Sweeteners are a great way to add more tastiness to your recipe. Sugar is practically used in many meals and is one of the staple ingredients when cooking.
Actually, there are more types of sugar than just regular white sugar. One of the many is maple sugar. Actually, it is a sweetener that is usually used in desserts.
Maple sugar is also part of the process of making maple syrup and it is collected from the sap of the maple tree. However, it is a product that may not be easily found, so what if you don’t have any, but the recipe requires.
Can I substitute maple sugar? Yes, you can replace maple sugar with maple syrup, brown sugar, raw sugar, palm sugar, sucant, fenugreek, honey powder, date sugar, molasses, and coconut sugar.
Maple Sugar Substitutes
All you have to do is just go down below, find out which product will fit best, and make the proper swap.
1. Maple syrup
Your first best choice to replace Maple sugar is Maple syrup. This way you’ll get the same sweetness and traces of caramel that maple sugar provides. Actually, maple syrup is made out of maple sugar, so nothing will come closer to the taste that this product will provide.
Maple syrup is made out of the reduced sap of the maple tree and it is turned into sugar when it is crystallized. Because maple syrup is liquid keep in mind this fact when substituting. You’ll have to reduce the amounts of liquid in your recipe and use roughly the same amount in your recipe.
2. Brown sugar
Another type of sugar that will make a good replacement for maple sugar is brown sugar.
This is a type of sugar that is a blend of white sugar and molasses, which gives the brown color to the sugar. The caramel notes of the molasses will serve best when substituting maple syrup as you’ll bring it closer to the flavors you are looking for.
Use ¾ cup of brown sugar for every ½ cup of maple syrup in your recipe.
3. Raw sugar
Raw sugar isn’t processed or just partly. You can use it to replace maple sugar in many recipes. The difference between them is that maple sugar is reduced from the maple sap and the raw sugar is just reduced cane juice.
The flavor of the raw sugar contains molasses and caramel traces, which makes it similar to maple sugar, so when replacing you won’t make a mistake.
However, when making the swap keep in mind that maple sugar is sweeter than raw sugar, so you’ll need to add more. Use ¾ cups of raw sugar for every ½ cup of maple sugar.
4. Palm sugar
Another good option that you can use is palm sugar. This type of sugar is naturally found in the tropical regions of Asia.
It’s a natural sweetener that comes from the sap of palm flowers. The downside of this sweetener may be the availability, it may be harder to locate in your grocery stores.
However, it serves as a great replacement in dressers, pastry, or any other recipes that include maple sugar. Use a 1:1 ratio, but adapt based on the recipe and the requirements.
5. Sucanat
A non-refined processed sugar that can be used instead of maple syrup is the Sucant. It is made out of sugar cane juice which is heated and then cooled down to make the crystal sugar pieces.
It actually contains natural molasses which makes it similar to maple sugar and also they have a very similar taste, which will do great in your recipe. Use equal amounts when replacing, or add accordingly to your recipe.
6. Fenugreek
This is a herb that is actually native to the Mediterranean region and Asia.
Fenugreek can be used as a replacement for maple sugar or usually maple syrup because it has a very similar smell and taste and is commonly used in cooking.
Fenugreek seeds will blend with the other ingredients and will provide sweet, nutty traces in your meal. Use in many recipes as a replacement and add a ratio of 1:1.
7. Honey powder
Another option to use instead of maple sugar is honey powder.
The honey powder comes from dehydrating honey. It’s turned into a fine powder that is often used with sugar or kept in a dusty form. It can serve as a good substitute for maple sugar in many recipes because it can give out the same effect.
They are very similar and honey powder can provide a very similar taste as maple sugar and can be used in most recipes. Use equal amounts when substituting.
8. Date sugar
Date sugar is actually something a bit different that can serve as a very good substitute for maple sugar. Actually, date sugar is not processed sugar and it’s actually chopped pieces of dry dates.
It may not be considered as a good substitute for many recipes like baking, but you can always use it if you are out of maple sugar. You can use in most recipes that you won’t have to melt the sugar.
9. Molasses
Molasses is a dark-colored syrup that is very sweet. It comes from sugarcane and sugar beets.
You can use molasses as a replacement for maple sugar because they have a similar color. Also, they have similar but slightly different tastes.
You can always use it for baking, sauces, or many other dishes as a sweetener and replacement for maple sugar. Use a ratio of 1:1 or adapt by your own taste.
10. Coconut sugar
Coconut sugar is the last product on our list that will make a good substitute for maple sugar. It’s a natural sugar that comes from coconut palm sap.
What makes it a good swap for the maple syrup is the taste. It has traces of caramel and vanilla that make it very similar to maple syrup.
You can use it especially in baking or to add a very distinctive and unique taste to your recipe. Use a 1:1 ratio to replace maple sugar with coconut sugar.
Related questions
Can I use brown sugar instead of maple syrup?
To make the replacement use 1 cup of sugar to replace ⅔ of maple syrup and then add ¼ cup of liquid so you’ll get the same amount that you are looking for.
Can coconut sugar be substituted for maple sugar?
Yes, you can use coconut sugar to add subtle hints of maple in your recipe. This way you’ll add hints of caramel and a bit of vanilla, which will make your recipe even tastier. Use a 1:1 ratio when replacing.