Homemade Elderberry Syrup (4 Ways with Low-carb Option)
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This Homemade Elderberry Syrup is something everyone should have in their natural medicine cabinet to keep your body healthy. It's so easy to make, and I'm even sharing how you can make a Sugar-free Low-Carb Elderberry Syrup Option.
To make this recipe work for you no matter what form of elderberries you have on hand. I've included instructions for making elderberry syrup from dried berries, fresh berries, from elderberry powder, and even from elderberry juice!
Elderberry Benefits
For centuries, elderberries were a standard folk remedy in Europe, North America, Western Asia and North Africa, so now their health benefits are being examined and studies.
Elderberries (Sambucus Nigra) are full of antioxidants which have many health benefits. They also have tannin, flavanoids (including quercetin, which is often used for helping mitigate allergy symptoms and anthocyanins), carotenoids, amino acids, vitamins, and more.
They have been shown to lower cholesterol, and support the immune system, including giving relief of Influenza Symptoms and the duration of colds.
The benefits of Elderberry Syrup for Kids is the same, plus kids LOVE the yummy flavor too!
Are Elderberries Poisonous?
Just so you know, if you buy Dried Elderberries for making this syrup, don't go a snackin' on them, OK?
Elderberries are toxic when raw.
Actually it isn't the berries themselves that are toxic, but the seeds, stems, leaves, and roots are, and the berries have seeds in them. Elderberries are tiny (about 1/8 to ¼ inch in diameter) and about 50% of the berry is seed.
The toxic plant parts contain a cyanide-inducing glycoside. Eating a sufficient quantity of these can cause a toxic buildup of cyanide in the body and make you quite ill.
Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and even coma. Most people recover quickly, although hospitalization may be required.
Cooking the berries destroys the glycosides present in the seeds, making the berries with their seeds safe to eat. Interestingly, research indicates that exposing elderberry to heat actually concentrates the polyphenols and anthocyanins too, so you not only kill the poisons when heating the elderberries, but you make them more nutritious too!
I once snacked on dried elderberries thinking they'd been heated enough when being dried, but I was wrong, and I paid for it. Not fun.
How Much Elderberry Syrup to Take
There is no real dosage or serving size information. It depends on you. However, this syrup is meant to be taken by the spoonful and not by the glass.
First of all, it's sweet and especially if you use honey as the base, you will be getting a glycemic hit from it. Regardless, however, you can get digestive upset from eating too much elderberry. Some people get that from taking only taking 1 tablespoon a day. So the best thing to do is start slow and listen to your body.
Some people take up to 2 ounces or more (4 tablespoons) of elderberry syrup without having any laxative effect. It's often recommended that when fighting off an illness to take 2 tablespoons up to 4 times per day.
Potential Drug Interactions
Please note that elderberries can potentially interact with several medications. If you are taking any of the following medications, please consult with your health care provider before using an elderberry supplement, eating elderberry jam, or any other elder plant products.
- Diabetes medications
- Diuretics (elderberry can potentially act as a diurectic)
- Chemotherapy
- Immunosuppressants, including steroids and medications used to treat autoimmune diseases
- Laxatives
- Theophylline
Fresh vs Dried vs Juice vs Powdered Elderberries
Wondering which type of elderberries is best for making syrup? Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Fresh elderberries:
The most nutrient-rich when just harvested, but they spoil quickly and aren’t widely available. - Dried elderberries (best overall):
These retain most of their beneficial compounds and are the most reliable, accessible option for homemade elderberry syrup. - Elderberry juice:
Convenient, but often diluted and sometimes made from concentrate, which can reduce nutritional value. - Elderberry powder:
Can be potent if it’s freeze-dried and high quality, but quality varies widely between brands.
Bottom line:
For most people, dried elderberries are the best choice because they offer a great balance of nutrition, availability, and shelf stability.
Tip: The quality of the elderberries matters more than the form. Fresh berries that have been sitting around or low-quality powders may be less beneficial than high-quality dried berries.
Shelf Life
The shelf life of this syrup should be about 3 months in the fridge, but that is if you make the version with honey. Honey has preservative qualities to it which enhance. You can typically compare the shelf life of this syrup to other fruit based homemade syrups.
Some recipes include a high-proof alcohol to enhance the shelf-life.
The low-carb version of this syrup should be good for about 1 month in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Recipe Notes
- Cinnamon Stick: You can use 1 organic cinnamon stick in place of the cinnamon if desired.
Special Diet Notes
- AIP: Elderberries are not approved on the AIP diet, but they are a cautionary reintro.
- Keto / Low-Carb: Use either 1 cup xylitol or 1/2 cup xylitol and 1/8 teaspoon (4 scoops) stevia for a low-carb option.
- THM: For the Trim Health Mama (THM) plan, you are able to use the honey since this small amount is allowed for medicinal purposes. This syrup made with honey, however, is a THM “E.”
- Low Fodmap: Substitute maple syrup for the honey.
Homemade Elderberry Syrup (4 Ways with Sugar-free Option)
Ingredients
Elderberry Syrup from Dried Elderberries
- 3 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups dried elderberries
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dried ginger (optional)
- 1 cup honey (or low-carb sweetener. See Recipe Notes for alternatives)
Elderberry Syrup from Elderberry Powder
- 3 cups water
- 2/3 cup elderberry powder
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon dried ginger
- 1 cup honey (or low-carb sweetener. See Recipe Notes for alternatives)
Elderberry Syrup from Elderberry Juice
- 2 cups elderberry juice
- 1 cup honey (or low-carb sweetener. See Recipe Notes for alternatives)
Elderberry Syrup from Fresh Elderberries
- 1 1/2 cups fresh elderberries
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup honey (or low-carb sweetener. See Recipe Notes for alternatives)
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
Instructions
- If using fresh elderberries, remove stems.
- Combine the berries and spices (if using) and water in a saucepan. If using juice, put that in saucepan.
- Bring to boil.
- Simmer for 30 minutes to an hour until the water is reduced by about a half.
- Mash the berries in the water, or blend in a blender.
- Strain through a cheesecloth, nut milk bag, or fine mesh strainer (optional).
- Add sweetener. Heat, if needed, to combine. (heat gently if using honey to not destroy the enzymes.)
- Store in a jar or bottle in the refrigerator of freezer. See notes for details.
Elderberry Syrup from Elderberry Juice
- Heat up the elderberry juice in a small saucepan over medium heat until starting to steam.
- Add the honey to the juice.
- Stir until combined.
- Add to jar and let cool to room temperature.
- Store in jar in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and preparation methods. Optional ingredients are not included. Net carbs are typically calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (such as erythritol) from total carbohydrates. This information should not be relied upon for medical or nutritional purposes.
Keep this on hand all year round to help keep your immune system healthy, and use extra when fighting off “a bug.”
Where to Buy Elderberry Syrup Instead of DIYing
This recipe is so easy, but if you really are in need of the syrup and don't have time to make it, then you can buy quality Elderberry Syrup as well.
This brand has an organic version, but do note that it isn't low-carb.
Have you had Elderberry Syrup before?
How did it work for you?
Thank you for the recipe. We find that a cup of honey is way too sweet and more than the recommended dose for daily sugar intake as my husband is diabetic. We don’t like artificial sugars or stevia etc. Would this have the same effect using 1/2 cup honey?
Hi there. You could for sure cut the honey back–it will be more concentrated and less health benefits from the honey but otherwise it’s fine. If you are OK with pure stevia you could use some green stevia or white extract that is made just using water and add a bit to the honey if you like as well. Hope it goes well for you!
Not sure I want to use Stevia with all the potential side effects. Kidney Failure being one of them.
So this is very very interesting. I have never heard of this. I just went checking it out and ran into a bunch of dead ends……the statements I read were “stevia ‘might’ be a diuretic”.
This states that stevia should be beneficial for this issue: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6129687/
This as well. https://healthykidneyinc.com/2018/09/21/stevia-versus-sugar-for-people-with-chronic-kidney-disease/
Of course, do your own research. I am not making a medical recommendation, but your comment peaked my interest so I started investigating things and that is what I found. Hope that is of help to you.
I have been using stevia every day for decades and have zero problems with my kidneys. I use it to sweeten my tea a couple times a day.
I’m diabetic, have used Stevie since it came out! Am just fine. Some of us HAVE to use artificial sweeteners! Also have made elderberry syrup for 4 yrs, nurse says to use honey as many benefits, I just use 1/4 the amount in,my recipe & it tastes just fine. And I only take 1 tbsp/day.
Thank you for your website, love it
I’m so glad to have options that work for you. The only other option is to not have any sweets. I think it’s a good idea to limit them, but total avoidance isn’t necessary this way at least. I bake a lot less these days, but I still do on occasion and it’s a pleasure when I do. Thanks again!
Can I use fresh berries? And if so, how much?
Typically fresh vs dried ingredients can be substituted in a recipe using a 1:4 or 1:3 ratio.
I realy don’t understand the ration to what-when you say 1:4 or1:3 ration does it mean i part water tp 3 parts water. Could you jut list it by ie: 1/4 c. water
Hi there. I mean that if you are going to use fresh instead of dried, you will typically use 3-4 times as much and vice versa. Hope that helps!
much thanks for clearifying that for me.
Sure – you are welcome!
Where do you buy your dried elderberries- that you are 100% certain they are safe to use
Thanks-Janice
Hi there–I am confident about the source linked to in the post. Frontier is another good source. Are you concerned about something in particular?
Yes- it is a known fact that one has to be very careful when picking the berries because certain parts of the plant are piousness. I have never seen dried elderberries for sale. But would like to make my own syrup. thanks
If some parts of the plants are poisonous, then if you are getting only the berries, that should be fine, correct?
Thank you for the recipe. Do you know how long it will keep in the fridge if no honey?
I don’t but I wouldn’t expect for it to keep very long. One idea is that you could freeze it into ice cube trays and thaw as needed.
Trying this today. Thank you for the share and recommendations! Aho.
You are so welcome! Hope it works out well for you!
Hi! Im assuming this is ground cloves and not whole cloves. Trying this recipe now, thanks!
Yes, that is right! Hope it works out well for you!
I need clarification please:
use 1 cup xylitol or 1/2 cup xylitol and 1/8 tsp (4 scoops) stevia for a low-carb option.
1/8 tsp (4 scoops) how much is this?
Hi there. 4 scoops is 1/8 tsp. Let me know if you need more clarification. Thanks for reading.
Can erythritol be used instead of xylitol?
Yes, for sure! It’s about 70% times as sweet so adjust accordingly or add some stevia to make up the difference. This post can help with stevia extract usage: https://wholenewmom.com/kitchen-tips/stevia-what-it-is-and-how-to-use-it/
I am needing information on carb intake per serving of the syrup made with stevia (no honey). Do you have any input on this or an idea on where I could find this information?! I would greatly appreciate it!!
Hi there. I am so sorry for the delayed response on this. Your comment got buried and I just saw it again last night. Wow this was a long time ago. I would recommend using an online calculator for that. I have low carb nutrition on the card now for you. Hope that helps!
I used raw organic cane sugar instead of honey…will this cancel out the healing qualities of the elderberry? M
Not at all! Honey just has extra benefits.