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This homemade Dutch Honey Syrup turns ordinary stuff from your kitchen into something magical that'll make your pancakes, waffles, and French toast taste amazing. Funny enough, there's no actual honey in it—the rich amber color and deep flavor come from sugar and cream getting all caramelized together.
I stumbled on this when we ran out of maple syrup one weekend, leaving my kids staring sadly at their plain pancakes. That lucky accident turned into our go-to Sunday morning thing, and now my children always ask for "the magic syrup" every weekend.
Ingredients
- Sugar: Brings the sweetness and helps everything turn that lovely golden color while cooking
- Heavy cream: Makes everything super rich and gets you that perfect thickness
- Salted butter: Cuts through the sweetness with a bit of savory goodness for better flavor
- Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste: Adds a cozy warmth try to grab the pure stuff for best taste
- Baking soda: Might seem weird but it creates a reaction that makes your syrup wonderfully smooth
Easy How-To Steps
- Mix Your Starting Items:
- Put your sugar, heavy cream, butter and vanilla into a deep pot with a thick bottom. Pick something with high sides since the mix will bubble up while cooking. Try to measure everything exactly since the amounts affect how thick it gets.
- Get It Bubbling:
- Warm everything over medium heat until you see small bubbles forming. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon so nothing burns on the bottom. The sugar will melt completely and things will start changing color a bit. This usually takes around 3 minutes.
- Let It Cook Down:
- Turn the heat lower to medium low and keep it gently bubbling. Stir often as it gets thicker. You'll know it's ready when the syrup coats your wooden spoon and stays separated when you run your finger through it. You'll need some patience here about 5 to 10 minutes depending on how thick you want it.
- Add The Magic Touch:
- Right before you take it off the heat, mix in the baking soda. Don't worry when it foams up that's supposed to happen. Keep stirring until it's all mixed in, about half a minute. Your syrup will get more golden and turn super silky.
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The vanilla really makes this syrup stand out. I like using vanilla bean paste because it leaves pretty little specks in the golden syrup and tastes stronger. My grandma always said that vanilla is what turns an everyday syrup into something you'll remember.
Why It's Called Dutch Honey
Though it sounds like it should have honey, traditional Dutch Honey actually doesn't contain any. This old-school recipe comes from Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, where clever home cooks came up with this alternative when honey and maple syrup were hard to find or too expensive. It probably got its name from looking and feeling like honey. What makes it different is how the dairy richness mixes with the caramelized sweetness something you just can't get from plain maple syrup.
Keeping Your Sweet Creation
After it's cooled a bit, pour any extra syrup into a glass container with a lid that seals well. Keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks it'll get pretty solid when cold. To warm it up, just put what you need in a microwave-safe dish and heat it for 20 seconds at a time, giving it a stir between each until it flows easily. You can also warm it in a small pot over low heat. If it seems too thick after being in the fridge, stir in a spoonful of cream while warming it up.
Fun Ways To Use It
While it's perfect on breakfast favorites like pancakes and waffles, this syrup can do so much more than just morning meals. Pour it over vanilla ice cream for an easy but fancy dessert. Try it as a dip for fresh fruit or pound cake. Mix some into your coffee for a fancy homemade flavor boost. My favorite way is pouring it warm over bread pudding where it soaks into all the little spaces.
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This easy recipe turns an ordinary breakfast into something special you'll be excited to make again and again.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → Why is it called Dutch honey syrup if it doesn't contain honey?
The name is a bit misleading since there's no actual honey inside. It gets called that because it looks and feels like honey with its golden color and thick texture. When sugar, cream, and butter caramelize together, they create a sweet richness that reminds people of honey.
- → How long does Dutch honey syrup last in the refrigerator?
Your syrup will stay good for about 2-3 weeks when kept in a sealed container in the fridge. All that sugar works as a natural way to keep it fresh longer. Just know it'll get thicker when cold, so you might want to warm it up a bit before pouring.
- → What's the purpose of adding baking soda to the syrup?
Baking soda does a couple of handy things in this recipe. It keeps the syrup from getting grainy or forming crystals so it stays nice and smooth. It also helps create that beautiful golden color through a small reaction with the acidic stuff. As a bonus, it adds some extra flavor complexity too.
- → What can I serve Dutch honey syrup with?
This syrup goes great with tons of foods! Try it on breakfast stuff like pancakes, waffles, French toast, and crepes. It's also super yummy drizzled over ice cream, simple cakes, warm bread pudding, or fresh berries. Some folks even like to stir a bit into their coffee or hot chocolate.
- → Can I make this syrup with alternative sweeteners?
The old-school recipe calls for regular white sugar, but you can play around a bit. Brown sugar works well and gives a richer taste with hints of molasses. Coconut sugar is another option if you want something that won't spike your blood sugar as much. Just don't go for fake sweeteners since they won't brown up nice like real sugar does.
- → Is there a dairy-free version of Dutch honey syrup?
You can totally make this without dairy! Just swap the heavy cream for thick coconut cream and use a plant-based butter instead of the regular stuff. It might feel a tiny bit different in your mouth, but you'll still get all those yummy vanilla flavors coming through.