How to Swap Maple Syrup for Brown Sugar (2024)

FAQs

How to Swap Maple Syrup for Brown Sugar? ›

Another option is substituting maple syrup in your recipe that calls for brown sugar. It is best to use a darker maple syrup, like a Grade B, but any maple syrup will work. The ratio here is a 3/4 C of maple syrup for every 1 C of brown sugar.

To replace white sugar with maple syrup in general cooking, it is ideal to use ¾ cup of maple syrup for every one cup of sugar. When it comes to baking, that same amount is used but also be sure to reduce the amount of overall liquid in the recipe by about three tablespoons for each cup of maple syrup substituted.

Maple syrup, however, doesn't really work in the same was as it is thinner and has a more subtle taste. You can, however, replace it with 100% pure maple syrup. The best ratio is ⅔ cup of maple syrup for every 1 cup of brown sugar. You will also need to reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by ¼ cup.

Combining white sugar with molasses may be a better brown sugar substitute, but if you don't have molasses, other liquid sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar will work as well. You should mix a tablespoon or two of the liquid sweetener into a scant 1 cup of white sugar to replace a cup of brown sugar.

Flavor Profile

Brown Sugar, made from sugar cane, has the caramel notes but not the maple notes. It gets its flavor from its molasses content that is reintroduced to the cane sugar after processing, which is what gives it its brown color.

So if you're a perfectionist this may not be your best choice. Another option is substituting maple syrup in your recipe that calls for brown sugar. It is best to use a darker maple syrup, like a Grade B, but any maple syrup will work. The ratio here is a 3/4 C of maple syrup for every 1 C of brown sugar.

When cooking with pure Vermont maple syrup, substitute 3/4 to one cup of maple syrup for every one cup of granulated white sugar. Decrease the liquid in your recipe by 2 to 4 tablespoons for each cup of syrup used.

To make light brown sugar, combine 1 cup white granulated sugar and 1 Tbsp. molasses (increase to 2 Tbsp. molasses for dark brown sugar). No need to whip out the blender or food processor—you can mix this by hand.

Refined brown sugar is simply white sugar with molasses added to it. This means that brown sugar is pure, unrefined sugar and undergoes less processing than white sugar, allowing it to retain some of its molasses content and natural brown color.

What is a substitute for 2 teaspoons of brown sugar? ›

Combine 1 cup granulated white sugar with 1 Tbsp. molasses for a light brown sugar substitute, or 2 Tbsp. molasses for a dark brown sugar substitute. Homemade brown sugar can be made in a total of 5 minutes and used as a 1:1 substitute for the store-bought stuff in any application.

Brown sugar, meanwhile, is dense and compacts easily, creating fewer air pockets during creaming—that means that there's less opportunity to entrap gas, creating cookies that rise less and spread more. With less moisture escaping via steam, they also stay moist and chewy.

So -- when a recipe calls for "brown sugar," what should you use? And can you interchange the two sugars? Generally it means light brown sugar should be used.

Maple syrup is about as sweet as sugar, so you can replace it using an equal amount of syrup (e.g., for 1 cup of sugar, use 1 cup of maple syrup). Decrease the liquid by 3 to 4 tablespoons per 1 cup substitution.

Can Karo^® Pancake Syrup be substituted for brown or granulated sugar in recipes? Although corn syrup and granulated sugars are both sweeteners, the added moisture in corn syrup means it isn't a simple substitution in baked goods, since those recipes demand a balance of dry and wet ingredients.

For example, maple syrup is lower in calories than honey, and therefore may be the better choice for someone looking to lose weight. Pure maple syrup also has fewer carbohydrates and is lower on the glycaemic index than honey, which may make it healthier for certain diets.

Maple syrup nutrition facts

A tablespoon of sugar has 12.6 grams of sugar, 48.9 calories and 12.6 grams of carbohydrates, according to the USDA. It also has a glycemic index of 65. A tablespoon of maple syrup has 52 calories, 12.1 grams of sugar and 13.4 grams of carbohydrates. It has a glycemic index of 54.

Honey Or Syrup

General recommended substitution ratios are as follows: For every cup of sugar, you can replace it with a 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup of honey or 2/3 cup agave. If using maple syrup or molasses, 3/4 cup to 1 cup will do the trick.

One tablespoon of maple syrup contains 52 calories and 12.4 grams of sugar, roughly the same as table sugar.

A hydrometer measures the density of the maple syrup. The denser maple syrup is, the more sugar it contains. The sugar percentage of the liquid is measured in degrees Brix, where one degree Brix equals 1% sugar content. The standard density for maple syrup is 66.9 Brix.