Breakfast is one of my favorite meals.  I’ll be posting a great breakfast recipe on Christmas Eve that can be made at night and just popped into the oven on Christmas morning and these berry syrups accompany it perfectly!

Each recipe for the three berries is slightly different from each other, but only slightly.  I love that they are only four ingredients each!  No icky preservatives or chemicals to be found in these delightful syrups.  They’re perfect for pouring over pancakes, French toast, or waffles!  These berry syrups are also perfect for drizzling over oatmeal, yogurt, or ice cream.  Come to think of it, these syrups would be delicious stirred into milk or hot chocolate!

Berry Syrup Recipes yields about 1 cup

Blueberry Syrup - 1C fresh blueberries, 1.5C water, 3/4C sugar, & zest from 1/3 lemon

Blackberry Syrup – 1.5C fresh blackberries, 2C water, 1.25C sugar, & zest from 1/3 lemon

Strawberry Syrup – 1.5C fresh strawberries, 2C water, 3/4C sugar, & zest from 1/3 lemon

What we’re essentially doing is making simple syrup and infusing it with the berry flavor.  If you have simple syrup, you can substitute the water and sugar for simple syrup.  Use about the amount of water called for the substitution.

Wash berries and allow them to dry.

Combine the ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat.

Bring to a boil, then turn down heat so the fruit mixture simmers for about 10 minutes until it slightly thickens.

At this point, the blueberry syrup is ready!  Pour into a sealable jar or container – or better yet, pour over your favorite breakfast item!

The other berries require an extra step.  While on the burner, crush the blackberries or strawberries with a potato masher to release all the juices.

And since seeds are not welcome to this syrup party, press the berry mixture through a sieve.

The fruit remains can be discarded or used in a smoothie or bread if you don’t mind the extra sugar.  If the syrup is still too thick to your liking, drizzle in a bit of simple syrup or water 1 Tablespoon at a time until it is a good consistency.  If the syrup is too thin, continue to simmer it for up to 5 additional minutes.

In addition to being wonderful breakfast treats, these also make great gifts!

I brought these to a brunch and they went over so well!  Don’t forget to come back on Monday and check out the perfect accompanying recipe.

For another great homemade gift idea, see the tutorial for how easy it is to make vanilla scented sugar!  And if you love giving away homemade gifts from your kitchen, I designed some free printable gift tags or labels for you!  To get the file, click here.  Print full sized onto card stock or a full sheet label.  If you would like to share this printable that I designed, please link to this post.  Thank you!