your blueberry syrup in the fridge for about 7 to 10 days in an airtight container or jar. 
  • In the Freezer: You can also freeze your syrup to make it last for months! Allow one inch of space in your container when freezing, as the syrup will expand. When you’re ready to use it, let it thaw in the fridge for a few hours before consumption. Gently reheat while stirring.

Delicious Serving Ideas

Homemade blueberry syrup with breakfast foods is a classic. Try serving it over my German pancakes! You can also add it on top of cheesecake for some extra decadence. Here are a few more ideas!

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Homemade Blueberry Syrup

5 from 15 votes
By: Alyssa Rivers
Made with just 4 simple ingredients, my fresh homemade blueberry syrup is thick, flavorful, and ready in minutes.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • In a medium saucepan, add ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ½ cup water, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice and whisk. Bring to a gentile boil over medium-high heat and add the 2 cups fresh blueberries*.
  • Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 4-5 minutes until the blueberries burst and the syrup starts to thicken. Remove from heat and serve.

Video

Notes

Updated May 2, 2025

Nutrition

Calories: 73kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 0.3gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.02gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 31mgFiber: 1gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 20IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 3mgIron: 0.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

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Recipe Rating




31 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This was easy and tastes wonderful. Not too sweet. This recipe is now in my favourites. Even the hubby loved it.

  2. 5 stars
    I tried this recipe when I couldn’t find blueberry syrup in the stores. This is a great tasting recipe. Did I mention it’s also very easy to make. Thank you for sharing.

  3. 5 stars
    Thank you. Made this to put on top of sourdough discard pancakes, delish! I’ll be saving this fast easy to make recipe.

  4. 5 stars
    Turned out great and really simple to make! I couldn’t find blueberry syrup in the store so thought I’d give this a try. It was delicious and I’m so happy I made this recipe. I used frozen blueberries as I didn’t have any fresh blueberries. I thawed the blueberries a little before adding to the saucepan. It took a little longer to get the mixture back to a boil after adding the blueberries but started the cook time once it was simmering again. Then once done I used my potato masher to crush the berries more. Again, it was a delicious recipe and tasted great on waffles.

    1. Yes… Failed… After two weeks, it molded.

      I’m trying again today. I really love this syrup, and I’m hoping it’ll hold this time. Gonna try water bathing. I didn’t water bath last time (cause many sites said you wouldn’t have to…)

    2. Worked after water bathing! No mould a year later, stored in the pantry on the shelf!

      Gonna try this recipe with strawberries.

  5. 5 stars
    Made this recipe for my 5 year old, and it was a hit. A reminder from my childhood I am passing along to her. I used frozen mixed berries instead of blueberries, and added lemon zest in addition to the lemon juice. It turned out great. Rave reviews from the little one!

  6. 5 stars
    Perfect recipe. I make this for my wife. I am diabetic and found adding a few drops of sucralose and eliminating the sugar and cornstarch turns it into a super, super healthy food for everybody, not just diabetics. Eating food like this, INCREASING my calories and reducing my carbs, I lost 60 lbs and went from 170 units of insulin to no medication at all.

  7. 5 stars
    I tried your recipe and followed it to a T! Your recipe is perfect but I’m a little extra so I added a teaspoon of Amoretti Violet Lavender! It was also great! Next time I may try the rose flavored syrup! :))

  8. 5 stars
    Just came to respond with a thank you. I had a little bit of blueberries left in refrigerator, and of course didn’t have enough for anything really except well just a to a good handful to eat or just halving your recipe and voila’ I have breakfast syrup for two. And the taste brought back a childhood memory. So a double thank you.

  9. I want to make homemade gifts this year for Christmas. How long will this stay good for in the fridge?

    1. 5 stars
      The non- liability answer… My experience, rinsing my clean jars with Star San sanitizer (used for wine making,) this blueberry lasts for a very long time. Once you you open it the clock moves faster.
      I also rinse freezer bags in the same product and put them in the deep freeze. Great way to take advantage of the early blueberry season.

    1. Refrigerator: Store in the refrigerator for about 7 to 10 days in an airtight container or jar.
      Freezer: This will freeze for 3 months in an airtight bag or jar. When reheating, slowly warm up, stirring occasionally.

  10. 5 stars
    I love that this syrup isn’t cloyingly sweet! I used frozen blueberries, and it came out lovely, a perfect consistency and texture. I will leave this tip, though–if you’re making this the morning of, make it before you make your pancakes, because molten sugar can take a while to cool off!

  11. 5 stars
    I tried another recipe for blueberry syrup but it was flat so I tried yours . The lemon juice and cooking it longer made all the difference, I could eat it by the spoonfuls!