With its gorgeous magenta hue, this homemade Prickly Pear Syrup not only adds a bright pop of color but also infuses a uniquely sweet and slightly tart flavor into all your favorite foods and drinks. The easy to make simple syrup can help enhance everything from morning pancakes to your signature cocktails and mocktails.
Jump to:
Though there's nothing new about prickly pears, they seem to be picking up popularity across the country. You're still most likely to find them in the Southwest, but it's not uncommon to see a prickly pear margarita on restaurant a menu in New England these days.
I was first introduced to prickly pears while on a trip to Arizona years ago and I'll admit that I initially ordered the margarita because of it's gorgeous pink color!
But then I fell in love with slightly sweet, melon-like flavor of the prickly pear and knew I needed to try it in more drinks and treats.
I developed this prickly pear syrup so that I could add the unique flavor to anything I want in my New England kitchen far from cactus country.
🌵 What are prickly pears?
Prickly pears are actually the fruit of the prickly pear cactus plant! They get their name from their vibrant, tough outer skin that's dotted with little spikes or "prickles," but are also sometimes referred to as cactus pears and sometimes as "tunas."
When you purchase prickly pears, the spikes are generally removed, so they won't hurt you; but if you find one in nature, you have to be careful!
The flesh of the prickly pear cactus is pretty, sweet, and delicious. The color ranges from a reddish-pink to a deep magenta and some people describe the flavor as being watermelon-like flavor.
Prickly pear flesh can be eaten raw and is often turned into juice or used in jams and other sweet treats.
The prickly pears most common use in every day life is probably in prickly pear margaritas!
You can sometimes find them in the tropical produce section of your grocery store (though they're not technically tropical), but I actually purchased these ones from Amazon.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
If you're curious about prickly pears or you purchased a bunch of them and aren't sure what to do with them, a homemade prickly pear syrup is a great place to start.
The syrup lets you add prickly pear flavor to all kinds of things, from drinks to ice cream to baked goods.
It's incredibly easy to make and can be stored in your fridge for about a month.
Oh, and the color is stunning!
🗒 Ingredients
You only need three ingredients to make this prickly pear syrup. You biggest challenge may be finding fresh prickly pears. But if that happens, don't worry; you can use a prickly pear powder instead!
Here's everything you need (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):
- Water
- Granulated sugar
- Prickly pear fruit
If you can't find fresh prickly pear fruit, you can substitute it with prickly pear powder instead.
👩🍳 How to make prickly pear syrup
If you've ever made a homemade simple syrup before, this recipe will be a breeze for you! And if you haven't, it will still be quite easy.
To start, remove the skin from prickly pears and chop into small pieces. For the one cup of diced flesh, I used roughly three prickly pears.
Isn't it so pretty?
Put the water, sugar, and diced prickly pear fruit in a medium-size saucepan and bring mixture to a boil.
Once the fruit hits the water, it almost immediately turns magenta!
Once boiling, lower heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes, until mixture has thickened a bit and prickly pear is softening.
Strain the syrup mixture into a bowl, being sure to press down on the prickly pear to extract as much juice as possible.
You can dispose of the fruit or you can use it to top ice cream, oatmeal, etc.
Keep the syrup in the bowl or pour it into a mason jar and place it in fridge to cool completely before using.
Syrup will continue to thicken as it cools.
And it will retain that absolutely gorgeous hue.
I would make this for the color alone, even if it didn't taste so delicious. But it does!
🥣 How to make with powder
If you can't find fresh prickly pears, you can use a freeze-dried powdered version instead.
Bring the water and sugar to a boil and then let it simmer for about 10 minutes to thicken. Before removing from the heat, stir in about 1 tablespoon of prickly pear powder until dissolved.
Taste syrup and add a bit more powder if desired.
Store the powder syrup the same way you would the fresh fruit syrup.
🍹 How to use
There are so many ways you can use this homemade prickly pear syrup to add a little Southwest flair to your every day life.
Here are some of my favorite ways to use the syrup:
- Margaritas: Margaritas are definitely the most popular prickly pear item you'll find and for good reason. The fruit's flavor pairs perfectly with slightly sour limes and smooth tequila. I'll have a prickly pear margarita recipe posted for you soon!
- Other cocktails and mocktails: But the syrup goes well with all kinds of liquors, like vodka and gin, and can also make a sweet addition to a mocktail. It's also delicious mixed into lemonade!
- Prickly pear soda: Mix a little of the syrup into carbonated water and you have an instant homemade prickly pear soda, perfect for adults and kids alike.
- Tea sweetener: Drizzle the syrup into your hot or iced tea for added sweetness, flavor, and color. It's tasty in both black tea and green tea, but also works well in some herbal teas.
- Drizzle for pancakes, waffles, and french toast: Drizzle the prickly pear syrup over your breakfast treats for a delightful twist on traditional maple syrup.
- Drizzle for yogurt and oatmeal: Or use it as a topping on your healthy breakfast options to add a little sweetness.
- Ice cream topping: How pretty would a bowl of vanilla ice cream look with a prickly pear syrup drizzle? It would be delicious, too!
- Salad dressing ingredient: Whisk the prickly pear syrup into your homemade vinaigrettes to add a hint of sweet fruitiness and color to your salads. I think it pairs especially well with greens that have a bit of bitterness, like arugula or endive.
- Cake moistener: Bakers often brush simple syrup on cakes to give them extra moistness, sweetness, and flavor. The prickly pear flavor would be tasty on a vanilla cake.
- Meat marinades: Combine prickly pear syrup with ingredients like chili peppers, lime, and spices to create marinades for meats, especially pork and chicken, though it also works well with fish.
- Shave ice syrup: Drizzle this over shave ice or a snow cone for an instant vacation.
How would you use this prickly pear syrup?
⏲️ How to store
This simple syrup is easy to store in an airtight container in your fridge. When stored properly, the syrup should stay fresh for about a month.
Though you can keep in any airtight container, I highly recommend storing in mason jars- either 8 oz. jars or 16 oz. jars.
🛍️ Where to purchase
If you don't want to make your own syrup (but you should! It's so easy!), the good news is that there are plenty of options for purchasing bottles of it!
Here are some brands I recommend:
- Torani Prickly Pear Syrup
- Monin Desert Pear Syrup
- Liquid Alchemist Prickly Pear Syrup
- Reál Infused Exotics Prickly Pear Puree Infused Syrup
- DaVinci Prickly Pear Syrup
🫙 More simple syrup recipes
I love making my DIY simple syrups with all kinds of ingredients from fruit to candy and so much more. You can check out my full collection of syrup recipes and see some of my favorites below:
If you're a fan of this prickly pear syrup recipe, you might also want to try my dragonfruit syrup!
And I can't wait to try this yuzu simple syrup.
Are you a fan of prickly pears? What's the best food you've ever enjoyed the fruit or the fruit's flavor in?
📖 Recipe
Prickly Pear Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup diced prickly pear flesh (you can substitute with prickly pear powder)
Instructions
- Put water, sugar, and diced prickly pear fruit in a medium-size saucepan and bring mixture to a boil.
- Once boiling, lower heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes, until mixture has thickened a bit and prickly pear is softening.
- Strain mixture into a bowl, being sure to press down on the prickly pear to extract as much juice as possible.
Notes
- If you don't have fresh prickly pear fruit, you can make this syrup with prickly pear powder instead. Simply bring water and sugar to a boil and then let simmer for about 10 minutes. Before removing from heat, stir 1 tablespoon prickly pear powder in until dissolved. Try and add more powder if desired.
Comments
No Comments