Passion fruit syrup is a tropical and sweet cocktail ingredient made from fresh passion fruit pulp, water, and sugar. It is one of my all-time favorite fruit. It's de-li-ci-ous. Not overly sweet and not too sour.
Most people love the taste of Passion fruit - or maracuja -, yet, some dislike the little kernels or are turned off by the consistency of fresh maracuja fruits. With our recipe for homemade passionfruit simple syrup, you don't have to worry about that. It's full of flavor and free of kernels.
Jump to Recipe | Ingredients | How to make it | Tiki variation | How to detect ripe passion fruit | Use in cocktails | FAQs
Ingredients you will need
To make this exotic sweetener, you'll only need three ingredients:
- Passionfruit pulp - For best results, you need pulp or juice from ripe fruits. Frozen pulp is an option, but it is better when fresh. In case you plan to buy canned pulp, make sure to check the ingredients. You only want 100% passionfruit, no additives.
- Sugar - Regular white and granulated sugar works fine in this recipe.
- Water
Go to the recipe card for information on the measurements.
How to make passion fruit syrup
Now, it's time to make the syrup with the help of our step-by-step guide:
- Get the pulp - Cut the fruit in half and use a spoon to scoop out the fruit pulp. Once you have removed the pulp, there are two ways to remove the seeds, either before you start boiling your syrup or when it's done. I like to wait and leave the kernels in until the end.
- Combine the ingredients - Add water and sugar into a saucepan and bring everything to a boil. Once the sugar dissolves, add the pulp into the saucepan and turn down the heat. Let the mixture steep for at least 30 minutes. We usually do 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Sieve and bottle - After one hour, take the saucepan off the heat. Let the passionfruit syrup cool down before straining it into a bottle. When sealed airtight, it will last for four weeks. And as with other fruit-based syrups, like our fig syrup or pineapple syrup, you can also add a splash of Vodka. The alcohol will make the syrup last longer.
Expert tip: We know it's tempting to squash and crush the kernels while watching your syrup simmer away, but don't do that. They taste bitter and will make the color of your syrup cloudy and less vibrant.
Popular Variation - Recipe by Jeff Beachbum Berry
With the Tiki cocktail hype in the 1950s, fruity, colorful, tropical drinks became a thing. And that's also when passionfruit entered the stage. And Jeff Berry, a renowned historian of Tiki culture, reconstructed the recipe for this tropical sweetener from that time as follows:
- One part simple syrup
- One part frozen passion fruit pulp
Defrost the fruit, combine it with the syrup, and put it in a sealable container in the fridge.
While this tiki version will also bring in the tropical sweet and sour flavor, it's not up to the standard we want in our cocktails.
How to tell if a passion fruit is ripe?
Maracujas come in colors ranging from dark purple to red(-ish) to yellow. Therefore, you cannot tell from their appearance if they are ripe or not.
No matter the color of the fruit, the skin should be wrinkled. It has plump, smooth, firm skin? That means the fruit isn't ripe yet. Also, they are very lightweight. That doesn't mean the fruit turned bad like it would be the case with some nuts.
How to use in Cocktails
You can bring the taste of passion fruit with this passionfruit syrup recipe to highballs like a Gin and Tonic. Or to a Vodka Soda, aka Skinny Bitch (not all that skinny anymore then). Just follow the directions for our Pink Fig G&T, but replace fig with maraca syrup and add a splash of fresh lime juice, too.
Or you can experiment with cocktails that already have passionfruit in their recipe, like the Porn Star Martini and the Hurricane cocktail.
Alternatively, many cocktails that usually include simple syrup work well with flavored syrups, too. Or you can open a bottle of bubbly and add a bit of passionfruit flavor.
Equipment
- 1 bottle sealable
- 1 cup
- 1 mesh sieve
- 1 funnel
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 6 fresh passion fruits
- 1 tbsp Vodka - optional
Instructions
- Cut the passion fruits in half and extract the pulp with a spoon.
- Add the water and the sugar into a saucepan, and heat while stirring.
- When the sugar is fully dissolved, reduce the heat and add the fruit pulp.
- Let the mixture steep for 45 minutes. Stir now and then, but don't squash the kernels from the passion fruit.
- Remove the syrup from the heat and let it cool down. Add a splash of Vodka, if you like, to extend its shelf life.
- Then use a mesh sieve and funnel to strain your syrup into a sealable container.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
When stored in the fridge, the syrup will last for 2-3 weeks. You can extend shelf life by adding a bit of Vodka to the syrup when bottling it.
It's best to store this homemade syrup in sterilized bottles in the fridge. This way it will stay fresh for 2-3 weeks.
In foods, passion fruit jam or juice is a great alternative. In cocktails, you can replace it with passion fruit liqueur, nectar, or juice.
No, they're not the same. Both are made from fresh fruits. But puree has a thicker consistency and is less sweet than passion fruit syrup.