Use this homemade Elderberry Syrup recipe to keep your family healthy all year round!
I started using elderberry syrup when my daughter Meghan was a toddler. Elderberries are rich with health benefits, including:
Health Benefits of Elderberries
- Boost the immune system
- Fight and protect against bacterial infections
- Fight and protect against viral infections
- Reduce the symptoms and duration of a cold or the flu
- helps clear sinus infections
- has natural diuretic effects and promotes bowel movements
- anti-inflammatory properties
- anti-carcinogenic properties
- eases symptoms of allergies
- high in antioxidants
- high in vitamin A, which makes it great for healthy skin
Clearly elderberry is a powerful plant! Through the years I’ve tried to be consistent in having our whole family take elderberry syrup, especially during the cold and flu season. The problem? Elderberry syrup is expensive!
I would much rather buy a product than have to make it. I’m a busy mama and adding one more thing to my plate can cause me to drop and break the whole plate. Nobody wants to see that.
However. When I discover I can make something for significantly cheaper at home and it’s really not that difficult, I make room on my plate. I might have to take something else off the plate, but I make room.
This homemade elderberry syrup recipe is really easy and worth the effort for the money saved. One of my lovely readers actually first shared the recipe she uses for homemade elderberry syrup with me last year when I was lamenting about the cost of buying the syrup.
Can I take a minute to tell you how much I love this community of readers? You guys are awesome and I love that we can help each other!
I use the basics of that recipe, but changed it slightly. I use dried cinnamon rather than a cinnamon stick and instead of using dried ginger and whole cloves, I use ginger and clove essential oils. I note in the recipe below that you can use either.
How to Make a Homemade Elderberry Syrup Recipe
The first step will be to get yourself some dried elderberries, which I get on Amazon. (affiliate link) Oh, how I love my Amazon Prime membership. 2 days later and you’ll be ready to make some immune-boosting syrup!
The whole process is easy and can be done while doing other household chores. You start by simmering some dried elderberries with water and spices for about 45 minutes. That’s when you can be doing other things. No need to hover over the pot here.
Once the liquid is reduced by half, you drain the liquid. I use a fine mesh strainer which makes it super easy. (Mine are very similar to these and I use them for everything!)
Make sure you squeeze all the liquid out of the berries so you aren’t wasting any. The back of a wooden spoon should do the trick.
Make sure the liquid is cooled, and then you can add your raw honey. Raw honey sweetens the syrup so kids will take it easily, but also has its own medicinal benefits. Win-win!
Then you store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and it will last for about two months. For adults, take 1 tablespoon daily and for children, 1 teaspoon daily. If you or your children are experiencing sickness or feel something coming on, that dose should be repeated four times daily.
Here’s a video to show you how easy it is to make homemade elderberry syrup at home!
Here’s to a healthy cold and flu season!
Homemade Elderberry Syrup Recipe
PrintHomemade Elderberry Syrup Recipe
This homemade elderberry syrup can be made in less than an hour and will keep your family healthy all year long. It’s the best natural immune booster you can use.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Category: natural medicine
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup dried elderberries
- 3 cups water
- 1 teaspoon dried cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon dried cloves or 4 whole cloves or 1 drop clove essential oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon dried ginger or 1 drop ginger essential oil
- 1 cup raw honey
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring the elderberries, water, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, about 40-45 minutes.
- Allow the liquid to cool, and then drain the liquid using a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth.
- Press all liquid out of the berries using the back of a wooden spoon.
- Add the raw honey and mix well.
- Store in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to two months.
Nutrition
- Calories: 1113
- Sugar: 278g
- Sodium: 21mg
- Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 299g
- Protein: 2g
Take along with this Vitamin C Smoothie for extra immune-boosting power!
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It sure smells good, but don’t you mean uncovered? It seems that it would not reduce if the pot is covered? Thank you!
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I found it reduced too much when I left it totally uncovered, so I partially cover it.
Quick question, just made my first batch but it’s not super syrup-y, more liquidy. Is that okay? Will it firm up a bit once in fridge for a while? Excited to have my family start taking this to help our immune systems!
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Yes it’s okay that it’s on the thin side!
No need for it to actually have a syrup consistency. Mine has always been n the thin(ish) side and is fine.
Wife 1st, mom 2nd, & advanced practice RN as well. I love love love this recipe! We don’t do sugar in our household so omitting the sugar works well for us and my babes love it! We start this at the onset of illness, or make it a staple during some of the months harder on immune systems (like around October & March, when the weather tends to fluctuate between warm & cold, which makes it more difficult for the liver to detox).
You like the taste without honey?
I forgot to rate it – we love it without the honey! 5 stars.
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I have another question. What are some uses for the berries after draining then? I’d hate to throw them away.
Compost!
I have dried organic elderberries. Instead of pressing the extra liquid out of the berries, can I put this in my Vita-mix and consume the berries? If they are healthy for you, would that make it healthier plus add fiber?
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No! The berries themselves are toxic
If they’re toxic, how is there elderberry jam? Don’t they use the berries for it? I’m not being facetious, I’m honestly curious as I’m looking into elderberries for the first time.
from: https://www.wildedible.com/wild-food-guide/elderberry
“Can you eat raw elderberries? Cooked ripe elderberries are perfectly edible. Unripe elderberries are poisonous. Raw berries can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, among other symptoms, so be sure to cook them before eating. Cooking the berries also improves their flavor.”
Hope that helps Melissa Garibay!
It does, thank you!
Where did you find that information. Maybe should share evidence with that comment.
I’m 66 years old my dad is 94 he’s made elderberry syrup and wine for years I’ve been eating raw elderberry since I was a kid. They never hurt any of us.
i’ve been making my elderberry syrup for a year, you can use some of your strained elderberrys in a smoothie or have a teasp. a day. i make some for my friends and they just love but i would rather they take the time to make it . i never have a cold or get sick. i swear by this juice. g.c.
Hi, I made this recipe but didnt have honey. I used stevia drops instead to make it palatable fornmy kids. But then realized that the 1tsp dose might need to be different as the honey volume isn’t accounted for. Could anyone tell me if I need to do half of a dose for children and adults if I didnt use honey? Thank you
The same dosage should be fine.
Hi there! What would be the dose for a 1 year old?
Does anyone press the juice out of the berries, and discard unheated seeds?
I’m trying to make a large batch, 16oz-32oz.
How much of each item would I need to make this larger batch?
For reference, I have
1lb of dried organic elderberries
1lb of organic whole cloves
6 organic cinnamon sticks
This recipe is super easy. So much cheaper than buying the bottle at CVS and without all the added junk. I’ve been making it for my family and my mom and sister as well. I make a double batch at a time and instead of using 2 cups of honey, I find I only need a 3/4 cup max. I take a tablespoon in hot water (not boiling) in the morning before breakfast.
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Hi! I want to make some elderberry syrup and ship it to family in another state. Will I be able to ship it once its mixed with the honey or should I ship it separately from the honey. I read somewhere that diluted honey ferments. Please let me know! Thanks
There are some berries next door that our toddler picks, and I’m thinking they might be elderberries! I’ll investigate further. After reading all the benefits of elderberries, it makes me want to try this! Thanks!
Elderberries are great for so many things! Just know that if they are fresh, they can be toxic… the leaves, buds and bark. Cooked is fine and dried is fine. I hope they ARE elderberries, you’d be super lucky to have such a treasure!!
Would ground dry ginger and ground dry cloves work? Would the measurements be the same?
I used ground ginger with mine. From a Google search, it would be 3/4 ground per 1TB dried. I’m not sure about the cloves. I would assume ground should be fine as well. You might want to look that up.
Thank you for printing a recipe with options/substitutions. While I frequently have cinnamon sticks and ginger around the house that’s not always the case. I love this and it’s great added to tea.
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I have been making this for few years now and I love trying different reciepies and add ins they are all good ! Thanks you so much!
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Hi! What is the yield for this recipe? I’m going to order jars to give these as gifts.
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The liquid reduces by about half so this recipe will yield 1.5-2 cups.
Looks super easy! Ive been sick a couple times when nothing else would ease my cough except elderberries.
So today I bought frozen elderberries at an Amish market. Im wondering how the recipe would convert to using these frozen ones instead of dried?
You could order Jelly/Jam Jars if you are giving more than a few as gifts. I think I made a double batch and I got 4.5pts. I also reduced the the amount of honey quite a bit because I didn’t feel like I needed so much. (Note: Soak your elderberries for a while [about an hour] before cooking them. Good luck!
Do you know if this is safe to take while pregnant? I’ve been taking this syrup all year and I recently found out that I’m pregnant so I want to know if it is safe to continue taking.
I always say make sure to check with your pediatrician and I’m not comfortable giving out medical advice. 🙂
No it’s not safe. You should not consume elderberries while pregnant or lactating
If you haven’t been taking it regularly, then don’t start. You can naturally boost your immune system by eating a healthy diet high in fruits, vegetables and protein, and low in sugar and other refined carbs.
My OB Dr. told me I could take it once I got to my third trimester, but I would definitely talk with yours before taking any.
I took elderberry syrup my entire pregnancy and my dr was happy about it. Totally safe and I took it while breast feeding as well.