The Versatility of Maple Syrup

Maple syrup is best known for being the perfect accompaniment for pancakes, but this only scratches the surface of its many uses in cooking, baking and mixology 

From sauces, smoothies and salad dressings to coffees, cakes and cocktails, the natural sweetener can be used to enhance a wide range of dishes and drinks. 

Want to learn more about the versatility of maple syrup and find out how to get the most out of this unique ingredient in your food and drink? Let’s dive in! 

Cooking with maple syrup

Maple syrup is often incorporated into desserts, but it’s also delicious in savoury dishes, lending its sweet, warming tones to sauces, glazes and dressings.

Sauces

The natural sweetness of maple makes it a great secret ingredient for your favourite sauces, or as a flavour enhancer for soups, stews, casseroles and curries. 

In this pumpkin soup recipe, maple thickens the sauce and complements the natural sweetness of the pumpkin and chestnuts. 

Maple syrup can also balance spicy flavours, with the maple green chilli sauce featured in our baked eggs recipe being a prime example. 

Another commonly paired ingredient is soy sauce, which we used alongside coconut milk and peanut butter to make a delicious satay sauce for accompanying these BBQ chicken skewers. 

Glazes and marinades

Maple syrup can also be used in glazes, marinades and seasonings mixes, deepening the flavour of meat, fish and veggies with a subtle hint of sweetness. 

Prawns pair particularly well with maple syrup alongside other ingredients like garlic, lime and harissa, as with these juicy BBQ prawn skewers. 

Another firm favourite is our maple-glazed ham, with the sweet notes of maple perfectly complementing the saltiness of the ham. 

Maple can also be brushed directly onto veggies before roasting, just like with these delicious maple-glazed carrots. 

Salad dressings and vinaigrettes

Just one of many products derived from maple syrup, maple vinegar is great for creating complex flavour profiles in dressings and is fast becoming a favourite of many chefs around the world. 

If you can’t get your hands on a bottle, you can make your own vinaigrette by combining maple syrup with vinegar and other ingredients like garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. 

The sweetener is used to enrich the dressing in our chicken Caesar salad and also forms a key part of the vinaigrette in this orzo and chicken salad. 

In our barley and chicken salad, maple vinegar and maple syrup are used together with olive oil, garlic and mustard to make a simple but delicious dressing. 

Baking with maple syrup

Much more than a topping for desserts, maple syrup can be mixed into doughs and batters, serving as an excellent substitute for refined sugar in your favourite cakes and bakes.

Cakes and pastries

From sweet rolls and sponge cakes to cheesecakes and dessert pies, the versatility of maple syrup when it comes to cakes and bakes is endless. 

These salted caramel lamingtons are a great example of the sweetener’s adaptability, with maple used in the batter, filling and icing. 

Mixed together with milk, eggs, puréed pumpkin and several spices, maple also makes for a delicious filling for this pumpkin pie. 

One of the best ingredients to pair with maple syrup when baking is cinnamon, with the two combining brilliantly to make these warm and fluffy cinnamon rolls. 

Biscuits and cookies

Maple’s rich flavour is also great for mixing into biscuit and cookie dough, providing baking enthusiasts with a way to reinvent family favourites. 

The natural sweetener combines with butter, cinnamon, rolled oats and shelled pecans to make a delicious mix for our flapjack recipe. 

For those who prefer white chocolate, these maple-infused macadamia blondies are another easy but incredibly satisfying bake. 

Not only is maple syrup used to make the cookie dough in this ice cream sandwich recipe, but it is also mixed with milk and double cream to create the ice cream. 

Showstopper desserts

The versatility of maple syrup doesn’t stop there – it’s also a great addition to other sweet treats like meringues and sponge puddings. 

For a grown-up and sophisticated dessert, maple can be mixed with rum, condensed milk and several spices to make boozy rum balls, which are perfect for gifting (or just keeping to yourself!). 

If you’re looking for a more pronounced maple flavour in your desserts, the sweetener serves as the main ingredient in this easy maple syrup sponge pudding. 

Maple sugar also acts as a great substitute for caster sugar when making meringues, just like with this killer berry pavlova. 

Maple syrup in drinks

Maple syrup can also be used as a natural, rich-tasting alternative to other sweeteners when preparing your favourite drinks like tea, coffee and cocktails.

Tea

Despite its thick consistency, maple syrup dissolves well in hot drinks and can be added directly to black tea as well as herbal blends like ginger tea. 

It’s also great for mixing into bubble tea, with maple syrup often used to coat the tapioca balls before they are added to the glass. 

Iced tea is taken to another level with a drop of maple, just as our simple iced tea recipe highlights.

Coffee

A few drops of maple syrup can be added to warm or cold coffee for those who like them sweet.

This vegan vanilla latte, made with espresso, soya milk and vanilla extract is one of our favourites. 

Another way to pair coffee with maple syrup is with an espresso martini – all you need to add is vodka, coffee liqueur and a few decorative coffee beans to make the iconic cocktail. 

And for coffee enthusiasts with an especially sweet tooth, our affogato recipe combines the rich flavours of maple and espresso with the indulgence of vanilla ice cream.

Cocktails

With its subtle but distinctive flavour, maple syrup also serves as an excellent cocktail ingredient, and can be used in place of other sweeteners like vanilla, honey or simple sugar syrup. 

It’s often poured directly into the cocktail shaker alongside other ingredients before they are mixed together, as in this passion fruit martini recipe. 

The sweetness of maple goes well with contrasting flavours like the citrusy notes of a lemon, lime and bitters. 

The same is true for a spicy margarita, with maple balancing some of the heat from the chilli peppers and the bitterness of the lime.

Maple syrup: a one-of-kind ingredient

Whether used in drinks, desserts or mains, maple syrup is great for adding depth of flavour to a wide range of dishes and provides an alternative to sugar and other sweeteners in cooking and baking. 

Want to find more ways to incorporate maple syrup and other maple products into your cooking and baking? Make sure to check out our full range of maple syrup recipes!