Grenadine syrup substitutes
Grenadine syrup substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Also called grenadine, grenadine cordial, sirop de grenadine, pomegranate syrup
Use Pomegranate juice
1 cup + 1 cup sugar
The closest grenadine substitute is one you cook: simmer 1 cup of unsweetened pomegranate juice with 1 cup of sugar over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until it has reduced by about a third and coats a spoon. Pomegranate juice poured straight from the carton is far too thin and nowhere near sweet enough to stand in for a syrup.
- Best for —
- when you can spend 15 minutes cooking it down
Checked 23 Jul 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of grenadine syrup |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pomegranate juicewhen you can spend 15 minutes cooking it down | 1 cup + 1 cup sugar |
| 2 | Cranberry juicewhen you want tartness along with the red colour | 1 cup + ¾ cup sugar |
| 3 | Simple syrup + red food coloringwhen the grenadine was there for colour and sweetness only | 1 cup + 1-2 dropsTweak it |
| 4 | Cherry juicewhen a cherry note suits the drink anyway | 1 cup + ½ cup sugar |
| 5 | Raspberry syrupwhen a shop-bought syrup is all there is | 1 cup per cup |
| 6 | Strawberry syrupwhen raspberry syrup is not available | 1 cup per cup |
Pomegranate juice
tarter
The right fruit in the wrong form: thin, tart and not nearly sweet enough as it comes.
- Best for
- when you can spend 15 minutes cooking it down, when you want real pomegranate flavour, glazes and cooking rather than layered cocktails
- Texture
- thin until reduced
Simmer 1 cup of juice with 1 cup of sugar for 10-15 minutes to make actual grenadine. Uncooked, use half the volume plus ½ tsp sugar per tablespoon.
Cranberry juice
much tarter
Sharply tart and the right colour, so the sugar is doing all the correcting.
- Best for
- when you want tartness along with the red colour, a Sea Breeze or a Cosmopolitan-leaning drink, when it is the only red juice in the fridge
- Texture
- thin until reduced
Simmer 1 cup with ¾ cup sugar for 10 minutes, or the drink comes out sour and pale. Use unsweetened juice, not cranberry cocktail.
Simple syrup + red food coloring
different taste, similar texture
Homemade alternative with similar sweetness and color.
- Best for
- when the grenadine was there for colour and sweetness only, layered drinks that need the density to sink, when there is no red fruit in the house
Per 1 cup of grenadine, 1 cup of simple syrup plus 1-2 drops of red food colouring. It gives you the sweetness, the density and the colour, and no pomegranate flavour at all, so use it only where the grenadine was there for looks.
Cherry juice
sweeter, cherry
Sweeter and rounder than pomegranate, so it needs less sugar and tastes unmistakably of cherry.
- Best for
- when a cherry note suits the drink anyway, Shirley Temples, where cherry is already the theme, when cherry juice is what is open
- Texture
- thin until reduced
Simmer 1 cup with ½ cup sugar for 10 minutes. Use tart Montmorency juice if you can - sweet black cherry juice makes a cloying syrup.
Raspberry syrup
raspberry · similar texture
Already a syrup, so it is the one option that is the right thickness straight from the bottle.
- Best for
- when a shop-bought syrup is all there is, drinks where the density matters more than the flavour, desserts and pancakes
No cooking needed, and it pours and sinks the way grenadine does. The flavour is unmistakably raspberry rather than pomegranate.
Strawberry syrup
sweeter, strawberry · similar texture
A shop-bought syrup of the right density and the wrong colour, usually pink rather than deep red.
- Best for
- when raspberry syrup is not available, sweet drinks for children, ice cream and desserts
Sweeter and less sharp than raspberry syrup and paler, so the finished drink comes out pink rather than the deep red grenadine gives.
Questions
5 questionsCan I use pomegranate juice instead of grenadine syrup?
Yes, pomegranate juice is a good substitute for grenadine syrup. It has similar flavor and color, though it may be more tart and need additional sweetening.
What's the difference between grenadine syrup and pomegranate juice?
Grenadine syrup is sweetened pomegranate juice, while pomegranate juice is pure juice. Grenadine syrup is sweeter and more concentrated.
Can I use cranberry juice instead of grenadine syrup?
Yes, cranberry juice can work as a substitute, though it has a different flavor profile. It has similar color and tartness.
What is the best substitute for grenadine?
Make it. Simmer 1 cup of unsweetened pomegranate juice with 1 cup of sugar over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until it reduces by about a third and coats the back of a spoon, then cool it. That is essentially what grenadine is. It keeps about a month in a sealed bottle in the fridge. If you cannot cook, the next best thing is a shop-bought raspberry or cherry syrup, which is at least the right density even though the flavour is different.
Can I use pomegranate juice on its own instead of grenadine?
Only if you accept a different drink. Grenadine is a syrup: it is thick, roughly as sweet as simple syrup, and heavy enough to sink through a cocktail and give a Tequila Sunrise its layered look. Juice is thin and tart, so it will disperse rather than sink, dilute the drink, and leave it sour. If you must use juice straight, use half the volume and add ½ tsp of sugar per tablespoon.
Tips for substituting grenadine syrup
6 tips- Grenadine is a syrup, not a juice, and cocktails rely on that. It is dense enough to sink through a drink, which is what gives a Tequila Sunrise its layers.
- To make it: 1 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice plus 1 cup sugar, simmered over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes until reduced by about a third. Cool before bottling.
- Homemade grenadine keeps about a month in a sealed bottle in the fridge, and it separates as it sits, so shake before pouring.
- Grenadine contains no alcohol, which is why it is in most of the standard non-alcoholic drinks a bar makes.
- A dash of orange flower water, about ¼ tsp per cup, is what gives traditional grenadine its faintly floral note.
- Simple syrup with red colouring gives you the colour and the density and none of the flavour, so use it only where grenadine was there for looks.