Name: Strawberry Puree for Drinks
Prep time: 9 min
Total time: 9 min
Yield: 14
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 12 ounces strawberries (340 g); 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 2 teaspoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed; 1 teaspoon lemon zest; pinch of salt

This easy strawberry puree recipe has just 4 ingredients and is ready to add to drinks in under 10 minutes. This sweet homemade puree can be made with fresh or frozen strawberries and is delicious in all sorts of drinks, from iced tea to cocktails, mocktails and more.

Bottle of homemade strawberry puree for drinks.

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Homemade Strawberry Puree

Want to add sweet strawberry flavor to your favorite drinks? Homemade strawberry puree is quick and easy to make and perfect for layering, blending and mixing into all sorts of beverages.

From matcha to margaritas, mocktails and more, strawberry puree makes any drink sweet and fruity, and bursting with summery vibes.

This strawberry puree recipe comes together in minutes by blending together whole strawberries, sugar, fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.

If you crave fruit-filled drinks without additives and preservatives, then you really should give this recipe a try!

It’s so much better than store-bought.

Bottle of homemade strawberry puree next to an iced strawberry matcha latte and a sliced strawberry. — Homemade strawberry puree made with real whole strawberries tastes so much better than store-bought.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Easy to make. Strawberry puree for drinks only takes minutes to make and doesn’t require any cooking or special ingredients. Homemade raspberry puree is just as easy!
Make it any time of year. Homemade strawberry puree can be made with frozen strawberries, which means you can readily make a batch all year long.
Limitless drink possibilities. This strawberry puree can be layered into drinks like a strawberry matcha latte, blended into drinks like this chocolate-covered strawberry frappuccino and smoothies, or even used as an ice cream topping. It’s perfect for summer entertaining or red and pink Valentine’s day beverages.

Strawberry Puree Recipe

You will need a blender or food processor to puree the strawberries into a smooth consistency for drinks.

Ingredients

Strawberries (fresh or defrosted frozen berries)
Sugar
Lemon (for juice and zest)
Salt

Strawberries: You can make the puree with fresh or frozen strawberries.

I use fresh berries during the summer season when they’re at peak flavor and most affordable. Give them a sniff. If they smell like strawberries, then they’ll taste like strawberries!

Fresh strawberries need to be washed and hulled before blending.

Otherwise, I make puree with frozen strawberries. And it’s not a compromise.

Frozen strawberries are picked at peak ripeness and flash frozen to lock in the flavor.

You will need to defrost frozen berries before blending. Simply put a bowl of the berries in the refrigerator overnight. Another option is to thaw them in the microwave.

Sugar: For sweetness, use granulated cane sugar.

Lemon: The citric acid in lemons intensifies the strawberry flavor in the puree. I highly recommend using the juice and zest from a fresh lemon.

Instructions

Wash and dry fresh strawberries. Hull the clean strawberries with a paring knife to remove the green stems. If using frozen strawberries, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight or microwave them for 2-3 minutes, in 1 minute bursts.
Add sugar to strawberries and stir to combine, let sit for at least 5 minutes while you prepare the lemon. Then add freshly squeezed lemon juice, zest and salt to strawberry mixture.
Blend the strawberries until pureed, about 1 minute, until the puree is completely smooth.
If desired, strain the strawberry puree using a fine mesh strainer to remove any large seeds or zest.
Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Detailed recipe and instructions are in recipe card at bottom of post.

Combining the strawberries and sugar

Bowl of frozen whole strawberries. — Make puree with fresh or frozen strawberries.

Bowl of frozen strawberries that have been thawed. — Make puree with fresh or frozen strawberries.

Pureeing the strawberries with a blender

Strawberries, sugar, and juice extracted from berries in a blender. — Put juicy strawberries in blender.

Lemon juice and lemon zest added to strawberry mixture in a blender. — Put juicy strawberries in blender.

Recipe Notes

Macerating the Strawberries

To really bring out all the juiciness in fresh strawberries, go the extra step and macerate the fruit by combining chopped strawberries and sugar in a bowl for about 15 minutes before blending.

The sugar dissolves and the strawberry juice is extracted.

Pureeing the Strawberries

It’s best to use a food processor or blender to puree the strawberries into a consistency smooth enough for drinks.

You can use a blender for smoothies like my Ninja compact blender, an immersion blender, or a standard blender.

My Pick for Blender

I love my Ninja blender. It’s compact, powerful and easy to clean. I use it all the time for smoothies, and it’s great for purees and sauces, too!

see on amazon

Adding in the Citrus

Add the lemon juice in small amounts, then taste; don’t go overboard.

The goal of citrusy lemon juice is to heighten and brighten the strawberry flavor. The puree should taste like strawberry, not lemon.

Strawberry Puree vs Strawberry Syrup

Strawberry puree and strawberry simple syrup are both used to flavor drinks with strawberry, but they are not the same.

Strawberry Puree:

contains whole strawberries that are blended into a smooth consistency.
has more real strawberry flavor than simple syrup.
is versatile and can be added into drinks or used as a dessert topping.

Strawberry syrup is a liquid sweetener. It does not have actual berries in it and is thinner than puree.

Drinks with Strawberry Puree

Homemade strawberry puree for drinks in a squeeze bottle with label that says strawberry puree, next to an iced matcha latte layered with the puree, milk and matcha.

Strawberry puree can layered, blended or stirred into drinks. It can also be used as a drink or ice cream topping.

Blended Strawberry Lemonade
Strawberry Frappuccino
Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Frappuccino
Strawberry Matcha Latte
Strawberry Cream Matcha Latte
Strawberry Iced Tea
Strawberry Mocktails and Cocktails (daiquiri, margarita, etc.)

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