This homemade palm sugar syrup is easy to make, has a deep caramel color and flavor, and you can keep it ready in the fridge for sweetening drinks, desserts, and sauces.

Homemade palm sugar syrup in a glass jar with a spoon.

About this syrup

Palm sugar syrup is a liquid sweetener made by dissolving Thai palm sugar with water. As the sugar melts, it creates a smooth syrup with a rich, caramel-like flavor.

One of the reasons I like making it is that it’s much easier to measure and mix than a block of palm sugar. Since it’s already runny, you can simply spoon it into whatever you’re making when you want some sweetness.

A spoonful works well in cocktails, iced coffee, tea, and other drinks where you want sweetness with a little more flavor than regular sugar syrup. In Thailand, palm sugar is also used in savory dishes like som tam (green papaya salad), and having it in syrup form makes it much quicker to mix into the dressing.

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Palm sugar syrup with Thai palm sugar pieces, showing its sweet caramel-like flavor.

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Ingredient notes & substitutes

You can find everything at Asian grocery stores or markets. Head to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact measurements.

Palm sugar: Use Thai palm sugar for the best flavor. It can come in blocks, discs, or softer pieces depending on the brand. Break it into smaller pieces before cooking so it dissolves more easily.
Water: The water turns the solid palm sugar into a pourable syrup that’s much easier to use.
Vanilla extract (optional): A little vanilla works nicely if you’re mainly using the syrup for coffee, desserts, or sweet drinks.

How to make palm sugar syrup

1. Add the palm sugar and water. Add the palm sugar and water to a small saucepan. Break the palm sugar into smaller pieces if needed so it melts more quickly.

2. Melt the palm sugar. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the palm sugar has completely dissolved into the water.

Stirring melted palm sugar to make homemade palm sugar syrup.

3. Simmer until slightly thickened. Let the syrup gently simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until it looks smooth and slightly thicker. Don’t worry if it still looks quite thin in the pan. The syrup will thicken more as it cools. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, if using.

Homemade palm sugar syrup served with pieces of Thai palm sugar.

How to use it

Salads: Stir it into the dressing. It mixes in much faster than a block of palm sugar.
Coffee: Add a spoonful to hot or iced coffee instead of regular sugar. The caramel-like flavor is especially nice in iced coffee.
Tea: Use it to sweeten black tea, Thai tea, or herbal tea.
Cocktails: Use it in place of simple syrup when you want a deeper, caramel-like sweetness.
Desserts: Drizzle it over pancakes, waffles, ice cream, or fruit.
Thai cooking: Add it to sauces, marinades, and dressings whenever you want the flavor of palm sugar without having to dissolve a block first.

How to store

Let the syrup cool completely before transferring it to a clean, airtight jar or bottle. Keep it refrigerated.

Always use a clean spoon when taking syrup from the jar. If you notice mold, fermentation, or an unusual smell, discard it.

I prefer making a batch that’s small enough to use regularly rather than keeping a huge amount in the fridge for months.

More Thai recipes to try

Homemade Ginger Syrup Recipe

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