Maple syrup is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 570 recipes to get you started.
What is maple syrup?
Maple syrup is a sweetener made from the sap of sugar maple or black maple trees.
In cold climate areas, these trees store starch in their stems and roots before the winter, which when converted to sugar, rises in the sap in the spring.
Maple trees can be tapped and the exuded sap collected and concentrated. Quebec, Canada, produces most of the world's supply of maple syrup. The United States is the only other major producer and the leading consumer.
Maple syrup is most often eaten with waffles, pancakes, oatmeal, crumpets and French toast. It is sometimes used as an ingredient in baking, the making of candy, preparing desserts, or as a sugar source and flavoring agent in making beer. Sucrose is the most prevalent sugar in maple syrup.
Maple syrup is very high in calories, but is an excellent source of the trace mineral manganese, with 2 tbs (13.33 grams) containing about 0.44 mg or 22% of the FDA Daily Value (DV%) of 2 mg. It is also a good source of zinc with 2 tbs (13.33 grams) containing 0.55 mg or 3.7% of the FDA Daily Value (DV%) of 15 mg.
Types of maple syrup
Specific kinds of maple syrup and the recipes that use them.
Maple sugar is what you get when you boil maple syrup past the syrup stage until the water cooks off and the sugar crystallizes. It is the most concentrated form of pure maple: a dry, fine sugar with the same caramel-and-vanilla flavor as the syrup it came from.
It takes roughly eight times as much sap to make maple sugar as it does to make the same volume of syrup. That is why it costs more and lives mostly in baking, not in the sugar bowl.
A little goes a long way. It tastes noticeably sweeter than white granulated sugar, so you reach for less.
Golden French toast stuffed with warm blueberry-maple compote and dusted with powdered sugar. Make weekend brunch feel special with this sweet sandwich.
Sourdough maple pancakes: tangy, fluffy pancakes built on active sourdough starter and sweetened with real maple syrup. The classic discard recipe that turns yesterday's starter into Sunday breakfast.
Served either as a dessert, or perhaps a morning energizer in the summer months, this recipe took inspiration from the great combination that chocolate and orange offers, pairing the wonderful flavour of (good quality) coffee with the fresh citrus flavour of orange. Orange you glad there’s now a fat-free option that is sure to give you your much needed caffeine kick?
Light and fluffy whole wheat pancakes are vegan and egg-free: soy milk and cider vinegar make a buttermilk-style batter that puffs up tender, with whole wheat pastry flour, cornmeal and cinnamon. A wholesome breakfast.
Homemade granola with rolled oats, sliced almonds, shredded coconut, wheat germ, and cinnamon, lightly bound with maple syrup and oil. Bakes in 10 minutes flat. Toss in golden raisins or dried cranberries after toasting.
Hearty oat and grated apple muffins sweetened with pure maple syrup. Yogurt keeps them moist, walnuts add crunch, and they're done in 40 minutes start to finish.
Vegan pumpkin biscuits use silken tofu and pumpkin puree instead of butter for a tender, whole-wheat morning bake spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. No dairy, no eggs, ready in 25 minutes.
Whole wheat buttermilk pancakes with strawberries, egg whites, and cottage cheese, topped with mashed banana cinnamon cream. A healthier high-protein breakfast that doesn't sacrifice flavor.
Cinnamon-raisin breakfast biscuits use silken tofu in place of butter for a vegan, dairy-free quick bread sweetened with apple juice and maple syrup. Whole wheat, walnut-studded, brushed with syrup glaze.
Sweet, sour and slightly spicy. Cucumber, sweet bell pepper, carrots, wood ears and smoked tofu are tossed with rice vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, soy sauce and Korean chili pepper. A very tasty side dish that goes well with all your favorite Korean dishes or most of the main courses.
Fresh blueberries, roasted sweet corn, soy bean, red bell pepper and peppery arugula are tossed with a white wine vinegar-olive oil vinaigrette. It's a light and tasty summer salad that accompanies well with any barbecued dishes.
A simple salad with big health credentials: avocados are an excellent source of good fats, and more recently have been shown to also inhibit inflammation when eaten in combination with foods that typically trigger it. They are also a rich source of potassium (which balances sodium to keep blood pressure levels stable) and vitamin E, an important antioxidant.
Bohemian apple waffles with chopped fresh apples folded into a cinnamon-spiced batter and lifted by whipped egg whites. Crisp on the outside, cloud-tender inside, served with maple syrup.
Pumpkin pie with ginger cookie crust trades pastry for crushed gingersnaps and lightens the filling with applesauce, maple syrup, and egg whites. A holiday pie with serious spice and a leaner profile.
Maple acorn squash bakes halved squash filled with brown sugar, butter, and pure maple syrup until fork-tender. Four-ingredient New England side dish for Thanksgiving and fall dinners.
Whole wheat berry breakfast pancakes made light with fluffy egg whites and skim milk, sweetened with a little honey, then topped with creamy ricotta, fresh berries and maple syrup. Ready in about 20 minutes.
Whole wheat waffles with a make-ahead overnight yeast batter for deep flavor and a crisp, golden crust. Buttermilk, oats, and whipped egg whites keep them light and high in fiber. Just drizzle with maple syrup.
Buttermilk pancakes with vanilla and maple syrup whisked right into the batter for fluffy, lightly sweet stacks. Two leaveners and tangy buttermilk give them serious lift without going dense.
Homemade pumpkin spice doughnuts fried golden from a pumpkin puree dough warm with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, then dipped in a maple glaze. Cake-style donuts for fall mornings and Thanksgiving dessert.
Whole wheat sour cream pancakes with separated eggs for extra fluffiness, sweetened with honey. Tender, tangy weekend breakfast pancakes that aren't dense or dry.
Maple whole wheat scones sweetened only with real maple syrup, with tart dried cranberries, orange zest, and warm nutmeg. A refined-sugar-free, whole-grain dome scone scored into wedges.
The first time I tried this version of the recipe, I ate it for all three meals. LOVED it!
If you have leftovers, toss in a can of tomatoes, a can of white beans, and whatever veggies you have in the fridge, and make yourself a tasty soup.
According to NBC sportscaster Ahmad Rashad, men and women behave very differently in the kitchen. "When men cook, it usually looks like a
disaster area,"; says the former Minnesota Viking. ";And there's no rhyme or
reason to what they make. My father sometimes cooked chicken for breakfast.
And when he cooked, everything came out six times bigger than when Mom
cooked.";
Hearty 'almost whole wheat' pancakes blending whole wheat and white flour for nutty flavor without dense weight. Brown sugar adds soft sweetness. A breakfast workhorse that stacks high on the plate.
Homemade apple-berry granola: oats, pecans, pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries baked with fresh granny smith apple, maple syrup, and cinnamon until golden and crisp. Naturally gluten-free.
James Beard's brownies sweetened with maple syrup instead of granulated sugar. Just seven ingredients, one bowl, ready in 40 minutes. No butter or oil added.
Maple sugar pumpkin pie pairs warming cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg with a splash of pure maple syrup for an old-fashioned New England take on the Thanksgiving classic. Whole milk and eggs make for a tender custard.
This salad recipe is a refreshing blend of tangy and sweet flavors. The cabbage left to marinate for an hour, allowing the flavors to meld together, resulting in a delicious and refreshing vegan and vegetarian friendly side dish that can be served at room temperature to highlight the fresh flavors and texture.
Healthy blueberry muffins sweetened with pure maple syrup instead of refined sugar, built on whole-wheat flour, ground flax, and buttermilk. Tender, high-fiber muffins brightened with fresh orange zest.
Maple leaf pumpkin pie sweetens the spiced pumpkin custard with a half cup of pure maple syrup, then crowns the cooled pie with pastry maple leaves baked separately to a golden brown. A festive Canadian-style holiday dessert.
Currant and orange muffins made with rice flour, ground almonds, and beaten egg whites for a tender, gluten-free crumb. Naturally sweetened with honey and fresh orange juice.
These delicious pancakes are full of yumminess and goodness. They are moist in the inside, and slightly crispy on the outside. Berries give you some juicy explosion in every bite. They are perfect for breakfast.
Maple apple muffins sweetened entirely with pure maple syrup, studded with diced apples, and warm with cinnamon and nutmeg. No refined sugar, ready in 40 minutes.
Whole wheat pecan banana bread sweetened only with maple syrup and ripe bananas, no refined sugar. A nutty, hearty breakfast loaf with a crumbly texture.
Pumpkin and tomato bisque with butternut squash, maple syrup, and slow-sweated onions, finished with optional red pepper puree garnish. Low-fat, gluten-free fall soup that skips heavy cream.
Low-fat blueberry muffins with applesauce in place of butter, sweetened with sugar and maple syrup, and lightened with whipped egg whites. A moist tender breakfast bake under 150 calories per muffin.
Beets and carrots are both earthy vegetables, roasting really help to enhance the great taste, tossed with light vinaigrette and peppery arugula, a tasty salad that goes well with any kind of main course.
