Ok. I know what you’re probably thinking. Isn’t maple syrup–like real, from-the-trees, maple syrup–THE real food pancake syrup? Well, yes, yes it is. But here’s the deal. My family and I LOVE syrup on our pancakes, waffles, ice cream… And to use authentic, real maple syrup for all five of us (more if we have guests over), well, that gets kinda pricey. Plus, where we live in the country, it comes in small bottles with an even higher price tag.

Now, what’s wrong with the store-bought fake syrup alternatives? Those are inexpensive, yes, but they have high fructose corn syrup and/or regular corn syrup. I avoid corn syrup as much as possible for multiple reasons which I’m not going to get into right now (you can do a Google search on the troubles with corn syrup if you like). In addition to the corn syrup, they also have artificial flavors and various other ingredients that I don’t want our family eating. And the sugar free versions contain artificial sugars, something else I also avoid.

So, to save money and avoid unhealthful ingredients, homemade pancake syrup it is!

My recipe for pancake syrup contains all real food ingredients. The key sweetener is coconut sugar, which is a low-glycemic sugar that has a mild molasses flavor. And since I didn’t want it to have artificial flavorings, I opted for some homemade vanilla extract. Other real extracts could be used instead such as orange, mint, or almond. Or, if you really like the stronger flavor of molasses, you could just omit the flavoring altogether.

To store the syrup, I highly recommend a glass container. The one I use is this 2-liter Bormioli Rocco Frigoverre Jug. This little glass jug is the perfect size for one full recipe of the syrup. This syrup lasts between 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the environment (heat, humidity, etc.) that you live in. It does need to be stored in the refrigerator.

Real Food Pancake Syrup

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Course 5:0

Cuisine n/a

Ingredients

  

• 2 c. coconut sugar
• 1 c. purified water
• 3 tbsp. unsulphured blackstrap molasses
• 1/2 tsp. Real Salt
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• In a small glass or stainless steel saucepan, mix together the coconut sugar, molasses, water, and salt.
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Allow to boil for about one minute, stirring constantly (be very careful as it might try to boil over; turn down the heat if necessary to prevent this).
• Once the sugar is thoroughly dissolved, remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. The syrup will thicken somewhat as it cools.
• Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

Notes

For a different flavor, try using different extracts such as orange, mint, or almond, instead of the vanilla.