Make your own sugar free pancake syrup with 4 simple ingredients! This Keto Maple Syrup is rich and thick, and tastes like pure heaven on your favorite breakfast foods. And it has 0g net carbs per serving!
I have just created something that is going to take your breakfast experience to the next level. To say that I am excited about this Keto Maple Syrup is a serious understatement. I am positively giddy!
This homemade sugar free pancake syrup is so good that I want to eat keto pancakes every day. Actually, I want to pour it all over everything. I’ve drizzled it over keto pumpkin breakfast bars as well. And my husband dipped some breakfast sausage into it and declared the combination absolutely delicious.
I can’t wait for you to try this recipe and tell me what you think!
Why you will love this recipe
Readers have asked me for years to create a keto maple syrup and I’ve dilly dallied on that. I’ve dillied here and dallied there, but I just never made it a priority. And now I am left wondering why I waited so long.
Because it turns out to be remarkably easy to make your own sugar free pancake syrup. A handful of ingredients and about 10 minutes of your time, and Bob’s your uncle. You may not actually have an uncle named Bob, but now you have a wonderful maple-flavored topper for your pancakes and waffles.
Being a good Canadian, I never thought anything would live up to real maple syrup. And let’s be honest, NOTHING compares to real maple syrup. So I just muddled along with the store-bought keto versions, thinking they were good enough. I usually top my pancakes with peanut butter or some Keto Nutella.
But this stuff is really good. Really, really good! Easily the best maple syrup alternative I have tried. And I’ve tried quite a few of them! It’s rich and thick but still pourable, the flavor is spot on.
And you can store in the fridge for up to a month. It will firm up and solidify but all you need is a little gentle heat to restore it to pourable quality.
Ingredients you need
- Brown sugar replacement: Starting with some brown sweetener gives the syrup a richer color and flavor. I used the new Swerve Brown formulation, which is mostly erythritol with a little allulose as well.
- Allulose: This keto syrup requires a sweetener like allulose that won’t recrystallize when it cools. Allulose also caramelizes and becomes syrupy as it cooks. You can try BochaSweet or xylitol as well, but they may not quite be as good.
- Butter: The addition of butter isn’t absolutely necessary, but it does give the syrup a richer mouthfeel.
- Maple extract: If you want keto maple syrup, you’ve got to use maple extract! But if you don’t have it, this will still be delicious with vanilla extract.
Step by Step Directions
- In a heavy duty saucepan over medium heat, combine the sweeteners and water. Bring to a boil, whisking to dissolve the sweeteners. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 5 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn.
- Add the butter and whisk to melt. Return to a simmer and cook until the mixture begins to thicken and darken in color, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the maple extract and salt, if using.
- Let cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
- Pour into a glass jar for storing in the refrigerator.
Expert Tips
It can be hard to tell when the syrup has thickened sufficiently. The best way I can describe it is that the bubbles move less rapidly as the mixture simmers. When they begin to rise and pop more lazily, take the syrup off heat.
Sweeteners: I get a lot of questions about sweetener substitutions, so let me be very clear. You cannot make this keto maple syrup just with erythritol based sweeteners. It will recrystallize and harden after cooking and it won’t be syrupy at all.
Allulose is your best option by far, but BochaSweet and xylitol may work as well. You may find that you need to simmer things a little longer with these other sweeteners, to make the syrup thicken up properly.
Butter: If you choose not to add butter, you can use about ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum to help thicken the syrup. Once you’ve take then syrup off heat, sprinkle it over the surface while whisking vigorously.
Reheating the syrup: The syrup does firm up as it cools, and the butter tends to float to the top. This is completely normal, and you can return it to a liquid state simply by warming it gently. It takes only a few seconds in the microwave!
I recommend stirring the butter into it as it firms up, and then re-heating only the amount you need, rather than the whole batch. I simply put a few tablespoons in a ramekin and gave it about 5 seconds in the microwave. You can also use it like a spread on hot waffles or pancakes. The warmth of the food liquifies the syrup perfectly!
Frequently Asked Questions
Real maple syrup is not appropriate for those following a low carb or ketogenic diet. It contains 28g of carbs in a 2 tablespoon serving, and almost all of those carbs are sugars. But this homemade keto maple syrup has zero grams net carbs! Neither erythritol nor xylitol spike blood sugar so you can feel good about pouring it on your favorite pancakes.
Just because the label says it’s sugar free does not mean it’s diabetes friendly or keto friendly! Most sugar-free syrups contain nasty ingredients like aspartame and acesulfame potassium. And even ones labeled “keto” can contain things like tapioca fiber, which might spike your blood sugar.
This recipe for sugar free pancake syrup contains only erythritol, allulose, water, butter, and maple extract. So it really is diabetes friendly!
You can store this keto maple syrup in the fridge for up to a month. I recommend storing in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. It will firm up as it cools so make sure you re-warm it very gently, stirring frequently until smooth.
More delicious maple recipes
Keto Maple Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup allulose sweetener
- ⅓ cup brown sugar replacement
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ teaspoon maple extract
- Pinch salt (optional)
Instructions
- In a heavy duty saucepan over medium heat, combine the sweeteners and water. Bring to a boil, whisking to dissolve the sweeteners. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 5 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure it doesn't burn.
- Add the butter and whisk to melt. Return to a simmer and cook until the mixture begins to thicken and darken in color.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the maple extract and salt, if using.
- Let cool to room temperature and transfer to a glass jar for storing.
Raven says
when you list carbs at the end in nutrition values on your recipes you also list fibre. Are we supposed to deduct the grams of fibre to get nett carbs? or are these the type of fibre we do digest and therefore can’t be deducted?
Carolyn says
Yes, if you want net carbs, please subtract.
Deb says
This crytallized on the plate after pouring on pancakes.
Carolyn says
Sounds like you didn’t use the right sweeteners, then. :). What did you use?
Gay Hartfiel says
Thank you! Just fabulous!
Lynn says
Great recipe. I made the mistake of adding 1/8th tsp xanthan gum, thinking it would help emulsify the butter and make the syrup a bit thicker. It became toffee like thick as it cooled. Tasted great on French toast. Thanks!
Leslie Turrin says
Okay this is awesome!!! Made it wrong the first time. Looked at the tips for thickening. Turned out perfect.
Carolyn says
Glad it worked out!
Jennifer Miller says
absolutely awful. sure the taste is good but what good is that when the syrup solidifies on the plate? ruined the entire breakfast.
Carolyn says
If it solidified on the plate, you didn’t use the correct sweeteners. Allulose keeps it from doing so, so I can tell from your description that you didn’t follow the recipe. Results are only guaranteed when you use the specified ingredients.
Sara K says
I made this last week and accidentally used all erithitrol. It crystallized but was still tasty!
Carolyn, I’m needing some maple syrup for a salad dressing vinaigrette I’m making. Do you think this would work as long as it stays at room temperature?
Carolyn says
Sure!
Kristin Lannum says
Bought both the regular Keto Cookbook and the Dessert Cookbook. Your recipes are wonderful and you are now my go-to gal for all things keto! Thanks!
JoAnn says
Made this syrup today. It was delicious!!! And so easy to make.
Rolan says
nom nom nom so good
Toni says
I just made this and it is wonderful! I’ll never buy sugar free syrup again.
Carolyn says
Thanks!
Betty Fulghum says
I’m wondering if it’s normal for the butter to rise to the top and harden when kept in refrigerator?
Carolyn says
Please read the blog post as I discuss this in detail!
Debbie says
Hello! If I were to double the recipe, would the cook time be the same? I was also wondering if you think it could be frozen 🤔.
Carolyn says
It may take a little longer but just keep your eye on it. Don’t freeze it! It lasts in the fridge for quite some time. I finished some up from my last batch and it had been in the fridge for close to a month.
Debbie says
Thank you!
Dawn Ballachino says
Oh Carolyn!! This Keto maple syrup recipe is FABULOUS!!!!!! This will forever be a staple stocked in my fridge!!!
Carolyn says
Thank you!
Teressa Pavlas says
I really enjoyed the maple syrup-probably could have let it thicken more-it was still delicious!
Kathy Manzo says
Today I saw a new to me brown sugar replacement. Wholesome Yum Besti Natural Brown Sugar Substitute – Brown Monk Fruit Sweetener Blend With Allulose . Have you tried it? If so would you just use this and not the combination of Swerve and Bocca in the syrup recipe?
Thanks for all your information and great recipes 🙂
Carolyn says
I haven’t tried it.
Tami says
I am confused on the sweetener Bocha Sweet. When I looked on Amazon to purchase the Bocha Sweet, in a 2 pound bag, it says that the ingredient is Xylitol. I thought they were 2 different things. Am I wrong? You have to scroll down the page quite a ways, but it says “Kabocha Extract (Xylitol)” (copied and pasted). I don’t purchase xylitol because I have 2 dogs and although I do not feed it to them, why take the chance that they could somehow get a hold of it.
Kate says
I have 3 dogs and am confused too – is it safe if they get ahold of something or not?
Carolyn says
Sadly, you are not wrong. They used to say it wasn’t xylitol, it was Kabocha extract… now they’ve changed their tune. Seems like a bit of sketchy marketing to me. I don’t like it and I don’t really purchase it anymore.
Joy says
Hi! I have the Wholesome liquid allulose, will it work and do i use the same measurement?
Carolyn says
I don’t know, I don’t use it. You will need to experiment.
Andrea says
There was only a partial nutritional analysis. No carbs in the syrup?
Carolyn says
No, no carbs… Read the blog post! 🙂
Danette Sandvik says
Hi,
Can I use the same amount of the Original Swerve Brown Sugar and some Bocha Sweet since that is what I have on hand? Would any of the measurements be different? Wanted to try it today, if you don’t recommend it, then I can wait until I go to the grocery store and I can pick some up.
Carolyn says
You can use the Swerve to replace the Swerve… (so confusing!) and as I said in the blog post, I think the Bochasweet should work. Please read the post for my notes on how you may need to adjust.
Valerie says
Cannot wait to get back to Canada and give this a try (once I try ordering some Allulose from the US). Thanks from a fellow Canuck (not necessarily the hockey kind).
Marie says
I ordered allulose from iHerb once, but I brought back some last time I went to the USA!
Gladys says
IHerb Canada offers allulose on sale from time to time! Keep an eye out for a really low price. Then stock up…like I do. Failing which, use powdered stevia by NOW BETTER … It is much more value priced. 1 tsp = 1 cup sugar. No crystallization and all the sweetness you desire! I wonder why the powdered stevia is so very ignored…it is on sale these days on Amazon.ca for a fabulous price in the 1 pound jar!