Apple Syrup

This homemade Apple Syrup is cozy, aromatic, and perfect for adding a touch of fall to your favorite drinks.

My parents were visiting recently, and we went apple picking together. Fresh apples, barbecue, apple pie, and my favorite apple cider. There’s just something special about fresh apple cider from the orchard. It tastes so different from store-bought apple juice. It is more complex, fragrant, and refreshing. Of course, we enjoyed some right there at the orchard, but I also brought home a half gallon home.

With apple cider in mind, I decided to make an apple syrup. It’s sweet, full of concentrated apple flavor, and lightly warmed with fall spices. It’s simple to make and adds something special to drinks like coffee, tea, or cocktails.

Some Things to Note:

Apple Cider:
Apple cider is essentially unfiltered apple juice, which gives it a richer, more complex flavor. It’s usually unsweetened and a bit tart, unlike filtered apple juice that’s clear and sweetened. For this syrup, apple cider is the clear choice. Its flavor is deeper and more “apple-y.” Look for apple cider in the fridge section in your local grocery stores.

Spices:
Since it’s fall, warm spices are a must! I used just a touch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg. Just enough to add cozy warmth without overpowering the apple flavor.

This syrup is sweet with a gentle tartness and wonderful apple aroma. It’s perfect for adding a hint of fall to your favorite drinks. With the holidays coming up, it’s a fun syrup to keep on hand for festive cocktails or mocktails. And if you’re not feeling fancy, try a splash with sparkling water. It instantly becomes a refreshing apple soda. Delicious! Come back next week because I’ll be sharing a delicious drink recipe featuring this syrup!

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Apple Syrup

Makes about 1¼ cups

Course condiment

Cuisine American

Keyword apple cider, apple syrup, cinnamon, cocktail, coffee, drink, easy, fall recipe, holidays, syrup, tea

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes

Author Lokness

Ingredients

• 2 cups unfiltered apple cider
• 1½ – 3 tablespoons sugars
• 1/16 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of ground nutmeg

Instructions

• Taste the cider to see if the cider is sweet or tart. That will change how much sugar to use.
• In a medium saucepan, add apple cider and 1 tablespoon sugar (not all). Bring to a boil over high heat. Taste and adjust with more sugar if needed (I added 2 more tablespoons). Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, stir in 1/16 teaspoon cinnamon and pinch of nutmeg. Continue to reduce to almost half, stirring every once a while, about 15 minutes.
• Set aside to cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container. Keep in the fridge for about 3 weeks.

Notes

1. I got my cider from Whole Foods. It’s called Harvest Fresh Apple Cider from Big B’s. It’s fresh apple cider that has been pasteurized. It’s on the tart side, so I used about 3 tablespoons sugar all together. It’s a syrup after all, so you want the syrup to be sweet.  
2. Fresh apple cider is usually being sold in supermarket and apple orchards during fall season. It’s in the refrigerated section. Some are pasteurized and some are not. Both can be used for this recipe. 
3. Apple juice can be used if you really can’t find apple cider, but apple flavor is a lot milder. It’s also a lot more sweet, so reduce the amount of sugar or omit all the sugar. The color will be lighter as well. 
4. The spices are pretty mild in the recipe. I didn’t want them to overwhelm whatever I will be using with.