Easiest Sugar-free Blueberry Syrup--Plus 20 Ways to Use It
This Sugar-free Blueberry Syrup Recipe is not only keto and low carb diet friendly, but it's so easy and made with just a few simple ingredients, so you can truly make it anytime. And it's so tasty, that if you're a blueberry lover, you're definitely going to want to do just that.
Bonus--it's a flexible recipe that can work as anything from a sugar-free blueberry compote to a sugar-free blueberry sauce or made smooth like a traditional pancake syrup. The ways you can make and use this easy blueberry syrup are practically endless.
Read on--you'll see what I mean.
Whether you just want to make a dish special with that little something extra, you're a certified berry lover, or anytime you're near blueberries you eat so many you wonder if you might end up looking like Violet Beauregarde from Willy Wonka, this keto blueberry sauce recipe is for sure going to make you smile.
Pretty much every year we go blueberry picking at a local u-pick blueberry farm. It's such a joy--standing out in the warm sun, picking and eating--eating and picking--hearing the birds overhead and the plunk plunk of the ripe berries hitting the bottom of the bucket.
No matter how many we pick, even if it seems that we've picked puhlenty of blueberries, they never last as long as we'd like.
That's mostly because we have a blueberry "thief" in our home (this person also might just be the same "chocolate chip thief" mentioned in my Gluten-free Kitchen Sink Cookies). But I somehow manage to steal some to make a few treats like this lovely sauce.
The Easiest Perfect Recipe for Blueberry Lovers
This recipe is oh so special for several reasons.
As mentioned, this recipe is:
- Super Flexible: You can make this recipe into a compote, sauce, or syrup--no problemo!
- Super Easy!: This is the easiest recipe for Sugar-free Blueberry Syrup out there.
- No thickener needed.
- Got only frozen blueberries? No thawing needed!
- You can even make it a 2 ingredient recipe and skip the sweetener if your blueberries are sweet enough (or slightly tart syrup is fine with you).
- If you DO choose to use a thickener, there's no need to make a special "slurry" to add it after cooking the blueberries. Just dump everything in the pan, and make that syrup.
It doesn't get any easier than that!
Ingredients
Here's a basic ingredient list for this syrup (or sauce or compote). For the full list with measurements, see the printable recipe card below.
- fresh blueberries (frozen works too!)
- sweetener
- fresh lemon juice
- water
- salt
- arrowroot (optional)
- lemon zest (optional but tasty!)
Directions
Following are basic directions for this syrup recipe. For the full list of directions, please see the printable recipe card below.
Add the blueberries, sweetener, lemon juice, and water to a pan (Photos 1 & 2)
Cook over medium to low heat for 5-10 minutes. (Photos 3 & 4)
Allow to cool before serving (Photo 5)
Serve over low carb pancakes, ice cream, cheesecake, or any of the great ideas below. (Photo 6)
The MANY Ways to Use This Syrup
You've likely already been dreaming about some obvious yummy ways to enjoy this keto blueberry sauce, but I betcha haven't thought of all of these. Check out all of these ideas and let the healthy blueberry syrup fun begin.
- Eat off the spoon (or on its own out of a bowl, preferably topped with this Coconut Whipped Cream)
- Top or mix in to yogurt topping (much healthier than those sugary fruited yogurts)
- Top custard or panna cotta (like this Coconut Panna Cotta)
- Serve as a cheese platter side
- Serve on top of pancakes, french toast, or waffles (like these Buckwheat Blender Waffles, Eggnog Pancakes, or these Buckwheat Pancakes / Galettes)
- Mix in to pancakes or waffle mix in (blueberry pancakes, anyone?)
- Mix in to scones
- Top or mix in to low carb cheesecake
- Top or swirl into ice cream or frozen yogurt (serve over vanilla ice cream or this Dairy-free Chocolate Ice Cream or this Rich Chocolate Avocado Ice Cream. Yes, chocolate and blueberry are GREAT together!)
- Top salad (like this Broccoli Jicama Salad)
- Top goat cheese
- Layer in parfaits--this Buckwheat Granola would be great paired with this sauce.
- Top meat, chicken, or fish
- Top of hot cereal like this Homemade Cream of Rice
- Top chia pudding (like this Chocolate Chia Pudding or to add even more berries to this Blueberry Chia Pudding)
- Mix in popsicles (like these Berries and Cream Popsicles)
- Top pudding (like this Chocolate Avocado Pudding)
- Top pie (yes, it would even taste amazing on this Healthy Egg-free Pumpkin Pie)
- Stir into carbonated water for sugar-free blueberry soda
- As a healthy alternative to corn syrup
How to Store
Refrigerator: Store the syrup in an airtight storage container (a glass jar works great) in the fridge for up to 4-6 days.
Freezer: This freezes well for up to 3 months. Simply heat over low heat on the stove or thaw overnight in the fridge. Or freeze the syrup in small servings in an ice cube tray. Remove and place frozen cubes in a freezer bag until ready to use.
It's a a great way to add blueberries to a smoothie or shake, or natural blueberry flavor to water.
Are Blueberries Keto?
Though blueberries have more natural sweeteners than strawberries, they still work for a keto diet. If you're strictly monitoring you carbs, take care to not eat too many since the carbs add up quickly.
I lean keto/low-carb, but I think healthy carbs are crucial, so I'm all for eating blueberries, especially since they're loaded with vitamin C, K1, Fiber, potassium, and antioxidants. Antioxidants fight free radicals which are unstable atoms that can cause damage to your cells and body if they are too highly concentrated
So eat those blueberries and kick those free radicals to the curb!
Recipe Notes
Sweetener: You can add more or less sweetener (or none at all) depending on how sweet your blueberries are.
You can use whatever sweetener you like--powdered, granulated, or liquid. Some sweeteners are sweeter than others, however. This post about baking with honey goes into more detail about that.
Thickener: The lemon juice doesn't just add a lovely flavor to this sauce, but some say that it also acts as a natural thickener. I think, however, that the thickening is from the pectin in the berries being released. Either way, once the sauce cools, it does thicken up quite a bit.
For a thicker sauce, use the optional arrowroot. You could use about 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum instead if you want to avoid carbs. We choose to avoid gums if possible.
Initially I thought that I liked the recipe with the arrowroot best, but now I like the one without better. The arrowroot gels up a little funny for me when it cools, and hey--three ingredients is easier than four.
Fresh or Frozen Berries: Some say for best results you should thaw the berries first if using frozen for this type of recipe, but the sauce works out great either way so I say go for easy and skip the thawing.
Sugar-free Blueberry Syrup
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh blueberries
- 3/8 cup low carb sweetener (optional--see Recipe Notes)
- 1/2 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3/8 cup water
- 2 pinches salt
- 3/4 teaspoon arrowroot powder optional--for thickening
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoons lemon zest optional--for additional flavor
Instructions
- Add all ingredients you plan to use to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes until the berries break down and the sauce thickens as desired.
- For a thinner syrup, add water in small amounts (1/2 - 1 tablespoon at a time), stirring after each addition.
- Cool before serving. For a smooth sauce, blend it in a food processor or regular or immersion blender before or after cooling.
- Serve over pancakes, waffles, ice cream, cheesecake, or any of the great serving options listed above (unless you eat it all immediately).
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is merely an approximation. Optional ingredients are not included and when there is an alternative, the primary ingredient is typically used. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts since they have been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.