How To Make Kecap Manis With 3-Ingredients! (Sweet Soy Sauce)

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Home Sweet Soy Sauce Recipe (Kecap Manis)

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Posted by:

Erin Lynch

Updated:

June 2, 2025

5 from 6 votes

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Find out why Kecap Manis (Sweet Soy Sauce) is Indonesia’s most popular condiment by making it yourself at home! It’s a thick, syrupy, and sweetened version of soy sauce you can use as a glaze, dressing, marinade, or dipping sauce.

The best part is it’s easy to make using only 3 ingredients!

Although homemade sweet soy sauce lasts for up to 3 months in your fridge, you may run out well before then because it can be used virtually anywhere. Its delightfully sweet, savory, and umami flavors can bring balance to fried rice, grilled chicken glazes, steak marinades, gyoza sauce, stir fry, and more.

Basically, you can use it anywhere you would regular soy sauce, liquid sweeteners, or brown sugar.

What is kecap manis?

Kecap manis (AKA ketjap manis) is an Indonesian condiment made by simmering soy sauce and palm sugar together. “Manis” is an Indonesian word meaning “sweet”, giving this syrupy sauce a second name, “sweet soy sauce”.

It has a thick, molasses-like consistency and a sweet and salty flavor. While it’s traditionally only made with 2 ingredients, simple aromatics, such as garlic, star anise, cinnamon, black pepper, ginger, and cloves, can be added to give the condiment a layered flavor profile.

Soy sauce vs. kecap manis

While both of these condiments have a soy sauce base and various uses, the flavors and consistencies are quite different. Soy sauce is a thin sauce with a salty and savory flavor. It’s a must-have condiment when putting together Asian-inspired glazes for Vietnamese chicken wings, flavoring fried rice, making Pad Kee Mao, other Asian-inspired sauces, and more.

Kecap manis has a thick, syrupy texture. It has just as many uses as regular soy sauce, but the added sweetness makes it extra valuable when you need to bring balance to your meals or give them an extra boost of flavor. It’s a delicious grain bowl dressing, dipping sauce, addition to glazes and marinades, and so much more.

What is kecap manis made of?

Soy, brown sugar, and garlic on counter.

You only need 3 ingredients to make sweetened soy sauce at home:

Soy sauce
Brown sugar or palm sugar
Garlic cloves

Feel free to add even more aromatics (like ginger, star anise, or black pepper) to take it up a notch or keep it simple by omitting the garlic.

How to make sweet soy sauce

This homemade kecap manis recipe makes about 1 cup. Use it all right away or store it for later! Here’s how it’s done:

Step 1

Simmer

Place all of the ingredients in a small saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat.
Bring it up to a boil. Reduce the heat and leave it to simmer, stirring occasionally.

Step 2

Strain

You’ll know the sauce is ready when the sugar has dissolved and it’s begun to thicken.
Take it off the heat and pour it through a sieve to strain the garlic. Leave it to cool completely, then store the sauce in the fridge for later.

Storing

Bottle your sweet soy sauce and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 months.

Kecap manis uses

Kecap manis truly has 1 million different uses. Mashed.com suggests using it wherever a savory recipe calls for maple syrup, honey, agave, or brown sugar. If you want to start using your homemade sauce right away, I’d suggest trying it in any of these recipes:

To season Bacon Fried Rice or Instant Pot Fried Rice.
In this Yaki Udon recipe.
In a glaze for roasted salmon, chicken, or vegetables.
In this Curried Chicken Breast marinade.
Use it as a dipping sauce for Vegetarian Sushi and Beef Meatballs.
As a replacement for maple syrup in these Spicy Peanut Tofu Bowls.
To add sweetness to a Veggie Stir Fry, Beef Stir Fry, or this Gyoza Sauce.
To dress Poke Bowls, Lettuce Wraps, and Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts.

Pouring sweet soy sauce into small bowl.

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Full Recipe

Sweet Soy Sauce (Kecap Manis)

Kecap Manis (Sweet Soy Sauce) is a popular Indonesian condiment you can use as a glaze, dressing, marinade, dipping sauce, and more. So sweet and aromatic, this 3-ingredient sauce is easy to make and a must-have in your fridge! 5 from 6 votes Print Pin Serves 8 people Created by Platings and Pairings Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes

Equipment

Saucepan

1x2x3x

Ingredients

▢ ½ cup soy sauce
▢ ½ cup brown sugar (or palm sugar)
▢ 2 garlic cloves (crushed and peeled)

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce begins to thicken, 10-15 minutes. (It should coat the back of a spoon, but note that it will continue to thicken as it cools.)
Strain the garlic from the sauce and allow to cool. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Notes

Makes about 1 cup. Storing

Sweet soy sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

This kecap manis post was originally published in 2022. It was updated in 2024 to add new information. The sweet soy sauce recipe remains the same. Enjoy!

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5 from 6 votes (6 ratings without comment)

2 responses

Susan August 8, 2023
It’s nice to know that you can take items you already have and make a sauce like this. Saves money. I’ll be trying this recipe really soon.

How to make homemade Sweet Soy Sauce/kecap manis dipping sauce
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Dan October 30, 2023
Have not tried this. Is this the recipe for sauce to pour on sticky bento rice that the restaurant gives me in a Dixie cup? It’s a dark sauce almost like teriyaki with soy overtones but fairly thin to pour over rice but thicker than soy sauce.
Reply

Hi, I’m Erin!

Can I pour you a glass of wine? Let’s have some fun in the kitchen! Maybe some pasta? A juicy steak? I’ve got loads of yummy, easy recipes for you! Because cooking should feel as comfy as your favorite yoga pants. ♥

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