Apple Simple Syrup
Calling all apple lovers! This Apple Simple Syrup is made with nothing more than apple juice, sugar & H20. A splash is enough to brighten hot tea, cocktails, mocktails, breakfast pastries, oatmeal, pies, and everything in between with delicious autumn apple flavor!
It’s officially autumn, and you know what that means: it’s apple-picking season -and these step-by-step instructions will show you how to condense all that sweet, tart, and crisp fall flavor into DIY apple simple syrup!
Before we jump into the details, here’s a quick summary of why this apple simple syrup belongs in your flavored syrup collection:
- Only three ingredients (water, apple juice, and sugar)!
- This is a delicious way to concentrate autumn apple flavor so that you can add that distinct flavor to almost anything.
- It’s the BEST apple syrup recipe for mocktails and cocktails.
- It’s delightful drizzled over pancakes and waffles, but you can use it to improve almost anything with delicate apple flavor.
With these easy-to-follow instructions, you’ll have a fresh batch of apple syrup ready in minutes. So get your apples ready, and let’s do it!
🍎 Ingredients
- Water – If possible, use filtered or distilled water for the purest tasting homemade simple syrup. As the sugar dissolves, the water thickens into sticky simple syrup.
- Apple juice – Opt for 100% apple juice without additives or preservatives. You can use filtered apple juice, but for the best results, raw, unfiltered apple juice is the way to go. Pressing your own apples is also an option, of course. See below for how to make apple syrup with whole apples.
- Sugar – The fine granules in granulated sugar, cane sugar, and caster sugar dissolve quickly to create a thick syrup. You can also use brown sugar. The added molasses and larger sugar granules will slow down dissolving and deepen the flavor profile of the syrup.
👉 Recommended tools: A small saucepan with a pour spout is useful when making homemade simple syrups as the pour spout makes it easier to bottle the syrup without spilling. Airtight syrup jars are good to have, also.
🥣 How to make apple syrup (step-by-step photos)
1️⃣ Step One: Dissolve sugar
Combine the water, apple juice, and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until the water begins to boil. Then, lower the heat to a simmer and let the mixture cook until the sugar dissolves and the liquid thickens into a glossy, sticky syrup.
2️⃣ Step Two: Cool and store
Once the syrup is thickened, pour it into a sterilized glass jar or bottle and let it cool to room temperature before sealing the lid and storing. See below for safe storage instructions.
💬 FAQs
You have the option to press your own apples for apple syrup. It takes more effort, but the fresh apple flavor makes it worth it.
1. Bring a large pot of water with sugar to a boil. Add cored and diced apples and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer until the liquid thickens into a syrup and the sugar dissolves.
2. Remove from the heat, and mash the apples to release all the juices.
3. Let cool. Then, pour the syrup through cheesecloth or a fine-mesh sieve to remove the apple fibers.
Apple has a crisp-fresh taste that pairs well with rich, indulgent flavors. Try adding flavored extracts like add almond, walnut, hazelnut, or vanilla. You can add another fruit juice to the mix, like pear, white grapefruit, cranberry, or pomegranate.
🍏 Variations
Low carb & keto-friendly option – To make sugar-free apple syrup, replace granulated sugar with an allulose granulated sweetener, monk fruit sweetener, or erythritol. You’ll need to add 1/8th teaspoon of xantham gum for the mixture to thicken. Check out this keto simple syrup guide for more info.
Infuse with herbs & spices – Simmer sprigs of fresh mint, sage, rosemary, or thyme with the syrup for excellent flavor. You can add whole dessert spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and anis. Apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice, and gingerbread spice are good options.
Apple brown sugar syrup – Make this with brown sugar, just like the Starbucks version. The added molasses in the brown sugar enhances the syrup with a prominent, caramelized flavor.
🍹How to use apple syrup
Let’s start with ways to use this syrup around the kitchen:
- Dressing – Emulsify the syrup into sauces, dressing, and vinaigrettes.
- Breakfast pastries – Drizzle over muffins, pancakes, waffles, crepes, oatmeal, and croissants.
- Sweeten desserts – Add to apple pie filling, apple turnovers, and drizzle between apple cake layers,
- Drinks – For non-alcoholic beverages, try adding a splash of fresh apple flavor to sparking water, iced tea, hot tea, and club soda. Or try it in our Apple Matcha Latte!
You can also use it to customize cocktails. For example, add a splash of apple simple syrup to your favorite mixed drinks, or try one of these delicious apple cocktail creations:
- Apple bourbon mule – Combine 1.5 ounces of bourbon, a splash of apple syrup, and ginger beer in a copper mug with ice.
- Cinnamon apple martini – Add 2 ounces of good vodka, 1 ounce of apple syrup, a splash of freshly squeezed lemon, apple pie spice, and ice to a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled martini glass.
- Apple pie mimosas – Give champagne or prosecco mimosas a fruity fall twist with a splash of apple syrup.
- Hot apple toddy – Brew a cup of hot tea, then stir in a splash of apple syrup, honey, and 1.5 ounces of whiskey.
🧊 How to store
Homemade simple syrups are great DIY gifts as they have a decent shelf-life if stored properly. Before freezing or cooling, allow the syrup to cool completely before pouring it into a sterilized glass container:
Fridge: Let cool, pour into a glass container, and keep it in the refrigerator for two weeks.
Freezer: Pour cooled simple syrup into ice cube trays, freeze, and then keep the frozen cubes in a freezer-friendly bag for up to six months.
⭐️ Pro Tip!: For more information on how to freeze simple syrup, check out our freezing guide.
🍓 More fruity simple syrup flavors
- Blackberry Simple Syrup
- Strawberry Simple Syrup
- Peach Simple Syrup
- Raspberry Simple Syrup
- Watermelon Simple Syrup
- Pear Simple Syrup
- Orange Simple Syrup
- Blueberry Simple Syrup
Apple Simple Syrup
Equipment
- dry measuring cups
- Small Saucepan
- glass jar or bottle for storage
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water filtered or distilled
- 1/2 cup apple juice filtered or unfiltered 100% juice
- 1/2 cup sugar
Instructions
- Combine the water, apple juice, and sugar in a small saucepan, and heat over medium-high heat until the water begins to boil.
- Lower the heat to a simmer and let simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens into a glossy syrup.
- Once thickened, pour the apple syrup into a sterilized glass jar or bottle and let cool completely to room temperature.
- Cover the jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid and keep stored in the fridge for up to two weeks. To freeze, pour the cooled syrup into ice cube trays and place in the freezer until the cubes are solid. Then, transfer the cubes to a freezer-safe zip-top bag, and keep the bag stored in the freezer for up to six months.
