Make your own three-ingredient Pancake Syrup — you’ll be amazed how quick and easy it is! Plus, when you make it yourself, you don’t have to worry about any artificial ingredients or corn syrup.
Love syrup? Us too! We’ve created some other favorites — try our Buttermilk Syrup, Vanilla Sauce, or Blueberry Syrup next!
Making Your Own Pancake Syrup Just Makes Sense!
While most will agree homemade always tastes best, a lot of time the convenience is not worth the trade-off. Trust me, I love to cook and bake, but you’ll find me using store-bought short-cuts all the time.
But while the store-bought syrup is convenient, I don’t find the trade-off to be worth it. Store-bought syrup is made primarily with corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, and imitation maple flavoring. Ick!
But homemade pancake syrup’s got only three main ingredients and a prep time of 10 minutes (or less). It has real ingredients and tastes so much better! It’s ridiculously convenient to whip together while you’re waiting on Pancake or Waffle batter to rest.
Or, if you just happen to be out of store-bought syrup and need a quick recipe to whip up instead of making a grocery run, this is one you’ve likely got the ingredients for.
Pancake Syrup Vs. Maple Syrup
Pure maple syrup is the sap from maple trees that has been boiled down to a thicker consistency. Just one ingredient!
Pancake syrup from the store is made with corn syrup and maple extract. Pure maple syrup is quite expensive because it is so labor-intensive to make (you can read more of the process here).
What Is In Pancake Syrup?
- Brown sugar. Light brown sugar makes up the base of the syrup. Syrups are intended to be sweet and this one is no exception — it is very sweet! We did test this recipe with dark brown sugar and found the flavor a tad overpowering.
- Butter. Butter gives this syrup a nice flavor and great thickness. As the syrup cools, it thickens nicely so it isn’t watery like a lot of homemade pancakes syrups tend to be.
- Maple extract. While it may sound fancy, this extract is just as readily available as vanilla or almond extract! Check among the other baking extracts in the grocery store. I recommend McCormick’s® pure maple extract for the best and purest flavor (not sponsored). Imitation extract won’t give you the same results. While alcohol is present in the maple extract, you’re using such small quantities (1/4 teaspoon) that the overall alcohol content is negligible.
Beyond those three main ingredients, there are two others that you won’t need to shop for since you’ve likely got both — water and salt. (If you don’t have salt, it’s fine to leave it out!)
Make no mistake, both maple syrup and pancake syrup are very sweet and contain lots of sugar. However, the sugars in pure maple syrup aren’t refined and contain no artificial ingredients. To me, that makes pure maple syrup a much better choice. Most of the time we use pure maple syrup for pancakes. But when I’m going to use pancake syrup, I’d much rather make it myself so I know what’s in it. And in my book, brown sugar is a much better choice than corn syrup.
Quick Tip
What’s the difference between a pure and imitation extract? Most imitation extracts are either a weaker solution of naturally derived or are derived artificially (synthesized in a lab).
How To Make Pancake Syrup
- Add all the ingredients to a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Remove from heat, let stand for 5 minutes and then stir in extract. Serve over your favorite breakfast recipes (this is the best pancake syrup on a Dutch Baby or Crepes!) or let cool and store for future uses.
How Do You Thicken Syrup?
This syrup may seem thin right off the stovetop, but as it cools, it will thicken up nicely. To thin it out, warm in the microwave or on the stovetop and add a splash of water if it is too thick for your liking.
Pancake Syrup FAQs
Yes, once fully cooled, transfer the syrup to an airtight container or jar and store it in the fridge.
Homemade pancake syrup lasts 1-2 months in the fridge. Store-bought syrups, when stored in a cool, dark place, stay fresh for 18-24 months.
Nope! Maple syrup is made from boiled-down maple tree sap, while pancake syrup is made from store-bought ingredients.
Storage
To store the pancake syrup, allow it to cool before transferring it into an airtight container, and then refrigerate it; it will remain good for 1-2 months.
Ways To Use Homemade Pancake Syrup
There are so many ways to use this recipe, below are some of our favorites:
- Drizzle on Baked Oatmeal.
- Pour over these Blueberry Pancakes or Chocolate Chip Pancakes.
- Add to a bowl of homemade Oatmeal.
- Drizzle on homemade French Toast or these cinnamon-crusted French Toast Sticks.
- Pour over these homemade Banana Crepes.
Pancake Syrup
Equipment
- Medium pot
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into tablespoons
- 1 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1/16 teaspoon salt optional
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1 up to 1-1/2 teaspoons pure maple extract see note 1
Instructions
- Add the butter, sugar, salt, and water to a medium pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally. Once boiling, cook for 1 full minute while stirring frequently.
- After 1 minute, turn heat to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, let stand for 5 minutes, then stir in extract, adding to taste (Add slowly, starting with 1 teaspoon—it’s always easy to add more!).
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
