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Boiled apple cider syrup is a thick, molasses-like ingredient that can be used to make the most delicious cookies, cream cheese, and more! It has a deep, rich spice flavor with plenty of natural sweetness from the apples, and is the perfect kitchen project for a cool fall day!
If you’re an apple cider lover, this recipe is a must-try! It really doesn’t even need a recipe – just cook down apple cider until it turns into a thick syrup.
Then, use it like maple syrup or molasses in your favorite recipes. The flavor is incredible, it lasts a while in the fridge, and is certainly not something you’ll find in most grocery stores!
Plus, it makes your entire house smell incredible. It’s like a simmer pot…except you’ll actually want to eat it at the end.
I especially love using boiled cider in my Apple Cider Cookies, or to flavor homemade Apple Cider Butter. Try whipping it into my Apple Cider Cream Cheese to dollop on homemade French toast or cinnamon rolls!
What is boiled cider?
Think of it like an apple molasses. The apple cider is cooked down for about two hours until it becomes just a fraction of the original amount. In general, you want to reduce it almost 90%.
With one gallon of cider, you end up with about 1.5 cups. That’s it!
It’s kind of like how they have to boil sap for hours and hours to make maple syrup. By evaporating the liquid, the sugar content begins to increase and you get that thick, viscous consistency.
You can then use it instead of molasses in a variety of recipes, as a topping for your favorite fall desserts (think apple pie or apple crisp), or simply to add flavor to any recipe you’d like. It can be used in either sweet or savory recipes, like homemade BBQ sauce or sweet apple cider cream cheese.
It’s one of my favorite fall ingredients to play with and everyone should give it a try!
Ingredients
- Apple cider – There are lots of types of apple cider out there. You can use shelf-stable cider from a local grocery store, homemade apple cider, a batch from a local farm, or any type you prefer. You can even use pear cider!
- Cinnamon sticks – These are optional, but I really wanted a strong spice flavor. I used 2 cinnamon sticks for about a gallon of fresh cider.
How to Make Homemade Apple Cider Syrup
- In a large pot, combine apple cider with cinnamon sticks and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Continue simmering, stirring occasionally, for approximately 2 hours or until the mixture begins to thicken. It can be hard to tell exactly when it thickens, but you will notice that the drops of apple cider tend to stick to the wooden spoon a little more instead of falling off like water. Most tellingly, the mixture should be greatly reduced to about 10% of the original volume and if you turn off the heat, it will begin to thicken even more.
- Once done, let the syrup cool to room temperature, remove the cinnamon sticks and transfer the syrup to an airtight container or bottle. Refrigerate until needed.
Note: For this recipe, I reduced a gallon of apple cider in a 6 quart stainless steel pot (the wider the pot, the faster it will reduce down) and it took exactly two hours. I made about 1.5 cups of syrup.
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You can expect all the most iconic fall flavors, like cinnamon apple, pumpkin spice, maple, pecans, and more.
It’s also intentionally low-tech and beginner-friendly, so anyone can bake along!
Storing Suggestions
This apple syrup should be stored in an airtight container, like a mason jar or glass bottle, for several weeks to months in the fridge. It has a high sugar content and can easily last longer, but keep an eye out for mold.
How to Use Boiled Apple Cider Syrup
There are two general ways to use boiled cider syrup:
- To add a rich, spiced flavor to a variety of recipes
- As a drizzle or garnish for fall bakes
I initially made a batch for my chewy Apple Cider Cookies, and they turned out perfectly. They’re chewy on the outside, soft on the inside, with the best bite.
Then I started going wild with it and realized you could use it instead of molasses in a range of recipes!
The apple flavor mellows out after all the cooking, so you really get the rich flavor of the spices plus the sweetness.
It can be used to sweeten condiments, like butter, whipped cream, or cream cheese, make the most delicious apple cider latte, or spooned over ice cream.
There are so many options, so please let me know how you use yours in the comments!
Tips & Variations
- Feel free to reduce a smaller quantity of apple cider. It will reduce faster, but still take over an hour. I find it makes the most sense to reduce a larger quantity to get more for your effort.
- Play with spices. Feel free to add some allspice berries, cardamom pods, or star anise.
FAQs
Nope! Simple syrups are made by combining equal parts water and sugar. An apple cider simple syrup may use apple cider instead of water, but would then add additional white or brown sugar. This would be delicious, but it’s completely different from boiled cider. Homemade apple cider syrup is much more like molasses, and is very thick with a concentrated apple spice flavor.
Yep! The flavor profile will be different, but similar. I would use regular apple juice, not one that has an artificial sweeteners.
More Homemade Syrup Recipes
- Vanilla Infused Maple Syrup
- Homemade Simple Syrup Recipes
- Cardamom Maple Syrup
- Cardamom Simple Syrup Recipe
- Brown Sugar Simple Syrup
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment or ask a question below! I’d love to hear what you think or troubleshoot any issues.
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Boiled Apple Cider Syrup Recipe
Equipment
- wide stock pot ideally 6 quart or larger
- glass mason jar
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 gallon apple cider, (or preferred amount)
- 1-2 cinnamon sticks
Instructions
- In a large pot, combine apple cider with cinnamon sticks and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Continue simmering, stirring occasionally, for approximately 2 hours or until the mixture begins to thicken. It can be hard to tell exactly when it thickens, but you will notice that the drops of apple cider tend to stick to the wooden spoon a little more instead of falling off like water. Most tellingly, the mixture should be greatly reduced to about 10% of the original volume and if you turn off the heat, it will begin to thicken even more.
- Once done, let the syrup cool to room temperature, remove the cinnamon sticks and transfer the syrup to an airtight container or bottle. Refrigerate until needed.
Notes
Did you try this recipe?
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