This homemade maple syrup recipe makes about 2 cups of maple flavored syrup from 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup white sugar, 1 cup water, and 1 teaspoon maple extract, with no sap and no tree tapping. It takes 15 minutes: bring the sugars and water to a boil, simmer 7 to 10 minutes, then stir in the maple extract, optional vanilla, and a pinch of salt off the heat.
The one rule is to stop at 10 minutes. The syrup looks thin in the pot but thickens as it cools, and if you keep simmering you end up with something closer to a sauce. You need no candy thermometer and no special equipment, just a medium saucepan and a clean glass jar.
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Try the Recipe Converter →Maple Flavored Syrup vs Pure Maple Syrup From Sap
It helps to know what you are making. Pure maple syrup is maple tree sap boiled down for hours until most of the water is gone, and it takes roughly 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. You can do that at home only if you have maple trees to tap, in late winter when nights freeze and days thaw.
This recipe is the kitchen version: a brown sugar syrup flavored with maple extract, much like the pancake syrup you buy, but without preservatives and with the sweetness under your control.
- Pure maple syrup: one ingredient (sap), needs maple trees, hours of boiling, and a lot of fuel.
- This homemade syrup: six pantry ingredients, one saucepan, 15 minutes, about 2 cups.
- Flavor: pure syrup tastes of the tree; this one tastes of brown sugar caramel with a clear maple aroma from the extract.
- Best use: both work on pancakes and waffles; the homemade one is the budget friendly choice for baking and glazes.
Six Pantry Ingredients and the 2 to 1 Sugar Ratio
- 1 cup brown sugar: the body, color, and molasses depth
- ½ cup white granulated sugar: keeps the sweetness clean and bright
- 1 cup water: dissolves the sugar into a pourable syrup
- 1 teaspoon maple extract: the maple flavor itself
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract: optional, rounds out the flavor
- Pinch of salt: quietly sharpens everything else
The ratio is 2 parts brown sugar to 1 part white sugar. I have tried equal parts, and the syrup came out too light in both color and flavor. Use a good maple extract with no artificial aftertaste. I have tried a few, and the difference shows right away in the aroma.
Dissolve, Boil, Then Simmer 7 to 10 Minutes
In a medium saucepan, stir the brown sugar, white sugar, and water together until fully combined. You do not want any clumps or dry sugar pockets left in the base.
Set the pan over medium high heat and bring it to a gentle boil, stirring now and then so nothing sticks. Then turn the heat down and let it simmer for 7 to 10 minutes, still stirring occasionally. The color deepens slowly and the kitchen starts to smell of caramel.
Do not judge the thickness by the pot. Hot syrup always looks thin. I once let it go past twelve minutes, and it set into more of a sauce than a syrup: good for cookies, not for waffles.
Stirring In the Maple Extract Off the Heat
Take the saucepan off the heat before the extracts go in, so their flavor does not cook away. Stir in the maple extract and the vanilla if you are using it, then the pinch of salt, until everything is fully mixed.
Let the syrup cool for 10 to 15 minutes before pouring it into a clean glass jar or bottle. It keeps thickening a little as it cools, and that first pour should look deep gold and glossy.
Light or Dark Brown Sugar for Pancake Syrup?
Both work with the same amounts, and they suit different jobs:
- Light brown sugar: a smoother, lighter bodied syrup with a gentle flavor. My choice for pancakes, waffles, and French toast.
- Dark brown sugar: a darker color and stronger molasses note that stands out in baking, glazes, and oatmeal.
For a weekend stack of cinnamon pancakes, I go light. For finishing a bowl of maple brown sugar oatmeal, I reach for dark.
Syrup Too Thin, Too Thick, or Grainy
- Too thin once cool: it was pulled off the heat too early. Return it to the pan and simmer 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Too thick or almost set: it simmered past 10 minutes. Warm it gently with a spoonful of water and stir until it pours again.
- Thickened in the fridge: this is normal. Warm it gently on the stove or set the jar in a bowl of hot water.
- Grainy: the sugar was not fully dissolved before boiling. Stir it smooth into the water first next time.
- Weak maple flavor: the extract went in while the pan was still on the heat, or the extract was low quality.
Pancakes, Oatmeal, Glazes, and Fall Bakes
This syrup pours smoothly over pancakes, waffles, and French toast, and it is a good match for brioche French toast, sweet potato waffles, or pumpkin pancakes with cinnamon butter on a fall morning.
Stir a spoonful into warm oatmeal or yogurt, use it to sweeten homemade granola, or brush it on bacon before baking. A dark brown sugar batch is also nice brushed over roasted carrots.
In baking, drizzle it over brown sugar maple cookies right after they come out of the oven for a glossy finish, or brush a little over warm cake layers before spreading on maple frosting. It sits well next to a tray of maple fudge on a holiday dessert table, too.
Jar Storage and the Two Week Fridge Window
Store the cooled syrup in the refrigerator in a tightly covered glass jar or a clean squeeze bottle for up to 2 weeks. It thickens when cold, so warm it gently on the stove or in a hot water bath before serving. Sugar keeps well, but always give it a quick look and smell before using an older batch.
Because it takes only 15 minutes, it is easy to make a fresh jar the day before Thanksgiving or Christmas breakfast. If you would rather have something spreadable for toast and biscuits, make my maple butter instead.
Answers for First Time Syrup Makers
Can you make maple syrup at home?
Yes. Without maple trees, simmer 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup white sugar, and 1 cup water for 7 to 10 minutes, then stir in 1 teaspoon maple extract. Pure maple syrup needs tapped maple trees and sap boiled down for hours.
How do you make maple syrup with brown sugar?
Dissolve the brown and white sugar in the water, boil, simmer 7 to 10 minutes, and flavor with maple extract, vanilla, and salt off the heat. It makes about 2 cups.
Can I make it without maple extract?
You will get a plain brown sugar syrup that is still nice on pancakes, but it will not taste of maple. The extract is what gives the maple flavor.
How long does homemade maple syrup last?
Up to 2 weeks in a covered jar in the fridge. Warm it gently if it thickens.
Is this real maple syrup?
No. It is a maple flavored syrup, similar to pancake syrup. Real maple syrup is made only from boiled maple sap.
How long does it take to make?
About 15 minutes: 5 minutes to measure and stir, 7 to 10 minutes of simmering, plus 10 to 15 minutes of cooling before jarring.
Save this recipe to your fall breakfast board so it is ready the next time the bottle runs out, and tell me in the comments whether you went light or dark with the brown sugar.
Homemade Maple Syrup
This homemade maple syrup recipe is a quick maple flavored syrup made with brown sugar, white sugar, water, maple extract, and a pinch of salt, with no sap or tree tapping needed. It takes about 15 minutes and makes about 2 cups of smooth, glossy, amber syrup that pours like pancake syrup. The sugars and water simmer for just 7 to 10 minutes, and the maple extract goes in off the heat, so the syrup thickens as it cools without turning into a sauce. Pour it over pancakes, waffles, and French toast, stir it into oatmeal, or use it to glaze cookies and cake layers. Use light brown sugar for a milder syrup or dark for deeper flavor, and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- COMBINE THE SUGARS AND WATER: In a medium saucepan, stir together the brown sugar, white sugar, and water until fully combined.
- BRING TO A BOIL: Set the saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until the mixture reaches a gentle boil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- SIMMER UNTIL THICKENED: Reduce the heat and let the syrup simmer for 7–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture will slightly thicken as it cools, so avoid overcooking.
- ADD THE EXTRACTS: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the maple extract and vanilla extract (if using), then add a pinch of salt and mix until fully incorporated.
- COOL AND STORE: Let the syrup cool for 10–15 minutes before transferring it to a clean glass jar or bottle. The syrup will continue to thicken slightly as it cools.
Notes
This is a maple flavored syrup made without sap; pure maple syrup is made by boiling down maple tree sap. Do not simmer longer than 10 minutes, because the syrup thickens as it cools. Light brown sugar gives a milder, lighter syrup and dark brown sugar a deeper color and flavor. Store in a covered glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Reheat gently on the stove or in a hot water bath if it thickens too much in the fridge.
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 543Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 97mgCarbohydrates 140gFiber 0gSugar 139gProtein 0g
