Cherry Vanilla Soda Syrup Recipe

This cherry vanilla soda syrup is a simple homemade drink syrup made with fresh cherries, sugar, water, and vanilla. Simmer the cherries until they break down into a deep ruby syrup, strain it, then mix with soda water for a bright, fizzy cherry vanilla soda at home.

If you love fruity drinks, this cherry vanilla soda syrup is a fun one to keep in the fridge for quick summer sipping. Use it in sparkling water for a simple homemade soda, stir it into a berry drink like this Blueberry Raspberry Mint Mojito Mocktail, or make a more grown-up patio drink inspired by this Easy Wine Sangria Recipe. For another homemade syrup-style drink, try this Grapefruit Rosemary Mocktail too.

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Why You Will Love This Cherry Vanilla Soda Syrup

• Made with real cherries instead of artificial cherry flavor.
• The vanilla softens the tart cherry flavor and gives the soda a classic fountain-drink feel.
• The syrup keeps for up to 1 week, so you can mix drinks as needed.
• It works with plain soda water, Coke, cocktails, mocktails, or a squeeze of lemon juice for balance.
• The recipe is vegan, gluten free, nut free, and soy free.

Ingredients

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You only need four ingredients for the syrup, plus soda water for serving.

• Fresh cherries: Wash, stem, pit, and roughly chop them before simmering.
• Granulated sugar: Sweetens the syrup and helps create the concentrated drink base.
• Water: Dissolves the sugar and gives the cherries enough liquid to simmer.
• Vanilla extract: Stirred in after straining so the flavor stays smooth and aromatic.
• Soda water: Use plain sparkling water or your favorite soda water to serve.

How To Make Cherry Vanilla Soda Syrup

1. Rinse the cherries, remove the stems, pit them, and chop them into halves and quarters.

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2. Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, swirling the pan a couple of times to dissolve the sugar.

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3. Add the cherries and bring the mixture back to the heat.

4. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Watch the pan closely so it does not boil over.

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5. When the cherries are mushy and the mixture looks syrupy, remove the pan from the heat.

6. Let the mixture rest for 20 minutes so the cherry flavor can steep into the syrup.

7. Strain out the solids through a fine mesh sieve, then stir in the vanilla extract.

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8. Transfer the syrup to a clean glass jar or bottle and refrigerate.

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How To Serve

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For one drink, mix

• 1 1/2 to 2 fl oz / 42 to 56 ml cherry vanilla syrup
• with 4 to 5 fl oz / 112 to 140 ml soda water.
• Add ice and stir gently.
• If the drink tastes too sweet, add a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten it.

The syrup is also great mixed with Coke for cherry vanilla Coke, poured into cocktails, stirred into mocktails, or added to sparkling water for an easy homemade soda.

For cocktails, try adding a splash of cherry vanilla syrup to gin, vodka, bourbon, rum, prosecco, or sparkling wine. It works especially well in fizzy drinks, the same way fruit syrups shine in a Blood Orange Gin Fizz.

Tips

• Use ripe cherries for the best color and flavor.
• Do not walk away once the syrup boils; cherry syrup can foam and boil over quickly.
• Stir the vanilla in after straining instead of boiling it with the cherries.
• If you want a smoother syrup, press gently on the cherries in the sieve, but avoid forcing pulp through if you want a clearer drink.
• Taste the finished soda before adding more syrup. The sweetness will depend on your cherries and your soda water.

Storage

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Store the cherry vanilla syrup in a clean glass jar or bottle in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Keep it sealed and chilled between uses.

What To Serve With Cherry Vanilla Soda

This homemade cherry vanilla soda is perfect with easy summer desserts, especially fruity frozen treats. Serve it with Mango Cherry Popsicles for a cherry-on-cherry pairing, or keep the no-alcohol summer drink theme going with Rumless Pina Colada Popsicles.