Gula melaka syrup (also knows as palm sugar syrup) is very easy to make. This 2 ingredients recipe takes less than 10 minutes to prepare an is a really handy and homemade alternative to store bought syrup. No more headaches in finding out where to buy a good gula melaka syrup with this simple recipe!
Gula melaka is a term used to describe palm sugar in Malaysia. It is derived from the sap of certain palm trees and are widely used in making a variety of sweet cakes and desserts in the South East Asian region.
This palm sugar has a sweet and disticnt taste from regular white or brown sugar. In terms of taste, it is probably the closest to muscovado sugar but those who are regulars with gula melaka will be able to very quickly tell the difference.
Gula melaka is naturally brown in color but the color can vary from a lighter brown tone to a deep darker brown. It is often sold in round blocks or round discs. To use the gula melaka, it is often chopped into small pieces or grated and dissolved with water to form a syrup. The syrup is then added into the cooking or to desserts like in the sago gula melaka.
Gula melaka syrup is the liquid form of the palm sugar 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.
How to Make Gula Melaka Syrup (Palm Sugar Syrup)
Ingredients
- Palm sugar
- Water
- Pandan leaf (optional)
Preparing the palm sugar (gula melaka)
There are 2 ways in which you can prepare the gula melaka for the syrup. The first methods is to chop it into small pieces. While it is easy to chop gula melaka that is sold in discs, it can be a little hard to chop the ones that are sold in cylinder or tubes. For these, the easiest way to cut will be to grate them with the knife.
The second way is to grate the gula melaka with a cheese grater. This also helps to break the gula melaka into easily dissolvable texture. For best results in making the gula melaka syrup recipe on this page, grate the gula melaka. This is because the chopped version will take a longer time to cook which means more water will be evaporated in the cooking process. This in turn will result in a much thicker gula melaka syrup as compared to when made with the grated gula melaka.
Cooking the gula melaka syrup
- Place the grated melaka into a small pot.
- Add the water. Knot the pandan leave and add it into the pot (optional).
- Turn on the heat to low. Let the syrup cook over low heat until it is completely dissolved. The grated version will dissolve much faster while the chopped version will take longer.
- Let the syrup cook until it start bubbling on the sides.
- Remove from heat strain the syrup to remove any residue.
- Let the syrup cool completely before pouring into a clean jar or bottle. Keep it refrigerated.
Note: If you chop your gula melaka instead of grating it, you will need to adjust the amount of water used to make the syrup. Refer to recipe notes in the recipe card below for the adjustment.
Frequently Asked Questions
The syrup has a thick, honey like consistency. If you prefer a thicker consistency, you will have to cook it a little longer.
This palm sugar syrup can last well provided it handled well. When poured into a clean dry bottle or jar, the syrup can last up to 1 month in the refrigerator.
There is tendency for sugar crystals to form in the gula melaka syrup. Once reason could be the addition of sugar in making the gula melaka.
To avoid the sugar crystals, you can add some lemon rind when cooking the syrup.
Another alternative is to strain the syrup once it has cooled down completely. That way, you can sieve out any sugar crystals formed in the syrup too.
Yes, you can. Pandan leaf gives the palm sugar syrup a lovely fragrance. But if you cannot find pandan leaves or prefer not to add it to your syrup, you can omit it.
Like this gula melaka syrup recipe? Here are my other posts you might want to check out:
- Pandan Cookies with Coconut and Gula Melaka - An Easy Recipe
- Coconut Jelly with Palm Sugar (Coconut Milk Agar Agar)
- Sago Pudding with Coconut Milk and Palm Sugar (Sago Gula Melaka)
- Pandan Syrup - How to Make
- Crispy Coconut Cookies - Light and Easy Cookies
- Pandan Cake - Easiest Pandan Flavored Pound Cake
- Pandan Cheesecake - Perfectly Baked and Creamiest Ever!
Recipe (Printable)
Here is the full printable version of my gula melaka recipe.
Gula Melaka Syrup
Ingredients
- 200 g gula melaka (palm sugar)
- 5 tablespoon water
- 1 pandan leaf (optional)
Instructions
- Grate the palm sugar with a knife or a cheese grater. (See the notes below for adjustments in the water used in the recipe if you chop your gula melaka instead of grating it).
- Place it into a small pot.
- Add water. Knot the pandan leave (if using) and drop it into the pot. Turn on the heat to low.
- Cook the syrup until the gula melaka is all dissolved and the syrup starts to bubble at the sides. This should take about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir to help the sugar dissolve quicker.
- Remove the syrup from heat and let it cool down completely.
- Strain the syrup to remove any residue or sugar crystals. Pour the gula melaka syrup into a clean and dry jar or bottle.
Notes
- The recipe above makes gula melaka in thick honey-like consistency. For a lighter consistency, increase the water to 6 or 7 tablespoons.
- The amount to time required for the gula melaka to dissolve depends on how small it is chopped into or grated. The recipe above is made with grated gula melaka. If you wish to chop your gula melaka instead of grating it, you will need to increase the amount of water used to cook the syrup. The adjustment would depend on how large or small you chop your palm sugar into.
Nutrition
And that's my easy homemade palm sugar syrup recipe for you.
Enjoy!
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