Out of Maple syrup, one case

Can you substitute pancake syrup for maple syrup?

4 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 4 options

Use Pancake syrup (table syrup)

¾ cup for every cup of maple syrup

Yes on pancakes and waffles, and with care in baking. Pancake syrup is corn syrup with maple flavoring, and it is sweeter and thicker than real maple syrup, so use ¾ cup for each cup of maple syrup. In baking, also cut the other sugar in the recipe by 2 tablespoons per cup. It does not boil down or set the way maple syrup does, so it is not for maple candy or a reduced glaze.

Verdict —: You'll taste it
The tweak —: Use ¾ cup per cup and taste before adding more. In baking, cut the other sugar by 2 tbsp per cup of maple syrup replaced and leave the liquid as written.
Best for —: pancakes, waffles and French toast
Pantry —: Likely in your cupboard

One casethe full maple syrup card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Maple syrup substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of 1 cup maple syrup	Verdict
1	Pancake syrup (table syrup)pancakes, waffles and French toast	¾ cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
2	Homemade maple-style syrupbaking, where pancake syrup turns gummy	1 cup packed brown sugar + ½ cup water + ½ tsp maple extractTweak it	Tweak it
3	Honeycakes, granola and cookies	1 cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
4	Brown sugar + watercookies, muffins and quick breads	1 cup packed + ½ cup waterYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
Not a swap	Sugar-free or lite pancake syrup in baking	not a swapNot for this	Not for this

What changesWhat changes, option by option4 options

Pancake syrup (table syrup)

sweeter and simpler

Corn syrup, maple flavoring, color and a thickener such as cellulose gum. It is built for pouring on breakfast and does that job. In a recipe, its extra sweetness and its gums show.

Best for: pancakes, waffles and French toast, oatmeal, yogurt and iced coffee, baked beans, barbecue sauce and marinades, muffins and quick breads
Taste: sweeter and simpler, with an artificial maple note that shows in anything delicate
Prep: Use ¾ cup per cup and taste before adding more. In baking, cut the other sugar by 2 tbsp per cup of maple syrup replaced and leave the liquid as written.
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: Maple candy, maple cream, maple taffy and glazes that are boiled down: it turns stringy instead of setting. In a maple-forward dessert, such as maple pie or maple frosting, the flavor is flat.

The label tells you which you have. Pure maple syrup lists one ingredient. Pancake syrup, table syrup and breakfast syrup list corn syrup first.

Homemade maple-style syrup

close to maple, simpler

Brown sugar syrup flavored with maple extract. It has no gums, so it behaves more like real maple syrup in a batter or a glaze than bottled pancake syrup does.

Best for: baking, where pancake syrup turns gummy, glazes for salmon, ham and carrots, pouring, when the bottle is empty
Prep: Simmer the brown sugar and water 3 minutes, stirring, then take it off the heat and stir in the extract. For baking, leave the extract out.
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: It needs maple extract to taste of maple. Without it, it is brown sugar syrup.

Honey

floral, and sweeter

A real sugar syrup that bakes and reduces properly. It is thicker and drier than maple syrup and tastes of honey.

Best for: cakes, granola and cookies, glazes and dressings, recipes where the maple flavor is in the background
Prep: Add 2 to 3 tbsp of extra liquid per cup, since honey is drier than maple syrup.
Where it fails: Not vegan, and never for a child under 12 months. It does not taste of maple.

Brown sugar + water

caramel and molasses; no maple

The plain baking swap. It replaces the sugar and the water in a cup of maple syrup with nothing else added.

Best for: cookies, muffins and quick breads, baked beans and sauces, when there is no syrup in the house
Prep: Add the sugar with the dry ingredients and the water with the wet, or dissolve them together first.
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: Pouring at the table, unless you simmer it into a syrup first.

Sugar-free or lite pancake syrup in baking

sweet, thin

Sugar-free syrup is mostly water, thickener and sweetener, and lite syrup has about half the sugar of regular. Both pour well on pancakes. In a recipe they do not act like sugar.

Best for: pouring only
Where it fails: Bakes come out pale and rubbery, granola does not crisp, and a glaze never thickens, because the sugar that browns and sets is missing.

Tips for substituting maple syrup

5 tips

Small amounts: 3 tbsp pancake syrup for ¼ cup maple syrup, or 2 ¼ tsp for 1 tbsp. In a marinade or dressing, start there and taste.
Baking: ¾ cup per cup, 2 tbsp less of the other sugar, and no change to the liquid. The gums in pancake syrup already thicken the batter.
Do not boil pancake syrup down for a glaze. Brush it on in the last 5 minutes of cooking, as it is.
For candied bacon, glazed nuts or granola, pancake syrup stays stickier and softer than maple syrup. Let it cool fully before judging the crunch.
Warm it before pouring. Ten to fifteen seconds in the microwave thins it and brings out the flavor.

Questions

5 questions

Is pancake syrup the same as maple syrup?

No. Maple syrup is boiled maple sap and nothing else. Pancake syrup is corn syrup with flavoring, color and thickeners, and most brands contain little or no maple. It is sweeter, thicker and simpler in taste.

Can I bake with pancake syrup in place of maple syrup?

Yes, in muffins, quick breads, cookies and baked beans. Use ¾ cup per cup of maple syrup and cut the other sugar by 2 tablespoons. The crumb can be slightly gummy and the maple flavor is weaker. In a recipe named for maple, use the homemade brown sugar and maple extract syrup instead.

Can I use pancake syrup for a glaze on salmon, ham or bacon?

Yes, brushed on near the end. Use ¾ the amount of maple syrup called for, and do not reduce it in a pan first, because the thickeners break down and it turns stringy. It scorches under a broiler, so watch it.

Can I use maple syrup where a recipe calls for pancake syrup?

Yes, cup for cup. Real maple syrup is thinner and a little less sweet, so the result is slightly less sweet and has more flavor.

What can I put on pancakes with no syrup at all?

Simmer 1 cup packed brown sugar with ½ cup water for 3 minutes and you have a pouring syrup; add ½ teaspoon maple extract if you have it. Warmed honey, jam thinned with a little water, or butter and powdered sugar also work.