Switching from maple syrup to a fruit syrup on our pancakes, waffles, and french toast is not only economical, but it’s also good for kids!  Most syrup you purchase at the store has nothing natural in it at all.  In fact, it’s generally nothing more than high fructose corn syrup and maple flavoring!  And considering the cost of pure maple syrup, we follow a super simple recipe for fruit syrup instead.

Making syrup from fruit is another way to incorporate some sweetness to pancakes and waffles.  Some kids just don’t like to top their pancakes with whole pieces of fruit.  It’s a texture issue for some, or a “food touching” problem.  Blending up the fruit instead and using it as a dip or pouring it on the top can be the perfect way to get them to include fruit in their breakfast.

In order to enjoy organic berry syrup in the middle of winter, we always start with Cascadian Farms organic frozen fruit.   We are HUGE fans of frozen berries here.  Recently, Natalie and I visited the organic farm where Cascadian Farm blueberries are grown.  You can read more about their organic practices here.

The important thing to know is that freezing fruit is the best way to eat nutrient dense foods when they are not in season.   Fruit is picked at the peak of ripeness and frozen quickly to preserve the nutrients.   Otherwise, when you purchase fresh/raw berries when they are not in season, they are picked before they reach their ripeness, meaning they’ve had less time to develop the peak amount of nutrients possible for that food.  Then, that fruit or vegetable travels many miles, and often crossing country borders to bring it to our grocery stores, where they sit and wait for you to purchase.   Not only are they not as nutrient dense, but they also don’t taste as good!

And why do we choose blueberries? Blueberries are a super food!  Rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals, blueberries have been show to promote brain health and inhibit cancer growth!

We prefer getting our off-season produce in the freezer section.

Organic frozen fruit is also less expensive than fresh organic fruit!  So, for  organic blueberry syrup in the winter time, get Organic frozen blueberries!

To make our syrup, we use the unthawed blueberries, honey, and a little bit o f water.  We add it to a pot, and turn the heat on medium high.  With the back of a wooden spoon, we break up the blueberries until they are warm and start to burst open.

Once the berries have warmed up and burst open, I transfer it all to a blender, and blend and blend and blend.  We like our syrup super smooth (like the store), rather than chunky.

We then return the mixture to the pot and continue to heat it while stirring until it’s thoroughly warm and the mixture begins to reduce and thicken.

Then, the syrup gets poured into little mini cups for dipping!

So, the next time you have pancakes or waffles on your menu, skip the high fructose corn syrup, and mix up some simple berry syrup instead. It will only take minutes and you can feel good about what your kids are eating.