See How Maple Syrup Transforms These 20 Sweet and Savory Recipes

By Kelly Vaughan
January 29, 2020
Credit: Yossy Arefi

From a vegan breakfast pudding to a fantastic pumpkin pie, maple syrup adds natural sweetness to these delicious recipes.

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Credit: Yossy Arefi

It's not just for pancakes! Whether drizzling maple syrup over a slice of bread, like Tahini, Banana, and Maple-Syrup Toast, to making it the star of the show in a recipe like our Maple Custard Pie, which is pictured here, maple syrup does wonders. Maple syrup is a rich, natural sweetener that can enhance the flavor of both sweet and savory dishes. It is made from the sap of sugar maple trees and comes from New England, especially Vermont, or Canada. Whatever you do, don't confuse it with pancake and waffle syrups, which are made with corn syrup.

Start your morning off on a healthy, but sweet note with one of our maple syrup-sweetened breakfast puddings. Our nurturing Coconut-Raspberry Breakfast Pudding is absolutely fantastic, made with a healthy blend of quinoa and freekeh. You could also dress up protein-rich rolled oats with almond milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, and chopped plums.

Try maple syrup in desserts like our Chocolate-Maple Pecan Tart. It has a lower glycemic index than traditional cane sugar and its flavor pairs perfectly with the pecan pie-inspired filling. Chopped bittersweet chocolate is added to the tart dough for a bonus layer of sweet decadence. Maple syrup really shines in this flan recipe as well, where it is mixed both in the custard and as the syrup on the base.

Of course, maple syrup can enhance drinks, too. It's added to both the base and whipped cream topping for Maple Irish Coffee and shaken with vermouth, whiskey, and bitters for the most delicious Maple Manhattan.

Whether you use maple syrup as a replacement for refined sugar, honey, or just enjoy its deep flavor, these maple syrup recipes are sure to please.

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Tahini, Banana, and Maple-Syrup Toast

Credit: Ngoc Minh Ngo
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Amp up your breakfast toast with tahini, a sesame seed-based paste that it is a fabulous swap for peanut butter, then seal the deal with banana slices and a drizzle of maple syrup. It's so good—and good for you, too.

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Five-Spice Pumpkin Pie with Phyllo Crust

Credit: Christopher Testani
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This pumpkin pie is truly next level. First things first, take a look at that crust; it's made with layers of thin and crispy phyllo dough. Chinese five-spice and maple syrup add even more flavor to the beloved pumpkin filling.

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Coconut-Raspberry Breakfast Pudding

Credit: Chris Simpson
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Vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free, everyone in your family will enjoy digging into this pretty-in-pink pudding for the first meal of the day. Make it up to five days in advance so that you can tuck into a bowl whenever you want.

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Maple Flan

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Here's a New England-twist on a classic Spanish dessert. Instead of a caramel-y drizzle on top, we've boiled maple syrup until it becomes even richer and thicker—it's the perfect topping for a creamy custard dessert.

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Wine-Roasted Strawberries

Credit: The Ingalls
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Whether you serve these berries with pound cake, ice cream, or just eat them with a spoon, they're guaranteed to be delicious. Strawberries are roasted with oranges and lemons, dry white wine, maple syrup, and star anise pods for a fragrant flavor.

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Granola with Dark Chocolate, Olive-Oil, and Maple

Credit: Mikkel Vang
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Skip the store-bought stuff and make your own granola for breakfast, a snack, or a topping to yogurt or ice cream. Rolled oats are sweetened with pure maple syrup, light brown sugar, and plenty of bittersweet chocolate chunks, then amped up with nuts and dried fruit.

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Roasted Kohlrabi with Buttered Hazelnuts

Credit: Justin Walker
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Here's a delicious way to enhance kohlrabi, a slightly sweet root vegetable. Blanched hazelnuts, fresh thyme, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup boost its flavor, making it the perfect cold weather side dish.

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Maple-Pistachio Thumbprints

Credit: John Dolan
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You won't miss the jam in these delectable thumbprint cookies. The dough is taken from ordinary to extraordinary with shelled pistachios, which adds a nutty flavor and naturally vibrant green color. Maple syrup is cooked down and cooled for a thick, creamy filling that's perfect for these bite-sized treats.

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Maple Irish Coffee

Credit: John Dolan
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A trio of rich, dark flavors create this luscious coffee drink. Maple syrup sweetens a batch of strong coffee—and, of course, there's whiskey because what would Irish coffee be without it?

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Spicy-Sweet Maple Snack Mix

Credit: John Dolan
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This riff on the classic cereal snack mix uses maple syrup and thyme to transform pretzels, nuts, rice cereal, and cheddar crackers into an irresistible snack.

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Bacon-Wrapped Brussels Sprouts

Credit: Bryan Gardner
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Get the party started with this crowd-pleasing appetizer that's so easy to make. Just wrap seasoned Brussels sprouts with a piece of bacon and bake until crispy; serve with a Dijon and maple syrup dip on the side.

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Pumpkin Spread

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Grab a piece of buttery brioche and start spreading this made-for-fall mix. Pure pumpkin purée is mixed with butter, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice for a warm start to your morning.

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Maple Muffins with Oat Streusel

Credit: Martyna Szczesna
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Somewhere in between coffee cake and a morning glory muffin are these spiced, buttery muffins—it's a match made in maple heaven.

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Maple Manhattan

Credit: Bryan Gardner
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Maple and whiskey warm the soul so it only makes sense to shake them up together in this fabulous take on a Manhattan.

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Smoothie Parfait

Credit: Ngoc Minh Ngo
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Whether you eat it at home or on-the-go, this revitalizing smoothie packs in plenty of antioxidants, heart-healthy greens, and natural sweetness thanks to coconut milk, maple syrup, and chopped fruit.

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Chocolate-Maple Pecan Tart

Credit: Mike Krautter
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Any chocolate dessert is sure to be a hit but this is a real showstopper. Made with maple sugar instead of granulated sugar, it's just the addition that this pecan pie-inspired dessert was craving.

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Sweet Breakfast Bowl

Credit: Marcus Nilsson
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Made with barley, almond milk, sweet potatoes, bananas, and maple syrup, this breakfast delight is just as good as it is good for you.

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Pumpkin Scones

Credit: Mike Krautter
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The secret to these pumpkin scones is in grating a stick of frozen butter, which helps the butter to become evenly incorporated throughout the dough and create flaky layers. A maple glaze is the delicious, fabulous icing on top.

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Pecan, Oat, and Dark-Chocolate-Chunk Cookies

Credit: Lennart Weibull
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When you can't decide between a chocolate chip cookie or an oatmeal raisin cookie, make these sweet treats. Free of dairy, gluten, and refined sugar, who wouldn't love digging into these chewy chocolate cookies?

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Chilled Plum-Oatmeal Pudding

Credit: Linda Pugliese
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Make use of plums, which are in season during fall, in this light and healthy breakfast pudding. Just a couple tablespoons of pure maple syrup lightly sweetens rolled oats.

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By Kelly Vaughan