I happened to be at Costco on a day when they were giving out samples of Kodiak Cake pancakes. Yum! I really enjoyed trying the Kodiak Cake berry syrups that they had. I even reached to put a bottle of syrup into my cart but after looking at the nutrition label and ingredients I reminded myself that putting that much liquid sugar on my pantry shelf was not going to help my self control any nor was it going to add any nutrition to my kids breakfast. I also realized that I could probably make a healthier version of the syrup anyway. So I put the bottle down and slowly walked away.
We usually don’t use syrup on our pancakes because they simply don’t need any. The moisture and flavor from the ingredients I use in my Protein Pancakes helps them stand alone. But a few weeks after I had tried the syrup at Costco I found an bag of frozen berries in my freezer that had been taken out to thaw and put back in the freezer all juicy. The berries had frozen together into a chunk of berries that I would have had to use an ice pick to separate. I saw this as an opportunity to try and make my own take on Kodiak Cake berry syrup. It turned out exactly how I wanted it and my kids loved it. The best part was that it was quick, easy, and only has 3 ingredients!
photo cred: mom 4 real
INGREDIENTS
- About 2 cups of fresh or frozen berries (I used strawberries, blueberries, and a few raspberries)
- 1/4 of honey (or less depending on how much tartness you like)
- 1/2 t vanilla
I like to have a few chunks of berries in my syrup so I just put my frozen berry goop right into a saucepan with honey and vanilla and brought it to a boil. If you want yours smooth or with few chunks of fruit, try using a food processor or blender to cut up your fruit.
This syrup tasted great fresh and it kept well in the fridge for a few weeks. We even used it a few times for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and as jam on bread.
Even if the amount of carbohydrates or sugars in my syrup was comparable to what you could find at the store, I get peace of mind knowing what ingredients were used, where they came from, and that there were no preservatives in my syrup. And my kids and husband loved it just the same!
*If you want to use raspberries or blackberries in your home made syrup recipe, avoid the seeds by blending your berries in a food processor and then sending them through a strainer before adding them to your sauce pan.*
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