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Home » Recipes » Sauces, Dressings, Etc.

How to Make Elderberry Syrup

Published: Dec 27, 2018 · Modified: Oct 12, 2023 by Marisa Moore·

1.2K shares
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How to make elderberry syrup

How to make elderberry syrup at home with dried elderberries, honey, and spices. Plus, discover what you need to know about the limited evidence regarding the health effects of elderberries from a registered dietitian. 

ginger elderberry syrup in a jar with ginger and cinnamon

This easy elderberry syrup recipe made with dried elderberries, honey, and spices for an immune-boosting and delicious syrup.

What are you doing to stay well during cold and flu season? As a registered dietitian, I am often asked how to stay well during this season. Natural remedies are my first course of action and lately, I’ve been getting lots of questions. 

Do elderberries help with colds and flu?

Elderberry has been used for immune support for centuries. However, scientific evidence supporting the benefits of elderberry to fight the common cold and influenza is not a slam dunk. 

Although there’s some research that elderberry may help reduce flu symptoms, the evidence is not strong enough to recommend it as a sole solution to cure the flu.

Keep in mind that many syrups, teas, and tinctures contain elderberry extract, elderberry flowers, and other ingredients like echinacea, which can also have an impact on your immune system.

Whatever you take, be sure to tell your health care provider about any alternative or natural approaches you take. You might be able to avoid certain interactions by simply letting them know.  

Research on elderberries

While there’s not enough evidence to reliably say that elderberry extract can help prevent the common cold, some evidence suggests it might help reduce the severity of colds and the duration by as many as 2 days.

This is in line with my experience with whatever I picked up on that long plane ride through two airports from Portugal earlier this year. Since then, I’ve been doing research about elderberries and loving all of the potential benefits.

So at this point, you may be wondering…

What are the benefits of elderberry?

Elderberry is getting a lot of attention because clinical research shows that some elderberry extracts, lozenges, may help reduce flu-like symptoms and duration if taken within 48 hours of onset. That does not mean it prevents or cures the flu.

Please seek medical attention if you believe you have the flu or if you have any symptoms of the flu.

However, with it’s antiviral and antioxidant properties, black elderberry may have other benefits. Preliminary research shows that elderberry tea (not what I’m showing here) several times per day may help some people with constipation.

elderberry syrup ingredients

Are elderberries safe to eat?

When I started researching making my own elderberry syrup, I immediately uncovered warnings not to eat certain elderberries and to make sure that the ones you buy are safe. Cooked dried black elderberries are considered safe to as long as they are fully cooked and from a reliable and safe source.

According to the National Institutes of Health National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), the leaves, stems, raw and unripe berries and other plant parts of the elder tree are toxic. Avoid those. They also caution against taking large amounts of the elderberry flower since those may also have the same substance present.

In this post, I’m only talking about black elder (Sambucus nigra L), also called black elderberry or Euro Elder. It’s notable that many different parts of the elder tree have been used in traditional medicine for years. 

Now that all of that’s out of the way… let’s get on with the easy recipe!

Learn how to make homemade elderberry syrup and why you want to do it! #functionalnutrition Click to Tweet

How to make homemade elderberry syrup

Homemade elderberry syrup is very easy to make. I’m using dried elderberries for this one. You can also cook with fresh black elderberries to make jams, pies, or beverages using the juice or muddled fruit.

However, it’s important to note that these foods may not have the concentration necessary to get the clinical effect of an extract or syrup.

For this recipe, you’ll need water, dried elderberries, fresh ginger, cinnamon sticks, and honey. And it will take just a few steps and about an hour to finish making your own elderberry syrup. Plus, you can make it for a fraction of the cost of buying a bottle of elderberry syrup.

steeped elderberries being mashed and strained

How much elderberry syrup should you take?

This depends on the strength of your elderberry extract or syrup,  lozenge, or gummy. I’ve personally found 2 teaspoons per day to be helpful when I had an active cold. Again. This is a study of one – me.

I cannot tell you how much to take – discuss that with your personal health care provider.

Though some people take it daily, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. It hasn’t been studied for long-term, daily use. But stay tuned, I will be sure to update this post as more information becomes available. 

elderberry syrup horizontal

Where to buy dried elderberries?

I found my organic dried elderberries at a local health food store. After dropping into the bulk section of a couple of stores with no reward, I called around to see which stores had them in stock. Apparently, Atlantans made a run on elderberries earlier in this season and everyone was sold out. It was nice because I was able to buy a small amount to experiment.

It’s easy to find dried elderberries online. I found a few co-ops selling dried elderberries with a range of $20-30/pound, with the higher end being for organic berries. I recommend going to the source instead of buying from an unknown seller on Amazon. The prices over there are inflated too.

If you’ve made it this far down, the recipe is coming right up. But I also wanted to share the article I wrote a couple of years with some tips on fighting cold and flu naturally.

Be sure to tag me on Instagram when you make this elderberry syrup and share your thoughts on staying well naturally in the comments!

Follow Me on Pinterest!

elderberry syrup on a spoon
elderberry syrup horizontal

How to Make Elderberry Syrup

Marisa Moore, RDN
Learn how to make elderberry syrup at home with this step by step guide! This elderberry syrup is spiced with fresh ginger and cinnamon sticks and sweetened up with honey. 
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Servings 32 tablespoons
Calories 19 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup dried elderberries
  • 3 cups water
  • 3 -inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • ½ cup honey

Instructions
 

  • Bring the water, elderberries, cinnamon, and ginger to a boil in a small saucepan. Simmer uncovered 45 -60 minutes - until the mixture reduces by half.
  • Remove from the heat. Let the fruit and spices steep and cool slightly. Mash the elderberries with a potato masher or fork to extract as much elderberry juice as possible.
  • Strain the elderberry juice into a jar or bowl using a cheesecloth, fine mesh sieve, or nut milk bag. Discard the spent berries, ginger, and cinnamon sticks.
  • Whisk in the honey until well combined. Your syrup is done! Store the elderberry syrup in a sealed jar or bottle in the refrigerator. 

Notes

The syrup will last at least a week or longer depending on the amount of honey you add and possibly how often you open the jar. 

Nutrition

Calories: 19kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 0.05gFat: 0.02gSaturated Fat: 0.002gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.01gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.003gSodium: 2mgPotassium: 13mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 21IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 0.1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Comments

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Valinda

    September 05, 2021 at 4:09 pm

    Can you make this with 100% elderberry juice that can be purchased from wylewood cellars?

    Reply
    • Marisa

      September 06, 2021 at 7:19 am

      Hi! I haven’t tested the recipe using juice so can’t say how it would turn out. It would depend on the juice itself I’d guess but sorry I don’t have additional insight to share.

      Reply
  2. SARAH LYNN ROLEY

    August 07, 2021 at 8:24 pm

    Probably can use DEHYDRATOR to dry elderberries. But i also would like instructions!

    Reply
    • Marisa

      August 09, 2021 at 10:21 am

      You might try one of the online tutorials detailing how to dry elderberries with a dehydrator or an oven. I can’t get fresh elderberries where I live so don’t have any firsthand experience.

      Reply
  3. Jill

    August 05, 2021 at 7:30 pm

    How are elderberries dried?

    Reply
  4. Marta

    November 04, 2019 at 4:43 am

    I only can find elderberry tea, can I make the syrup adding the tea (once done)?

    Reply
    • Marisa

      November 04, 2019 at 6:58 am

      No. Unfortunately, that won’t work. If you’re not able to find the berries locally, try ordering them.

      Reply
  5. Jodie

    November 02, 2019 at 11:52 am

    Reading over your instructions I’m confused as to when to add the cinnamon sticks and ginger. You state to discard them but I don’t see when to add them. Thank you

    Reply
    • Marisa

      November 02, 2019 at 11:56 am

      Hi Jodie. I just fixed it. You add the cinnamon and ginger to the pot with the elderberries to boil/simmer/steep. Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Jodie

        November 02, 2019 at 1:28 pm

        Thank you can’t wait to try it

        Reply
  6. Nikki

    January 18, 2019 at 9:45 am

    Elderberry can be really dangerous for people with autoimmune disease. Often, people who truly have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are simply told they have hypothyroidism, and they never know it’s the autoimmune type. I see you’ve included a line about talking to your doctor and that’s great, but I would strongly urge you and plea that you also include a phrase about how it can be dangerous for some people with autoimmune disease such as a certain type of hypothyroidism, ulcerative colitis, Lupus, etc. Please do consider adding this information. Other websites are linking to this article without mentioning it either, and it can send someone with autoimmune illness into a severe flare even if they’ve talked to their doctor.

    Reply
  7. Karen

    January 13, 2019 at 4:09 pm

    I’ve been seeing a lot of my friends on social media speak about this. I’ve also had a lingering cold/respiratory issue for 2 months. So I picked some of this up from Gaia Herbs. Whew! It is so sweet but tasty as well. Glad I can make my own and will do that when the bottle runs out. Looks easy enough.

    Reply
    • Marisa

      January 13, 2019 at 4:13 pm

      Yes. I love the Gaia brand but it’s nice to be able to make your own to control the sweetness. Hope you feel better soon!

      Reply
  8. Thomas BLG

    January 13, 2019 at 12:46 am

    I’ve never mad homemade syrup!
    I’ve always thought of it like a very laborious thing to do.
    But I love how yours turned out.

    Reply
  9. Matt @ Plating Pixels

    December 27, 2018 at 1:26 pm

    5 stars
    Sounds amazing. I’ve never even seen elderberries but want to find them now!

    Reply
    • Marisa

      December 27, 2018 at 1:28 pm

      Thanks, Matt! You definitely have to go looking for them or order online as they are not the easiest to find!

      Reply
    • Jennifer Flynn

      July 25, 2021 at 11:03 am

      Hi Marisa, thank you so very much for this lovely recipe. Would I be able to use freshly picked elderberries instead of dried ones? Thanks

      Reply
      • Marisa

        July 25, 2021 at 4:45 pm

        Hi! I have not tested this recipe with fresh elderberries as they are not readily available in my area. I don’t think it would work as-is and I’d guess you’ll need to make some changes since the fresh berries have significantly more moisture.

        Reply
      • Laurie

        August 11, 2022 at 10:35 pm

        In other recipes I’ve seen, you would double the amount of dried berries and reduce the added water by 1/2-3/4 cup.

        Reply
  10. Andrea @ Cooking with Mamma C

    December 27, 2018 at 1:08 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve never tried elderberry syrup but am intrigued by the health benefits! It looks wonderful.

    Reply
    • Marisa

      December 27, 2018 at 1:29 pm

      I’m amazed by how powerful some foods are. So exciting to see the research continue to grow!

      Reply
  11. Jori

    December 27, 2018 at 12:55 pm

    5 stars
    My daughter and I have had way too many colds this year. This sounds like a yummy and natural way to boost our immune systems.

    Reply
    • Marisa

      December 27, 2018 at 1:30 pm

      It is a tasty way to do it! Enjoy!

      Reply
    • Sheila Peterson

      October 15, 2019 at 2:10 pm

      Can I take 2 teaspoon in a day ? Thank you

      Reply
      • Marisa

        October 15, 2019 at 8:54 pm

        Hi Sheila, I’m not able to answer that specifically for you. Please check with your healthcare provider to determine what would work best for you.

        Reply
  12. Jacque Hastert

    December 27, 2018 at 12:02 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks for sharing all the benefits of elderberry. Not only are they delicious, but the health benefits are amazing. Everyone should have a bottle handy.

    Reply
    • Marisa

      December 27, 2018 at 12:48 pm

      The health benefits are so fascinating! I can’t wait to try out some other recipes with them.

      Reply
  13. Veena Azmanov

    December 27, 2018 at 11:40 am

    5 stars
    Thank you very much for such an interesting information on making this Syrup. Great for home remedies. Love the flavors infused in making it.

    Reply
    • Marisa

      December 27, 2018 at 12:00 pm

      I find it to be so interesting too! And the ginger and cinnamon really help add a little extra flavor to the syrup!

      Reply

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Marisa Moore in a yellow top in a white kitchen

MARISA MOORE

Hi! I'm Marisa, a registered dietitian nutritionist living in Atlanta, GA. I use this blog to share (mostly) vegetarian recipes, credible nutrition information and a peek into my Southern roots and travels!

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