Maple syrup substitute – the best alternatives for cooking, baking and to top over pancakes and waffles when you run out of maple syrup. It saves the recipe every time!
What to substitute for maple syrup?
There comes those times you are ready to make pancakes for breakfast or fresh muffins and need maple syrup for the recipe and realize you are out. I was just in that debacle the other morning. And instead topped our pancakes with a maple syrup substitute of coconut sugar mixed with melted ghee. It works like a charm to that golden sugary glow to waffles and french toast too.
These replacements are the best substitutes for maple syrup and we break down how to use them, plus a homemade syrup recipe to use.
Best Maple Syrup Substitute
- Agave Nectar
- Honey
- Sugar or Brown Sugar
- Coconut Sugar Butter Blend (or brown sugar)
- Molasses
- Lakanto Maple Syrup
Maple Syrup
Pure maple syrup is a sweet syrup sap that comes from the maple tree. Over the winter months the starch in the tree trunk turns to sugar in late winter and early spring, which we can often see dripping down a sugar maple tree, red maple tree, or black maple tree trunk. The sap is then collected by drilling a hole in the trunk of the tree and bottled into what is known as maple syrup.
This natural sugar is used as a condiment for pancakes, waffles, french toast, and oatmeal. It is also used for sweetening baked goods, salad dressings, and caramelizing and flavoring foods.
Substituting sweeteners like sugar or brown sugar
If a recipe calls for white sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar and you prefer to use maple syrup instead of sugar then a good rule of thumb is to use ¾ cup of maple syrup for every one cup of sugar. When baking you will want to reduce the overall liquid in the recipe by about 3 tablespoons for each cup of maple syrup.
Healthy substitute for maple syrup in baking
If you are making cookies and baked good that calls for maple syrup and don’t like the taste or have any, you can use honey, agave nectar, or our maple syrup alternative recipe in equal amounts or a 1:1 ratio. Keep in mind that using honey will alter the flavor and texture slightly as it’s perfect for making recipes like corn muffins. You may need to adjust spices in a recipe to compliment the flavor substitution.
Maple syrup substitutes for pancakes, waffles, french toast
There are three options for a maple syrup substitution to drizzle over pancakes, waffles, and french toast.
- If you don’t have any syrup, make a simple syrup over the stove by heating equal parts of dark brown sugar or coconut sugar (a low GI food) with water (try 1 cup sugar with 1 cup of water). Then add a ½ teaspoon of maple flavoring or maple extract. Heat on medium heat about 7-10 minutes until thick and bubbly, stirring continuously. Make sure not to overcook it or on too high a heat to avoid burning the sugars (especially if using coconut sugar). Add ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of molasses for a richer dark syrup flavor (printable maple syrup substitute recipe below).
- You can also make a quick version by heating ¼ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar with 1 tablespoon butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Whisk together until it melts and drizzle over breakfast. This is the version my mother always did with a sprinkle of cinnamon and it’s delicious.
- Add a dollop of melted butter over pancakes. Add sifted sugar and cinnamon mixed together on top and enjoy!
Lakanto Maple Syrup
Lakanto Maple Flavored Syrup is a sugar-free condiment sweetened with monk fruit. It is a wonderful maple syrup substitute for keto and sugar-free diabetic diets since it contains no sugar. Use in a 1:1 ratio the same as you would maple syrup.
Try our maple syrup substitution on these recipes
- Waffles With Low Sugar Maple Greek Yogurt
- Fluffy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes
- Butternut Squash Pancakes
- Easy Gluten-Free Pancake Recipe
- Paleo Pancakes
- Gluten-Free Scones With Maple Drizzle
More Recipes & Alternatives
I hope finding a Maple Syrup Substitute here is helpful! Follow along with me on INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE and TWITTER to be featured and for more recipe inspiration! And don’t forget to rate the recipe in the recipe area and leave a comment below.
