You Can Substitute Maple Syrup For Sugar, But Follow One Rule

Maple syrup is a great substitute for sugar in baking. Not only does it have a lower glycemic index than white sugar, but research also suggests that it contains antioxidants and important minerals. It also adds a delicious, warming flavor to your recipes, especially if you're making something like an orangey carrot cake or homemade pumpkin bread. However, there is one rule you should follow if you plan to swap maple syrup for sugar — only use room temperature syrup.

The reason is that cold syrup taken straight from the fridge can cause the other ingredients in mixes to clump. This particularly becomes an issue when you're baking with butter. When you use ingredients that are different temperatures for something like a butter cake, the emulsion can break, causing the mix to curdle. Room temperature syrup will also blend better, which will not only make life easier on your mixer, but also lead to a better distribution of the sweetness.

If you plan on substituting maple syrup for sugar, use about ¾ cup of room temperature syrup for every cup of sugar. It's also a good idea to reduce the amount of other liquids in the recipe by a few tablespoons. You can add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda if you're worried about rising and, finally, turn the oven down slightly to avoid the syrup caramelizing too quickly. About 25 degrees Fahrenheit less should do. 

You shouldn't need to leave the syrup out for too long before it's ready to mix, and you can always warm it in the microwave slightly if you're short on time. You also don't need to worry about getting it back into the fridge too quickly as maple syrup has a very stable shelf life. In fact, an unopened bottle should last indefinitely at room temperature and an opened bottle can stay fresh for up to two years in the fridge.

It is important to make sure you're using pure maple syrup. Real syrup comes directly from maple trees and contains no added ingredients, while pancake syrup is usually a mixture of corn syrup, artificial flavors, and preservatives. Pancake syrup tastes good on something like berry buttermilk pancakes, but it will completely change the flavor of your recipes as the sweetness in the corn syrup will bake off. If you don't have the good stuff on hand, here are some of the other best sweeteners for cooking that aren't sugar.