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Hello! I’m Anjali. I’m a board certified health coach, author, wife, mom and food lover from the SF Bay area (now living in Seattle, WA!); with a passion for delicious food and a desire to make healthy eating easy, tasty and fun! Learn more about me here and stay for a while!

Anjali Shah

Passion Fruit Syrup Recipe

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My refreshing passion fruit syrup recipe is so easy to make, with just 20 minutes of prep time. Naturally sweet with the perfect hint of smokiness, this homemade syrup will impress everyone! Mix it into drinks, infuse baked goods, or drizzle over breakfast or dessert for a touch of tropical paradise. 

A glass bottle filled with orange liquid sitting on a towel next to limes and passion fruit

This is a recipe I have been making for a while now, and after many requests I decided it’s time to post it! While I primarily use this passion fruit syrup for margaritas, it is really versatile and can be used in so many ways.

Passion fruit balances sweet and sour, with an overall refreshing tropical taste! It has hints of kiwi, pineapple, and cantaloupe, but ultimately stands alone in its amazing, unique flavor.

My syrup makes a great addition to any cocktail, mocktail, or even smoothie! It’s ideal for anyone looking to enhance the flavor of other fruits or elevate sweet treats for a more sophisticated flavor profile. See my favorite serving suggestions below for more ideas!

If you love this syrup, definitely try out my other syrup recipes as well! There is something for every occasion with my sweet strawberry syrup or blackberry simple syrup, spicy jalapeno simple syrup, or my summertime favorite: peach simple syrup!

I have never tasted anything quite like my homemade passion fruit syrup! While many recipes lean into the sweetness, I wanted mine to be bold, balanced, and crafted to perfection.

While I still prioritize the sweet and refreshing flavor of passion fruit, I also wanted to taste the tang and acidity. To top it off, I add turmeric and a pinch of black pepper to really pack a punch and give it an elevated taste.

If you’ve been wanting to mix up other recipes and impress friends and family, this recipe is your new best friend. Whether you are a beginner in the kitchen, or a skilled culinary pro, this recipe can be used to liven up so many dishes. I love this passion fruit syrup for cocktails, but the options definitely do not end there!

While you do have to give it a couple hours to steep, the actual prep work is super minimal and quick! I am able to easily whip a batch of this syrup up any time of day.

Plus, I love that this recipe can be customized with additional flavor pairing. I’ve been able to really embrace my creativity and explore so many fun varieties!

🥘 Ingredients

The hardest ingredient to find will be the passion fruit. If your regular grocery store doesn’t have it, try looking at a health food store or international market. Here’s what you’ll need to make the best passionfruit syrup!

All of the ingredients for passion fruit syrup on a wood background.

Water & Maple Syrup: I create a variation of a simple syrup, boiling the water and maple syrup before adding the other ingredients. Instead of maple syrup, you can also use agave nectar, honey, or sugar.

Passion Fruit Pulp: This bright yellow-orange pulp is the star of the show in my recipe, with its bold yet refreshing flavor. It has that sweet acidity similar to pineapple, with a touch of mango. It is tart, juicy, and oh so delicious!

Turmeric & Black Pepper: These unique ingredients add a little more dynamic to my passion fruit cocktail syrup, giving a subtle earthy note while not being too overpowering. 

Mezcal (Optional): I personally love to use mezcal in this recipe, as it adds a nice smokiness. To keep this alcohol-free and kid-friendly, omit this ingredient.

🔪 How To Make Passion Fruit Syrup

Here is how to make passion fruit syrup at home in just a few simple steps! Once you finish the short prep work, the rest of the time is just letting the syrup infuse with the most delicious flavors.

Boil Water & Maple Syrup: First, I add the water and sweetener to a large saucepan, bringing to a boil. This takes about 5 minutes. I boil the liquid over medium heat for an additional 5 minutes. Meanwhile, I clean out the pulp from the passion fruit.

Passion fruit pulp being cleaned out and added to a measuring cup.

Combine Ingredients & Steep: Next, I remove the pot from the heat and add the passionfruit pulp, turmeric and pepper. I mix well to incorporate and allow the liquid to steep for 2-3 hours so the flavor gets infused.

Passion fruit pulp added to water and sugar mixture in a pot.

Strain, Then Store or Serve: Then, I strain the syrup over a mesh sieve into a glass jar, squeezing out the juice as I go by pressing down on the pulp in the strainer. Save and use with cocktails, over ice cream or mixed with water as a juice!

Passion fruit pulp being strained through a mesh strainer over a measuring cup.

My #1 Secret Tip for this recipe is to pick the sweetest, juiciest passion fruits at the store!

If you are unfamiliar with selecting fresh passion fruit from the grocery store, I have a few helpful tips! First off, unripe passion fruit is green and not generally stocked in stores anyway so you really can’t go too wrong. However, you may come across some passion fruits with smooth, sleek skin. Do not choose these ones!

When I am looking for the very best passion fruits for this syrup I go for ones with a little more wrinkly skin that has some give to it. These will be on the sweeter side and easier to work with. They should also feel heavy when holding, and have a fragrant scent. As far as color goes, ripe passion fruits range from dark purple (some might feel it has a red hint), dark yellow, or gold.

Other Tips To Keep In Mind:

  • Adjust Sweetness: You can adjust the sweetener to meet your preference. Use less for a tart syrup or more for a sweeter one. I sometimes keep it on the tarter side so that it is more versatile for other recipes, and then add sweetness as needed.
  • Save Time: There is no need to take the seeds out of the pulp initially. You’re going to strain everything anyway and they are edible.
  • Avoid Waste: I like to save the pulp and seeds and freeze them into ice cubes to use in smoothies.

📖 Variations 

Passion fruit goes well with so many different flavors – I never get bored with this syrup! Here are my favorite variations:

Tropical Flavors: Transform this passion fruit simple syrup with extra flavor, by adding in some guava juice, orange juice, or pineapple juice. My personal favorite? Mango passionfruit syrup!

Vanilla Passion Fruit: In my opinion, passion fruit pairs really well with vanilla notes. Try adding in a dash of vanilla extract for a sweet yet earthy addition to this lilikoi syrup recipe.

Add Herbs: Infuse fresh mint leaves or even basil, for a refreshing spin on the original recipe. Adding a splash of this maracuya syrup to sparkling water on a hot day is amazing!

Keep The Seeds: Make this a passion fruit syrup with seeds. I’ve been to a few restaurants that serve their cocktails with the seeds! It might not be for everyone but it provides a bit of a crunch and unique experience. 

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Now that you have this deliciously amazing homemade passionfruit syrup, you need to know how to use it up! I am in love with how versatile it is – it can be used in so many ways – basically in place of simple syrup in most recipes. Here are some of my top serving suggestions to try out: 

As A Drizzle: My kids love to drizzle this passion fruit syrup over pancakes, waffles, or even yogurt or ice cream! It pairs really nicely with my vegan matcha ice cream or my lychee ice cream. You could even level up your milkshake game, adding some to a coconut milkshake for dynamic flavor.

More Desserts: This is the perfect syrup to infuse in cakes, frostings, or glazes.

Salad Dressing: For warmer weather days, I love a refreshing tropical salad! Use this syrup to make a vinaigrette for your favorite salads. It is super yummy mixed with my easy grape salad or breakfast fruit salad. Make a customized salad with things like arugula, mixed greens, mandarins, strawberries, blueberries, walnuts, pecans, and more.

For Tropical Cocktails: My passion fruit simple syrup recipe is so delicious for a variety of cocktails! I’ve created an amazing passion fruit margarita, passion fruit paloma, and passion fruit mint cooler, but it is wonderful for any tropical drink! Add to Mai Tais in place of the orange liquor or even try a splash in pina coladas for a new twist.

Mocktails & Other Drinks: You can transform any of the above into a mocktail version, but I’ve been loving my own special mocktail creation. Add 1 ounce of passion fruit syrup with 8 ounces of sparkling water. Squeeze in some fresh orange juice and a dash of agave syrup. Other fun ideas include passion fruit lemonade and guava passion fruit juice. Just be sure that you leave the mezcal out of the passion fruit syrup recipe!

🫙 Storage Instructions

Fridge: Since I typically do not use this syrup all at once, I pour it into an airtight container or mason jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freeze: When I know I need this to last longer than 5 days, I freeze it! I’ve found the best method is to pour it into an ice cube tray. Once frozen solid, I transfer to an airtight freezer safe container then freeze for up to 3 months. I defrost the portion I need or even just add an ice cube or two to drinks!

❓Recipe FAQs

What is the best way to cut my passion fruit for this recipe?

Passion fruit is very easy to prepare for this syrup! First, I rinse off the skin to wash off any debris. Then, I simply cut it in half and scoop the insides out.

How do I separate passion fruit juice from seeds?

There are a few methods for doing this, but in this recipe I keep things as simple as possible. I just use a mesh strainer to separate out the pulp and seeds, pressing down to extract as much juice as possible. This leaves behind a delicious, smooth syrup!

If you are looking to get even more juice you could use a blender, adding the whole inside of the passion fruit, pulsing on low for a few seconds. This helps to separate everything without fully pulverizing the seeds (which we don’t want to do). From here, just strain and press to extract all the juice. I like to save the pulp and seeds for other recipes, as they are edible!

Passion fruit syrup, stored in a glass jar with a cut passion fruit on the side.

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📋 Recipe Card

Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Passion Fruit Syrup Recipe

I love making my own passion fruit syrup! It's easy and absolutely delicious. You can use it for so many things, from desserts to cocktails!
Prep Time20 minutes
Steep2 hours
Total Time2 hours 20 minutes
Course: Condiment, Sauce
Cuisine: American, Vegan, vegetarian
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 6
Calories: 66kcal
Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

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Instructions

  • Add the water and sweetener to a pot. Bring to a boil, about 5 minutes. Boil over medium heat an additional 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, clean out the pulp from the passion fruit.
  • Remove from heat and add the pulp, turmeric and pepper. Mix around to incorporate.
  • Allow to steep for 2-3 hours so the flavor gets infused.
  • Strain over a mesh sieve into a glass jar, squeezing out the juice as you go. I save the pulp and seeds and freeze them into ice cubes to use in smoothies.
  • Save and use with cocktails, over ice cream or mixed with water as a juice!

Notes

  • Adjust Sweetness: You can adjust the sweetener to meet your preference. Use less for a tart syrup or more for a sweeter one. I sometimes keep it on the tarter side so that it is more versatile for other recipes, and then add sweetness as needed.
  • Avoid Waste: I like to save the pulp and seeds and freeze them into ice cubes to use in smoothies.
  • Save Time: There is no need to take the seeds out of the pulp initially. You’re going to strain everything anyway and they are edible.
  • Serving: This makes 1 ½ cups, serving size is ¼ cup.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 66kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 190mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g

8 responses to “Passion Fruit Syrup Recipe”

  1. We tried this passion fruit syrup to use with summer mocktails and it turned out delicious! It was really easy to make too – thanks!5 stars

  2. Love passion fruit! You are lucky to find them available! I am hoping to get some from a new market in town so I can make this! Looks so good!5 stars

5 from 4 votes

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