This slow cooker elderberry syrup recipe has become my best friend. I mean, is there anything worse than sick kids? Actually, now that I think of it, there is! A sick mom taking care of said kids. Now that is the WORST.
Last winter our family got hit hard with sickness. We caught anything and everything that was going around. I had one son who missed almost 4 weeks of school. He was SO sick. It was just miserable.
We would catch a new bug before we even got over the old one. I just couldn’t believe our rotten luck. Now that the weather is changing and cold and flu season is right around the corner, I’m preparing NOW in hopes that we don’t have a repeat of last winter. I’m planning to give all 4 kids a daily dose of what I believe the essentials are for a strong immune system, and it all starts with this slow cooker elderberry syrup.
I love this recipe because I can just throw it in the slow cooker and forget about it. I’m really good at putting things off until later. 🤪 There’s no need to watch it, no need to stir it, and no need to worry about it boiling over or reducing too much. Also, in the world of cooking, low and slow is usually best.
With this method, you’re able to slowly draw out all the medicinal properties of the elderberries to make a very potent immune boosting syrup. Elderberries are high in flavonoids (they’re what give elderberries their rich deep color) which support immunity and gut health. They also contain a good amount of vitamin C which we all know is crucial for getting over an illness quickly.
As well as elderberry syrup, my kids and I will be loading up on vitamin c, probiotics, and vitamin d. I hope this daily vitamin regimen will help us avoid getting sick in the first place, or in the very least help us get over it quicker.
Before I started making my own, I was buying this elderberry syrup, but I really didn’t love the ingredients and it was PRICEY! Making your own is cheaper, healthier, and it couldn’t be easier with the slow cooker method. I hope you give it a shot and stay well this winter.
What are some things you do to protect yourself during cold and flu season? Tell me below!
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Slow Cooker Elderberry Syrup
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup organic dried elderberries
- 2 1/4 cups filtered water
- 4 slices fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup raw honey or more to taste
Instructions
- Peel and slice the fresh ginger into thin discs. About 1/8 inch thick.
- Place the dried elderberries, filtered water, cinnamon, and ginger into the slow cooker.
- Cook for 8 hours on low.
- Strain the cooked berries, water and ginger through a fine mesh strainer into a medium sized bowl. Use the back of a spoon to squeeze out the juice from the berries.
- Once the liquid has cooled down and is warm to the touch, add in the honey and mix thoroughly until smooth and dissolved well.
- I like to add 1/4 cup of honey per 1 cup of elderberry juice. Feel free to add more honey if you'd like it sweeter. I personally prefer it less sweet.
- Pour into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.
Notes
I take 2 teaspoons daily to prevent sickness, and 2 tablespoons when I'm sick - but my immune system is weak due to autoimmune disease. I recommend 1 teaspoon a day if you're a normally healthy person, and 1 tablespoon if you're sick.
I give my kids 1/2 teaspoon daily, and up to 1 1/2 teaspoons when they're sick.
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I have some fresh elderberries in my freezer. How many fresh berries would I use to make this? Thank you!
Hi Cheryl!
Lucky you for having access to fresh elderberries – how cool! I haven’t tried this recipe with fresh elderberries so I can’t say for sure, but you’ll definitely need a lot less water. I would try 1/2 cup of water to 2 cups fresh elderberries and see how it turns out. Let me know if you give it a try! Good luck!
Great recipe! Making a double batch today!
Thank you for your comment, Courtney! Enjoy!
My girlfriend has a very large bush on her farm(lucky her), & she invites me over to help her pick(lucky me). In return, I get to take some home with me! Last summer, I brought home enough for a pie & 2 pkgs. I put in freeze with 4 cups each.? We picked over two 5-gallon buckets full! ???
Ok thanks! I’ll give it a try, & keep ya posted! ? Thanks for the advice!
Holy moly, that’s seriously amazing! Yes, please keep me posted!
Is this recipe 1/2 “CUP” of dried elderberries? The unit of measure has been omitted. Thank you.
Yes! The recipe should read 1/2 cup. THANK YOU for pointing that out, I’ve updated the recipe. 🙂
Hello . I just made this recipe , so handy ! Mine doesn’t have the consistency of syrup though , it more like juice . Did I do something wrong ?
Hi Dawn! Nope you didn’t do anything wrong. It does have a consistency more like juice. I’ve seen other recipes use arrowroot powder to try to thicken it up, but because this is for medicinal purposes I don’t mind just pouring it into a small glass and gulping it down like juice. 🙂
The recipe I use for elderberry syrup also calls for ground cloves. I am curious if you’ve ever added cloves to yours
I’ve added a pinch of ground cloves in with the honey before. You can definitely add some if you’d like!
Perfect ! Thank you for your response. I just made it yesterday and my husband is already putting it in his tea. Now the true test , will my grand daughters take it ? Lol
You said it can be stored up 2-3 weeks in the fridge. If you were to make in this in bulk could it be frozen to lengthen use?
Hi there – absolutely! Up to 6 months in the freezer should be just fine. Maybe even longer. I’ve frozen it in individual ice cube sized portions before and it thawed great.
Wow I can’t wait to try this recipe! It sounds A LOT simpler than I thought it would be!
Hope you love it!
This sounds awesome. Would you be able to double the recipe for a large batch? Thanks!
Absolutely! That will work just fine. Thanks Sarah!
Have you noticed a difference since your familystarted taking elderberry more regularly, with getting sick less frequently and/or shorter sicknesses?
Absolutely! I’m not as on top of using it as a preventative measure as I should be, but when we get sick it definitely helps boost our immune system and helps us get over illnesses quicker.
Hello! Step 7 states “Poor into glass jar” as opposed to pour. I thought you may want to correct this spelling. Thank you for the recipe, we’ll be trying it tomorrow.
Lol! Thanks for the catch, Rich. Enjoy the recipe!
I’m excited to try this!
Do you know if you can freeze the syrup and it will keep its benefits?
Hi Hannah! Yes! You can totally freeze this elderberry syrup and it will still keep its benefits. You can freeze it in an ice cube tray for individual servings, or freeze it in bulk in a glass jar, or freezer safe container. Good luck!
How many cups does the recipe make if 1/4c of honey is added for every 1 cup of juice? Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Hi Heather! Sorry for the late response…it will make about 1 to 1 1 /4 cup of syrup. Enjoy!
I’m so excited to try this! Any suggestions on where to purchase the elderberries from? (I want to make sure I get good quality ones!)
You’re going to love it! I get dried elderberries from Natural Grocers. But you can call around to your local health food/vitamin shop and they should have some!