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Dutch Appelstroop: Delicious Apple Syrup for on Bread, Ice Cream, or Pancakes

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Learn to make Appelstroop (Dutch Apple Syrup). We’re about to embark on a delightful culinary journey to discover the art of making Dutch Appelstroop, a sweet and tangy delight that brings back cherished memories of my childhood in the Netherlands. Join me as we explore the traditional method of creating this delicious apple syrup, perfect for spreading on bread, drizzling over pannenkoeken, or enhancing the flavor of other pastries, not to mention its role in my hachee recipe.

Now, let’s dive into the heart of making your own Appelstroop. The key is to keep it simple and let the natural sweetness of the apples shine. Here’s my recipe:

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Dutch Appelstroop: Delicious Apple Syrup for on Bread, Ice Cream, or Pancakes

For those unfamiliar, Appelstroop is a Dutch apple syrup that adds a unique and delightful flavor to a variety of dishes. In some regions, it's known as "Rinse Appelstroop," where 'Rinse' translates to "fresh acidic." This variation often includes sugar beets, comprising up to 70% of the ingredients. However, I opt for a purer experience, with 100% apples and just a touch of sugar to enhance the taste as we cook it down.

Course Bread Topping, Main Course

Cuisine Dutch

Keyword Apple, Dutch Food, Syrup

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 45

Servings Servings

Calories 179kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Appelstroop Ingredients

2.75 kg Apple
Superfine sugar (caster sugar / witte basterdsuiker)

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Instructions

Preparing the Ingredients

Wash the apples very thoroughly, and dry them completely.
Get your juicer ready.
Core all your apples, and cut them into pieces, if necessary.
Juice all your apples. If there's a lot of foam, you can remove it -- do not throw it away, it is great to eat plain, or mix through ice cream, or yoghurt. If you don't have a centrifugal juicer, you can use a Steam Juicer Pan to make apple juice.

Making the Appelstroop

Pour the fresh apple juice into a shallow and wide bottomed pan. I use a large sauté pan.
Put the pan on your stove, and bring the juice to a boil
Once the juice is boiling, turn down the heat to medium-low, to let it simmer.
When the juice is reduced by half, taste it, and add a little bit of sugar, if you think it needs it.
Keep cooking down the syrup. You have to be careful not to cook it too far, it can turn into "candy" if you let it go too long. A quick way to test this, is to put a small amount of syrup on a cold plate (I put the plate in the fridge beforehand). You should check it often during the cooking process, to prevent taking it too far.
When the syrup is at the right consistency, pour it into a clean glass jar.

Helpful Tip

If the apple syrup becomes too firm to spread on bread after cooling, you have two easy options for softening it. Microwave Method: Pop the jar in the microwave for a few seconds until the syrup softens to your desired consistency. Stovetop Method: If you prefer not to use the microwave, place the jar in a pot of water and gradually heat the water to a simmer. Stir the applestroop in the glass container until it reaches a spreadable texture. This method ensures a smooth consistency without the need for a microwave.

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Nutrition

Toine

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View Comments

Leanne says:

August 26, 2024 at 8:06 pm

Hi Toine, Can I can jars of appelstroop in a hot water bath for longer storage?
- Toine says:
  
  August 30, 2024 at 2:07 pm
  
  Yeah, I believe you can do that.
Jessica Lavryssen says:

October 20, 2024 at 7:28 pm

Hi I made this for a friend and it was so easy. Just wondering how long would it last. Do you treat it like a jam? Does it need to be refrigerated?
- Toine says:
  
  October 20, 2024 at 9:30 pm
  
  I store it in an airtight container in the fridge. It should last several weeks at least. We’ve always finished it well before then.
  
  When you store it in the fridge, it may become too hard to spread. I just let it come to room temperature or run hot water over the jar to warm it up.
S. Luinge says:

November 9, 2024 at 12:04 am

The first time I made this, for my Dutch FIL, it turned out wonderfully. I tried again tonight and cooked it too long, so it's stringy and on its way to being candy I suppose. Is there any way to fix this?
- Toine says:
  
  November 9, 2024 at 12:20 pm
  Don't feel bad, I've had that happen before. Unfortunately, not really a way to recover that.
  
  Some ideas:
  - You can warm it up, and spread it on bread warm (and eat it quickly)
  - If it's too hard to spread, but still chewy, warm it up, and form it into small candies, like chewy caramels
  - IF it's really hard (like a hard candy), you can put it in a food processor to turn it into "dust"/"crumbs" and put it on/through vanilla, or cinnamon ice cream