June 14, 2021

Creamy Coconut Syrup

A very simple and easy to create syrup that will elevate breakfasts, desserts, and/or cocktails. This recipe only requires 4 ingredients and just a few minutes to create.

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Prep Time 3

Cook Time 15

Equipment

Measuring Equipment (Tablespoon, Cup, Scale)
Sauce Pan
Stove Top
Storage Container with Lid

Ingredients

400 ml Coconut Milk (13.5oz or 1 Can)
375 Grams Sugar (1 ¾ Cups)
1 Pinch Salt
2 Tablespoons Vodka/Dark Rum (30ml/1oz)

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients into a saucepan.
Cook on a low heat on a stove top.
Keep on low heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved (the color will change from white to partially transparent).
Remove from the heat and add the alcohol.
Let it cool and jar it.
Store in the refrigerator; it should stay for about a month.

Notes

*Need a helping hand getting your home bar started? We’ve got you covered.

Check out our Cocktails Starter Post

Coconut Syrup; Healthier, but not healthy

Syrups are by no means a health addition to any dish, and this Coconut Syrup is no exception. They are pretty much pure liquid sugar. They have their place, and when used sparingly can add that very necessary spike of sweetness we need in some dishes or drinks. Like most things we cover on this webpage, we try to avoid the double damage from mass produced condiments. Syrups can be a real minefield of preservatives and additives. Thinks to create the right viscosity, color, taste, etc. I would not be surprised if a good portion of coconut syrups on the market don’t actually have any real coconut in them. Let that sink into your mind for a while.

A word of viscosity: Coconut milk separates when it gets cold. Because we’re not using a host of chemicals, this is what is going to happen to your syrup when you refrigerate it. This is easy enough to rectify, with a quick stir. For that reason, you’re better off using a container with a wide opening, rather than something like a bottle. Remember, coconuts come from the tropics, not the Arctic.

Simply Done

There are no real tricks to doing syrups. It’s all about making sure the sugar gets properly dissolved and the mixture doesn’t burn. Translation; cooking at a low temperature. Giving a little attention when you have a syrup on the stove top is all you need to do.

You don’t need anything fancy to get this job. If you live in a tropical region with readily available coconuts, you can make your own milk. It’s really easy to do. Here in Tokyo we don’t have that option. A can of coconut milk, or coconut cream, we will work perfectly fine.

Refined white sugar will get the job done. Feel free to swap this out to brown sugar. I personally like to use coconut sugar.

Lastly, the addition of alcohol is completely optional, however I never omit it. The alcohol will act as a preservative and keep bacteria from forming on the mixture. It will extend the shelf life for an additional two weeks. Believe me, this is a lot of syrup to use in a few weeks. The vodka won’t change the taste, but the dark rum will flavor the syrup ever so slightly. I prefer using Myer’s Dark Rum as lends some very agreeable flavor notes.

The sweetest choices are often the hardest

What can you do with your coconut syrup? Well, anything you want. The syrup is great on top of ice cream, muffins, or cakes. It’s absolutely wonderful on pancakes as a replacement for maple syrup.