To swap maple syrup for white sugar in baking, use 3/4 cup of syrup for every cup of sugar, cut the other liquids by 2 to 4 tablespoons, and lower the oven by 25°F. That's the guidance from the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers' Association. Another maple association publishes a different ratio, so it helps to know whose numbers you're following.
The swap, step by step
Here's the Vermont association's version:
- For every 1 cup of white sugar, use 3/4 cup of maple syrup.
- Reduce the liquids in your recipe by 2 to 4 tablespoons.
- Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, unless the recipe already has an acidic ingredient like buttermilk or sour cream.
- Lower the oven temperature by 25°F.
Syrup is a liquid, so the recipe needs a little less of the others, like milk, water or juice. The cooler oven, in the association's words, is there to prevent over-caramelizing.
One thing before you measure: these numbers are for pure maple syrup. Pancake syrup is a different product, usually flavored corn syrup, so the swap isn't meant for it. Our guide to real maple syrup vs. pancake syrup explains the difference.
A worked example
Say your muffin recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of milk, and bakes at 375°F. Here's how the swap looks:
- Sugar: use 3/4 cup of maple syrup instead.
- Milk: cut it by 2 to 4 tablespoons, so you use between 3/4 cup and 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons.
- Baking soda: add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon. If the recipe used buttermilk instead of milk, you'd skip this.
- Oven: bake at 350°F instead of 375°F.
Add the syrup along with the other wet ingredients. Everything else in the recipe stays as written. It's worth trying the swap first in a recipe you've made before, so you can tell what changed.
Quick syrup amounts
At 3/4 cup of syrup per cup of sugar, here's how much syrup to use for common amounts:
- 1/4 cup sugar: 3 tablespoons syrup
- 1/3 cup sugar: 1/4 cup syrup
- 1/2 cup sugar: 6 tablespoons syrup
- 2/3 cup sugar: 1/2 cup syrup
- 3/4 cup sugar: 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon syrup
- 1 cup sugar: 3/4 cup syrup
- 1 1/2 cups sugar: 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons syrup
- 2 cups sugar: 1 1/2 cups syrup
For other amounts, multiply the cups of sugar by 3/4. Then make the liquid, baking soda and oven changes from the list above. The Vermont association gives the liquid and baking soda amounts alongside its one-cup ratio and doesn't say whether to scale them. If you're swapping only a little sugar, you're adding only a little syrup, so make a smaller cut in the liquid and take notes.
Another association, another ratio
Not everyone uses the same numbers. The Massachusetts Maple Producers Association says to replace 1 cup of white sugar with 1 cup of maple syrup and reduce the other liquids by 1/2 cup. That's more syrup, and a bigger cut in liquid, than the Vermont version. In the muffin example, you'd use 1 cup of syrup and 1/2 cup of milk. The Massachusetts guidance doesn't mention baking soda or the oven.
Both come from maple producers' associations. Pick one, follow it all the way through, and make a note of what you did so you can adjust next time.
Using maple sugar instead
Granulated maple sugar is the solid, crystallized form of maple, made only from maple sap. If you have some, it's simpler. The Vermont association says to swap it 1:1 for white sugar, with no other changes. The Massachusetts association agrees: 1 cup of maple sugar for 1 cup of white sugar.
Where to start
The Vermont association says maple can stand in wherever a recipe calls for sugar or other sweeteners. For an easy first try, the Massachusetts association suggests using maple instead of white sugar when you make whipped cream or applesauce. Our maple whipped cream is a good place to begin.
The Vermont association also lists swapping maple for honey in baking as an easy way to use it, though it doesn't give a ratio for that swap.
Which syrup to use
For baking, reach for Dark. Lighter syrups have a lighter maple flavor, and the Vermont association notes you might not taste it in baked goods. Our Dark is deep and robust, built for cooking and baking, so the maple has a better chance of coming through. It's also the one for glazes, sauces and anything else you cook. If you bake often, the 16 fl oz tin will last you longer.
If you'd like a gentler maple note, Amber works too: warm and smooth with caramel notes, the one that goes on everything. The association says the choice of grade comes down to personal preference, so let your taste decide.
