Apple cider syrup is quick to make, easy, delicious and a great alternative to traditional maple syrup. A fun autumn treat for all the apple cider lovers in your life!
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So, apples and pumpkin basically take over the entire US during the month of October, and I am HERE FOR IT. I love both of those flavors and starting mid-July I start thinking and dreaming of cool fall days sipping hot apple cider and eating pumpkin, well, pumpkin everything.
This recipe for apple cider syrup was written on back of one of the recipe cards that my grandma left me, and I’m so glad that it was. This is a delicious way to use the apple cider that you pick up at the pumpkin patch, or just at your local grocery store.
It’s super easy to make, and only takes about 15 minutes or so.
Other Recipes You'll Love
- Baked Apple Cider Chai Donuts
- Apple Harvest Squares
- Spiced Chai Apple Cake

Recipe Notes
Taste: this recipe is basically a fancy apple cider simple syrup. You get the very essence of the apple cider when it’s been cooked down and thickened up. If you want just pure apple cider flavor, you could omit the cinnamon, but I think the cinnamon only adds to the recipe, so I wouldn’t.
Texture: the syrup is thick and viscous. Thicker than maple syrup, but not as thick as caramel. It’s smooth and creamy and a great topping for various other recipes.
Ease: This recipe is very easy to make – you just combine everything in a pot and let it simmer until it’s thickened. My warning would be that you should NOT make this with children or loose pets around. Boiling sugar is incredibly hot and incredibly dangerous. Make sure that everyone in your household knows that you are boiling sugar and to be very careful if they need to be in the kitchen with you. Personally, I ban my husband from the kitchen whenever I’m working with hot sugar.
Ingredients Needed
- Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Cinnamon
- Apple cider
- Lemon
- Butter
Tips and Tricks
Make sure you are super careful when dealing with hot sugar. Sugar will burn you badly if you get it on your skin when it’s boiling hot. If you do get burned, seek medical treatment immediately.
Store the syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. To use, reheat in the microwave at 30 second intervals until warmed through.

FAQ's
How long does the syrup keep? Not very long – maybe 3 days in the fridge. You might notice some separation as it sits. That’s normal, and you should be able to stir it back together.
What should I use this syrup on? Anything you would use maple syrup on! Pancakes, waffles, and French toast would all be amazing topped with apple cider syrup. You could use it in place of caramel as a fruit dip. You could use it as a simple syrup in cocktails. I used it to dunk my apple cider chai donuts in, and that was FANTASTIC.
What if I cant find apple cider? You can use apple juice in place of apple cider. I’d try to get all-natural apple juice though.
Can I omit the butter? You can. I wouldn’t, but you can. The butter stirred in at the end acts as an emulsifier, which basically means that it helps prevent separation. This recipe is prone to separation anyway, and the lack of butter will speed up that process and make it harder to get it to come back together when needed.
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Apple Cider Syrup
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons butter cut into two pieces
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, mix together the sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Add the apple cider and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until bubbling and nicely thickened. This took about 10-12 minutes for me.
- Once bubbling, continue cooking for 2 more minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.
- Serve immediately, or transfer to an air tight container and store in the fridge for up to three days.
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