Palm Sugar Syrup, or known as Gula Melaka Syrup is a delicious and versatile syrup. Great to use for cooking and baking too. This syrup has a distinctive rich coconut-like fragrance and is just perfect for desserts, such as Tau Foo Fah (Soybean Pudding / Douhua).
Watch How To Make Palm Sugar Syrup – Recipe Video
A Versatile Syrup For Desserts and Cooking
Palm Sugar Syrup or Gula Melaka Syrup is a very versatile and popular syrup. It has a mild caramel flavour because of the palm sugar used, which is also considered a healthier alternative to other sweeteners because its production involves minimal processing with no added chemicals.
Just like the Ginger Sugar Syrup from our other recipe, this Palm Sugar Syrup can be prepared and stored in the refrigerator for later and easier usage. The Gula Melaka Syrup is widely used in our local kuih and dessert to enhance their flavour. This Homemade Palm Sugar Syrup stores well too; if stored in a clean airtight container, can be kept in the refrigerator for many months.
What is Palm Sugar (Gula Melaka)?
Palm sugar also known as Gula Melaka, is a sweetener made from the sap of the flowers in coconut palm trees. It is an unrefined sugar and has a distinctive almost caramelised toffee flavour with the fragrance of coconut. Palm sugar is sold in many forms: as sugar crystals (granules), in blocks, and in thick liquid form. Choose the best quality and pure gula melaka to make the syrup. The pure ones are deep brown in colour and should be soft and crumbly.
Preparing Palm Sugar To Make Syrup: (3 Methods)
- Chop the palm sugar into small pieces with a knife.
- Grate the palm sugar with a cheese grater.
- Mash the palm sugar in a pestle.
What is Palm Sugar Syrup (Gula Melaka Syrup)?
Palm Sugar Syrup is the liquid form of palm sugar (Gula Melaka) and is very convenient to use in cooking and baking. It eliminates the need to have to cut or grate and dissolve the sugar in water before using. It is made by melting coconut palm sugar (Gula Melaka) in water. Pandan leaves added during cooking gives the syrup a lovely infusion of pandan aroma. Strain the palm sugar syrup through a sieve and let cool to room temperature before use or storage.
Ingredients Needed To Make Palm Sugar Syrup
- Palm Sugar (Gula Melaka)
- Water
- Pandan leaves (knotted)
How to Make Palm Sugar Syrup
- Combine palm sugar, water and pandan leaves in a small pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook till the palm sugar has fully melted.
- Continue to boil till liquid has reduced a bit and the syrup turns thicker.
- Discard pandan leaves and strain the syrup mixture through a sieve.
- Let cool to room temperature. The palm sugar syrup can be used immediately or keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
How to Serve Gula Melaka Syrup
Palm Sugar Syrup is usually used in sweet food like desserts, kuih, pastries and soft pudding like Taufoo Fah (Soymilk Pudding / Douhua) and Kee Chang (Alkaline Water Rice Dumplings / Zongzi).
Important Recipe Tips To Make Palm Sugar Syrup
- Choose a good quality and pure Palm Sugar (Gula Melaka) to make the syrup. Those that are not pure usually have sugar added during the manufacturing process and it taste sugar sweet. Pure Palm Sugar Syrup has a flavor reminiscent of caramel and is less sweet.
- The palm sugar syrup should have a slightly thick, honey like consistency. If you prefer a thicker consistency, you will have to cook it a little longer.
- There is a tendency for sugar crystal to form in the palm sugar syrup especially if the palm sugar is not pure. Hence it is important to strain the syrup to rid of this sugar crystal and also impurities.
- Let the syrup cool completely before pouring into a clean jar or bottle. This will ensure the palm sugar syrup has a longer shelf life. Immediately refrigerate the syrup to maintain its freshness.
Also Check Out Our Other Related Recipes:
- Tau Foo Fah Recipe (How To Make Douhua / Soybean Pudding) 豆腐花食谱
- Ginger Sugar Syrup (For Tau Foo Fah / Soybean Pudding Douhua) 姜糖浆（豆花配料)
- Peanut Glutinous Rice Balls (Plain & Matcha Tang Yuan) 双色花生汤圆
- Pumpkin Sago Glutinous Rice Balls 金瓜汤圆西米露
- Taro, Purple Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Glutinous Rice Balls 芋头紫薯金瓜汤圆
- Black Sesame Glutinous Rice Balls (Tang Yuan) 黑芝麻汤圆
- Sweet Glutinous Rice Balls with Gingko Nuts (Tang Yuan) 杏仁糖汤圆
- Golden Syrup (For Mooncakes) 月饼糖浆
Palm Sugar Syrup 椰糖浆
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Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 300 grams palm sugar
- 1 cup water, 250 ml
- 2 blades pandan leaves, knotted
Have ready the palm sugar (gula Melaka), pandan leaves and water.
Mash the palm sugar into smaller pieces. Fold the blades of pandan leaves and tie into knots.
Place the water in a small pot on a stove. Using medium low heat, bring water to a boil. Then add pandan leaves and palm sugar and slowly bring to a boil again. Continue to gently boil till all the palm sugar has dissolved, water has reduced a bit and the syrup becomes thickened. Then remove the pandan leaves.
Strain the palm sugar syrup and leave to cool completely. Then transfer into a clean jar and keep refrigerated.
This palm sugar syrup can be made ahead of time to be used later.
Drizzle on top of sweet desserts and enjoy!
Instructions
Preparing Ingredients:
Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Notes
- Choose the best quality gula melaka. It makes a lot of difference to the taste of the palm sugar syrup.
- Pure gula melaka should be soft. Those hard ones have sugar added.
- It is good to make concentrated gula melaka syrup and dilute as needed
- This recipe makes under 1 cup palm sugar syrup.
