Wondering what are the best substitutes for maple syrup? Well, we have the answers! We taste tested 17 maple syrup alternatives—and then ranked them from best to worst.
Maple syrup is a delicious all-natural sweetener that tastes a bit like vanilla and caramel.
While it's hard to beat real maple syrup, we tested a 17 maple syrup alternatives. Read our rankings for the best maple syrup substitutes, in case you're out of the real thing.
What is maple syrup?
Maple syrup is a sweet, sticky syrup made from the sap of maple trees. Canada produces almost 75% of the world's maple syrup. The rest mostly comes from the Northeastern United States (Vermont, New York, Maine, Wisconsin, etc.).
Maple syrup is graded based on its color, which ranges from: golden, amber, and dark. Dark maple syrup has more intense flavor, with notes of caramel. Whereas golden maple syrup is lighter and tastes more buttery. Since maple syrup is expensive, there are many imitation products. Look for "100% pure" maple syrup if you want the real thing.
Maple syrup is a natural sweetener. It also contains many vitamins and minerals. For example, it is high in manganese, riboflavin and zinc. But it's also high in sugar, so should be consumed in moderation.
How to use it
Maple syrup is traditionally served on breakfast foods—like waffles, pancakes, and french toast.
But, there are so many other ways to use maple syrup! You can also use maple syrup for:
- Roasted Vegetables: Use it as a glaze on Maple Sriracha Brussels Sprouts.
- Salad Dressings: Helps round out flavors in dressings, like Curry Vinaigrette.
- Glazed Pecans: For a sweet, crunchy garnish on as satisfying kale salad or similar.
- Healthy Snacks: Naturally sweetens these yummy Peanut Butter Energy Balls.
- Homemade Ice Cream: Adds maple flavor to Whiskey Hazelnut Ice Cream and sweetens this creamy Vegan Rocky Road Ice Cream.
- Savory Dishes: Adds a touch of sweetness in this popular Spiced Cauliflower Steak.
How we ranked alternatives
Our team performed side-by-side taste tests to find the best substitutes for maple syrup. They compared 100% real maple syrup with 17 other sweeteners.
Flavor, sweetness, consistency, color, convenience, and affordability were all considered in ranking the best substitutes.
17 Maple syrup substitutes
Here are the top 17 maple syrup alternatives, ranked in order of the best to worst.
1. Table Syrup (easiest substitute!)
Table Syrup is a thick, sweet syrup that's made from corn syrup and flavoring. It's also known as Pancake Syrup. Table syrup is an inexpensive substitute for maple syrup. It's usually poured over pancakes, waffles, and French Toast.
Table Syrup takes our top spot because it's convenient, inexpensive, and easy to find in the store. Since it's trying to imitate maple syrup, the consistency is very similar. Many people have fond memories of table syrup because they grew up eating it. And, it's a breakfast diner classic! So, people associate table syrup with pancakes.
But, to be clear: table syrup is a very "processed" product, with artificial flavoring and preservatives. It contains ingredients many people try to avoid. So, it's not the most gourmet maple syrup substitute. But it is an easy 1-to-1 maple syrup substitute if you're in a pinch. Our favorite tasting substitute is actually in the #2 spot.
2. Homemade Maple Syrup Substitute (better flavor!)
This homemade maple syrup substitute had taste testers fooled! It's made from brown sugar, water, and maple extract. It's essentially a brown sugar simple syrup—but with added maple flavor. Find the recipe below.
This homemade substitute mimics the color, sweetness, and flavor of maple syrup. It's also easy to make: the recipe only takes 5 minutes. It's a less expensive alternative to maple syrup. And, taste testers thought it tasted more "gourmet" than the table syrup.
This homemade syrup is slightly runnier than real maple syrup, because there's no added thickeners. And, not all grocery stores sell maple extract (although many do!). Since this recipe requires prep, it got the #2 spot. But it's our personal top pick. Use this delicious substitute anywhere you'd use maple syrup.
Homemade Maple Flavored Syrup
3. Golden Syrup
Golden Syrup is an amber colored liquid sweetener made from sugar. It's popular in the UK, where it's used in desserts like treacle sponges and tarts. Golden syrup has the consistency of honey, but it's less expensive and vegan.
Our taste testers enjoy how Golden syrup tastes a bit like butter and caramel. They preferred the flavor over the corn syrups. Golden syrup makes a great maple syrup substitute because it's similar consistency and color. And, like maple syrup, it's made without preservatives.
However, Golden syrup lacks maple flavor. Our taste testers thought the top 2 alternatives were more like a classic pancake syrup, because of their maple flavor. But, if you're looking for a more natural substitute, Golden syrup is a great choice. You can use golden syrup pretty much anywhere you use maple syrup. Golden syrup is about 25% sweeter than maple syrup so adjust accordingly.
4. Brown Sugar Simple Syrup
Brown Sugar Simple Syrup is made with water and brown sugar. The molasses in brown sugar gives it a mild caramel flavor. A regular simple syrup uses 1 part sugar and 1 part water. A rich simple syrup uses 2 parts sugar and 1 part water, so it's sweeter and thicker.
We like brown sugar simple syrup as a maple syrup substitute because it's easy to make. Most people already have the ingredients, so there's no need to go to the store. It's also inexpensive and the same color. The maple flavor is missing, but it does have caramel notes instead.
If substituting, we recommend a rich simple syrup (i.e. 2:1 sugar-to-water ratio). Simple syrup is runnier than maple syrup, so this helps compensate. Drizzle it over breakfast foods (like French Toast Casserole or pancakes). Or use it to sweeten drinks, compote, or oatmeal.
Make homemade Brown Sugar Simple Syrup in just 3 minutes! It's also delicious in iced coffee, cocktails, and mocktails (like Pina Coladas).
5. Maple Butter
Maple Butter is made from just maple syrup (no butter or dairy). The syrup gets heated, then whipped until it's a creamy, spreadable consistency. You can make maple butter at home if you have maple syrup, a candy thermometer, and patience. But store-bought is much easier!
Maple butter has delicious maple-forward flavor. It's a high-quality product with no added ingredients. But, it's also very expensive. And it can be hard to track down. So, while it is a good substitute for maple syrup, it isn't usually the most practical.
Maple butter is thicker and sweeter than maple syrup, so it should be used sparingly. It's best substituted as a spread (on waffles, toast, muffins), swirled into oats or yogurt, in dressing/vinaigrette, or to sweeten hot drinks (like tea and lattes).
6. Honey
Honey is a sweet, sticky substance made by bees. There are over 300 varieties of honey, all with slightly different flavors and colors. Honey often tastes a bit floral.
Honey is a decent substitute for maple syrup. Most people already have it at home. It's also a natural product, without additives. But honey is lighter in color and doesn't have maple flavor. It's also more viscous (thicker) than maple syrup.
Substitute honey for maple syrup in: breakfast foods, drinks, salad dressings, baked goods, and frozen desserts (like homemade popsicles or vegan ice cream). Keep in mind: honey is about 25% sweeter than maple syrup, so you may need to adjust quantities.
Want to learn how to infuse honey at home? Read our Simple Infused Honey tutorial, then check out our recipes for Vanilla Honey, Orange Honey, and Lavender Honey.
7. Agave Syrup
Agave Syrup (or Agave Nectar) is made from the sap of an agave plant. Agave is often compared to honey because it's sweet, viscous, and golden in color. But agave is vegan, unlike honey.
Agave has a similar consistency to maple syrup. It's sold at most grocery stores. And, it's a fairly "natural" product because it doesn't contain other ingredients. Our testers found agave's flavor to be pleasant, but it lacks maple flavor. And, it's quite sweet (even sweeter than maple syrup)! We ranked agave below honey because it's less accessible. And some argue honey has more health benefits.
Substitute agave in drinks, sauces, marinades, and even baked goods where you don't need dark color. If baking with agave: reduce oven temperature by 15-25°F because baked goods often brown faster.
8. Golden or Dark Corn Syrup
Corn Syrup is liquid sweetener made from cornstarch. Manufacturers then add molasses and caramel coloring to make Golden or Dark corn syrup. The molasses gives it a more distinctive flavor compared to Light corn syrup.
Golden or Dark corn syrup has a similar color and consistency to maple syrup. It's also inexpensive and sold in most grocery stores. The flavor is a closer match than Light corn syrup. But, the flavor isn't quite as good as Golden Syrup (our #3 pick).
It's best used as a substitute in desserts (like Pecan Pie) and as table syrup. However, you may need to adjust quantities since corn syrup's half as sweet as maple syrup.
9. Coconut Nectar
Coconut Nectar is made from the sap of the flowers on coconut trees. Like honey, the flavor of coconut nectar can vary by brand. Some taste floral, others taste a bit like mild maple syrup. Coconut nectar is a low GI food and contains less fructose than sweeteners like Agave.
Coconut Nectar has a similar consistency and color to maple syrup. Flavor-wise it's a pretty good substitute. But, coconut nectar is very expensive. And, it can be difficult to find. If you do substitute coconut nectar, be aware that it's 25% sweeter than maple syrup.
It's best used to substitute maple syrup in small amounts—such as over yogurt, fruit salad, tea or coffee, muffins or toast.
10. Light Corn Syrup
Corn Syrup is made from cornstarch. Light corn syrup has been clarified and decolorized, to create a clear syrup. It's often used in candies, baked goods, and jam.
Light corn syrup is easy to find and inexpensive. But our taste testers found light corn syrup to have no real flavor. And, it's less sweet—about half the sugar (per tablespoon) compared to maple syrup.
Substitute it in recipes where you mostly need sweetness, rather than maple flavor or brown color.
11. Brown Rice Syrup
Brown Rice Syrup is a thick, sticky sweetener made from brown rice. It has a toasted, nutty flavor that resembles butterscotch. Brown rice syrup is often used as a vegan-friendly honey substitute. It also makes the most delicious homemade granola!
Brown rice syrup is about one-third less sweet than maple syrup. So, if substituting, you'll need more brown rice syrup. Brown rice syrup is less processed than some other maple syrup substitutes. But, it's also more expensive and can be harder to find.
Substitute it in dressings, sauces, or as a lower-sugar option for drizzling over french toast or waffles.
12. Simple Syrup
Simple Syrup is water and white sugar. It's often used for sweetening cold beverages, like iced coffee or cocktails. Regular simple syrup uses a 1:1 ratio of sugar and water. Rich simple syrup uses a 2:1 ratio. Therefore, rich simple syrup is sweeter and thicker.
It's easy to make simple syrup and most people have the ingredients at home. It's also liquid, so it can be poured over food and into drinks. But—except for being sweet—simple syrup doesn't look or taste like maple syrup.
Substitute simple syrup when you won't miss out on maple syrup's flavor. For example, when using a small amount to sweeten iced drinks.
13. Molasses
Molasses dark, thick byproduct of making sugar. It's a classic ingredient in gingerbread cookies. There are different types of molasses, with Light Molasses being the sweetest and mildest. Blackstrap Molasses is the least sweet and almost bitter tasting.
Molasses is inexpensive and easy to find. But, molasses has more of a burnt caramel flavor than maple. It's also less sweet than maple syrup. And it's darker and thicker.
If you must substitute, use light unsulphured molasses. You can use molasses as a healthier alternative to syrup, but avoid swapping it in recipes where you need a lot.
14. Maple Sugar
Maple sugar are sugar crystals formed after boiling maple syrup. The result is sugar with maple flavor. So, if you need to substitute maple syrup with sugar—then maple sugar is your best bet. It'll be a closer match for flavor, color, and sweetness.
However, maple sugar can be difficult to find and is often expensive. And, since maple sugar isn't liquid, it can't usually be used as a direct substitute. That's why we ranked liquid sweeteners above maple sugar (despite the flavor similarities).
15. Brown Sugar
These days, brown sugar is usually made from adding molasses to white sugar. Brown sugar will add sweetness and brown color, like maple syrup. The molasses gives a subtle caramel flavor. While it's not the same flavor as maple, it's closer than white sugar.
Since brown sugar isn't liquid, it's not a perfect swap for maple syrup. Substitute brown sugar only when there's a bit of maple syrup in the recipe. And, it's best used as a substitute in drinks, sauces, dressings and marinades...rather than baked goods.
16. White Sugar
White sugar is made from refined sugar cane or sugar beets. It adds sweetness like maple syrup. But, it doesn't provide any maple flavor or brown color. And sugar is a dry ingredient, whereas maple syrup is liquid.
For these reasons, white sugar isn't a great direct substitute for maple syrup—especially in baking. But, you can substitute sugar in recipes where only a small amount of maple syrup is used. For example: when a dressing, sauce, or drink uses a tiny splash of maple syrup to sweeten it.
17. Maple Extract
Maple Extract is a flavoring concentrate, much like Vanilla or Almond Extract. The flavor may be natural or artificial ("imitation"). Ingredients often include alcohol and/or water.
The maple flavor is very intense, so use only a small amount. Maple extract isn't sweet, so it'll likely need to be combined with a liquid sweetener, especially for baking recipes.
What's your favorite maple syrup substitute? Let us know in the comments below!
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