Out of Corn syrup, one case
Corn syrup substitute for caramel
5 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Golden syrup
1 cup for every cup of corn syrup
In caramel, corn syrup is there to stop the sugar from turning grainy, so replace it with a syrup that does the same job: golden syrup or glucose syrup, measure for measure. Honey works at the same amount in soft caramels, caramel sauce and caramel corn, with a honey flavor and faster browning. For a plain caramel sauce you can leave the syrup out and add 1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar per cup of sugar.
- Verdict —
- Works
- Best for —
- soft and chewy caramels
One casethe full corn syrup card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 cup corn syrup | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Golden syrupsoft and chewy caramels | 1 cupWorks | Works |
| 2 | Glucose syrupsoft and chewy caramels | 1 cupWorks | Works |
| 3 | Honeysoft caramels | 1 cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Cream of tartar or lemon juicewet caramel sauce | 1/8 tsp cream of tartar per cup of sugarTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Maple syrupcaramel sauce with a maple flavor | 1 cupYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| Not a swap | Sugar + water | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Golden syrup
light butterscotch, which suits caramel
A thick invert sugar syrup. It gets in the way of sugar crystals the way corn syrup does and has the same body, so the recipe needs no other change.
- Best for
- soft and chewy caramels, caramel sauce, caramel corn, toffee and brittle
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- It is amber to begin with, so judging a caramel by color is harder. Use a thermometer.
Glucose syrup
neutral, slightly less sweet
What pastry kitchens use. Corn syrup is a glucose syrup made from corn, so this is the same ingredient in a thicker form.
- Best for
- soft and chewy caramels, caramel sauce, hard caramel and spun sugar
- Prep
- It is very stiff. Scoop it with a wet spoon or wet fingers, or warm the tub in hot water first.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Nothing in caramel. It is harder to measure by volume, so weigh it if the recipe gives a weight.
Honey
clearly honey
Honey is a natural invert sugar, so it keeps caramel smooth. It browns sooner than corn syrup and its flavor comes through.
- Best for
- soft caramels, caramel sauce, caramel corn and popcorn balls
- Prep
- Use a mild honey such as clover, cook over medium heat and go by the thermometer, not the color. Use a deep pot: honey foams as it boils.
- Where it fails
- Hard caramel, brittle and anything cooked to 300°F, where honey darkens and turns bitter first and leaves the candy sticky. Not vegan.
Never for a child under 12 months, even cooked.
Cream of tartar or lemon juice
no change
Not a syrup. A little acid splits some of the sugar into glucose and fructose as it cooks, which makes in the pot what corn syrup supplies from the bottle.
- Best for
- wet caramel sauce, caramel for flan or creme caramel, spun sugar and caramel decorations
- Prep
- Leave the corn syrup out. Add 1/8 tsp cream of tartar or ¼ tsp lemon juice per cup of sugar with the water at the start. Do not stir once it boils, and wash crystals off the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Chewy caramels and caramel corn, where the corn syrup is also part of the bulk and the chew. Leaving it out changes the texture as well as the risk of graininess.
Maple syrup
clearly maple
Maple syrup is mostly sucrose, the same sugar already in the pot, so it does much less to stop crystals. It is also thinner, so the caramel takes longer to reach temperature.
- Best for
- caramel sauce with a maple flavor, caramel corn
- Prep
- Add the cream of tartar or lemon juice above as well, and do not stir once the mixture boils.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Wrapped chewy caramels, which can turn grainy within a few days.
Sugar + water
Sugar dissolved in water is often suggested in place of corn syrup.
In caramel it adds more of the sugar that crystallizes and none of the glucose that prevents it.
- Best for
- nothing in caramel
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- The batch is as likely to turn grainy as if you had left the corn syrup out. If you have no syrup at all, leave it out and add cream of tartar or lemon juice instead.
How it behaves in this recipe
Caramel is sugar cooked until it browns. Table sugar tends to snap back into crystals as it cooks and cools, and one stray crystal can turn a whole pot grainy. Corn syrup is mostly glucose, a different sugar that gets in the way of those crystals, and in chewy caramels and caramel corn it also adds body and chew. A substitute has to be a glucose or invert sugar syrup, or an acid that makes invert sugar in the pot.
Tips for substituting corn syrup
5 tips- Soft caramels: swap golden syrup or glucose syrup for the corn syrup measure for measure and cook to the temperature the recipe gives, usually 245°F to 250°F. The temperature sets the texture; the syrup does not change it.
- Caramel corn: honey, golden syrup or brown rice syrup all work at the same amount as the corn syrup. Bake and stir as the recipe says, and check a honey batch early, because it colors faster.
- Caramel sauce: you can skip the syrup. Add 1/8 tsp cream of tartar per cup of sugar, stop stirring once it boils, and brush down the sides of the pan with water, or cover the pan for 2 minutes so the steam does it.
- Check the thermometer in boiling water before you start. It should read 212°F at sea level; adjust your target by however far it is off.
- Start with a clean pan and a clean spoon. One stray sugar crystal can seed a grainy batch, whatever syrup you use.
Questions
5 questionsCan you substitute honey for corn syrup in caramel?
Yes, at the same amount, in soft caramels, caramel sauce and caramel corn. Honey is an invert sugar, so it keeps the caramel smooth. It tastes of honey and browns sooner, so cook over medium heat and trust the thermometer. Do not use it for hard caramel or brittle cooked to 300°F, and do not give anything made with honey to a child under 12 months.
Can I substitute golden syrup for corn syrup when making caramels?
Yes, measure for measure, with no other change. Golden syrup is the closest match for both jobs corn syrup does in caramels: it prevents graininess and it gives the same chew. It adds a light butterscotch flavor.
What can I use instead of corn syrup in caramel popcorn?
Honey or golden syrup at the same amount. Brown rice syrup also works and is less sweet. Cook and bake as the recipe says. Maple syrup makes a good maple caramel corn, though the coating is a little more prone to turning sugary.
Can I make caramel without corn syrup at all?
Yes for caramel sauce, flan caramel and decorations. Dissolve the sugar in water with 1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar or ¼ teaspoon of lemon juice per cup of sugar, and do not stir once it boils. For chewy caramels and caramel corn, replace the corn syrup with another syrup, because it is part of the texture.
Does agave work in caramel?
Only in a caramel sauce, and with care. Agave is mostly fructose, which browns at a much lower temperature than table sugar, so it can darken and turn bitter before the caramel is cooked. For chewy caramels and anything cooked past 250°F, use golden syrup, glucose syrup or honey.