This post may contain affiliate links and we will earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links.
Frozen elderberry drops are a powerful immune-boosting remedy, but your kids will think they are a tasty treat! Made with homemade elderberry syrup, frozen elderberry drops are bite-sized and so easy to make.
Forget elderberry gummies; frozen elderberry drops are ready in a flash and keep for longer than their chewy counterpart. My kids BEG me for a frozen elderberry drop, and I happily oblige since it’s packed with immune-boosting herbs.
I call these my ‘better than elderberry gummies’ frozen elderberry drops because they are just as delicious as a gummy, but they are easier to make and keep for longer. YESSSSSS. Anything that saves me time and still gets the job done well is a major win in my book!
You could also call them elderberry ice cubes, elderberry Popsicle bites, or elderberry ‘get in my mouth because you are delicious’ drops. Whatever floats your boat.
Try dropping a couple of these cuties in a hot mug of homemade ginger tea for a delicious, immune-boosting way to get your elderberry in for the day!
These are so easy to eat, you might have to hide them in the back of the freezer 😉
CAN I FREEZE ELDERBERRY SYRUP?
Homemade elderberry syrup has a shelf life of 2-3 months if kept in the refrigerator, and I know many people wonder if you can freeze elderberry syrup. The answer is absolutely YES! Elderberry syrup can be frozen for up to 6 months, doubling the life of your delicious, homemade, immune-boosting tonic.
I have noticed no ill effects to freezing my elderberry syrup, and my kids prefer it frozen in these tiny bite sized drops.
HOW DO YOU FREEZE ELDERBERRY SYRUP?
I have frozen elderberry syrup in mason jars to be thawed all at once before. I didn’t love this method because I still had a considerable amount to use in a relatively short amount of time once it was thawed.
My friends, the BEST way to freeze your homemade elderberry syrup is using this silicone candy mold.
Once I found this silicone mold that makes perfect bite-sized portions (1 teaspoon exactly per drop – how perfect is that?!), I never looked back.
Of course, you could use any old ice cube tray to freeze your elderberry syrup. But these tiny drops are the perfect size for kids, and I LOVE that each frozen cube measures out to a teaspoon. So there is no guessing on how much you are giving to your children (or yourself).
PLUS, can I just say how easy it is to hand out elderberry to my kids these days? There is no need to worry about dirtying spoons, spilling your precious homemade elderberry syrup, or cleaning the jar after each dose (ya’ll, mine would get SO messy!). They just pop a drop in their cute little mouths and are done.
Have I convinced you yet that these elderberry drops are perfect? Well, they are.
WHERE TO BUY ELDERBERRIES
Elderberries grow wild in some parts of the country and would make an excellent addition to a backyard garden if you are in a suitable climate for elderberries! Find more info about foraging for elderberries here. If you can find fresh elderberries where you live, use them!
Elderberries don’t grow well where I live, so I use dried elderberries for my DIY elderberry syrup. I buy elderberries online since I’ve not found them in a local store.
They do seem to sell out in the winter months since elderberry syrup is so popular, so if possible, I suggest stocking up in the summer or early fall!
I typically order a pound of dried elderberries, and it is more than enough to last for the year (and make quite a few batches of homemade syrup!).
WHAT YOU NEED
Frozen elderberry drops are simple to make. You’ll need all of the ingredients to make a batch of homemade elderberry syrup, as well as a silicone mold to freeze them in. You can learn more about the ingredients in the syrup and find out why I’ve chosen them in my detailed elderberry syrup recipe.
- Dried elderberries (I also love these wildcrafted elderberries)
- Cinnamon sticks
- Whole Cloves
- Fresh Ginger (can use ground ginger if fresh is not available)
- Raw honey (local if possible, I buy this one in bulk, and it’s local to me)
- Silicone Mold (this is the mold I have and use, but you could use a different mold. A gummy bear sized mold would also work well)
HOW TO MAKE FROZEN ELDERBERRY DROPS
- First, prepare a batch of homemade elderberry syrup. One batch of elderberry syrup will fill both molds with some leftover syrup. I usually just freeze one batch of the drops and keep the leftover syrup in the fridge for easy additions to herbal tea or topping for our favorite waffles.
- Once the syrup is cooled to room temperature and added the honey, it’s time to freeze!
- I suggest transferring the syrup to a measuring cup or something with a spout, so it is easy to pour. The mold crevices are small, and it is easy to make a mess with this.
- TIP: Put your molds on a freezer safe plate or pan BEFORE you pour the syrup in the molds! It is much easier to transfer the entire tray to the freezer than to try to move the full-to-the-brim molds safely to the freezer without spilling. (learn from my mistake here friends. You do not want a trail of elderberry syrup leading to your freezer).
- Pour slowly and fill both molds.
- Carefully place molds in the freezer and freeze for several hours or until completely frozen.
- Once completely frozen, transfer elderberry drops from the mold to a freezer safe container for storage. Move quickly, they start to melt fast! I do one tray at a time and try to avoid toddler helpers for this part 😉
- Your frozen elderberry drops will keep in the freezer for 6 months (or maybe longer, but I doubt you will have any left to find out!).
Let me know how yours turn out and if your kids love them as much as mine do!
I was going to attempt gummies as an easier way to distribute to all my children, but I didn’t want to use gelatin. This is such a great idea! Thank you!
Question !? If I made my elderberry up yesterday can I still freeze some today being it’s been in the fridge already for a day? Thanks for any advice ! 🙂
Hi Sabrina, Yes, you can freeze it several days after you’ve made it and it will still be great!