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Maple Syrup In Coffee
About maple syrup as a natural coffee sweetener and how to use it.
Published March 10, 2022
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Johan Hedlund
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
Maple syrup is one of the tastiest sweeteners that you can use in your coffee, but it isn’t very common compared to other popular sweeteners. Syrups with artificial flavors, sugar, and sweeteners like Stevia are some of the most popular options at coffee shops today. While there’s a lot of information on the best artificial sweetener for coffee, natural coffee sweeteners like honey and cinnamon are becoming more popular. But maple syrup isn’t usually the first on the list. However, its lack of popularity is mainly due to the fact that not that many people actually know about it, rather than it not being good. There are loads of great reasons to like maple syrup in coffee and it’s definitely worth trying if you are looking for a more natural way of adding more sweetness to your favorite drink. If you love sweet coffee, then it’s definitely worth giving maple coffee a try.
About Maple Syrup
Maple is a common flavoring option for artificially flavored coffees; however, it’s surprisingly rare to find recipes that actually use maple syrup in coffee. Maple flavors are often found in seasonal coffee beans that are sold in the fall, as most people associate maple with fall and winter days and evenings getting cozy by the fire. If that sounds good to you but you’re not a huge fan of artificially flavored coffee, the good news is that plain old maple syrup will have a similar effect. Read on to find out more about how to use coffee syrup to make maple coffee flavoring.
Is artificially flavored coffee bad for you? While it’s fine in moderation, it’s important to be aware of the chemicals and artificial ingredients that are present in the best artificial sweetener for coffee. If you want to try a more natural option, you may be wondering is maple syrup a healthy sweetener. You can use maple syrup in coffee to create a sweet maple coffee flavoring, but there are some things to keep in mind when it comes to choosing which syrup to use.
100% real maple syrup is the best option to try if you decide to put some maple syrup in your coffee. Imitation syrups like pancake syrup or ‘maple flavored’ syrup don’t tend to work as well for two main reasons. They don’t normally use authentic maple and instead are full of chemicals and artificial sweeteners. Another reason why these syrups don’t normally work is the viscosity. Real maple syrup is quite thin, which means that it mixes well with the coffee without forming any blobs or clumps in the drink. On the other hand, artificial syrups tend to be better used on pancakes and other foods as they are thick and gloopy, which means that they won’t dissolve easily when added to coffee.
While real maple syrup tends to be more expensive compared to the artificial alternatives that you can get, the price difference is not that high. If you are on a tight budget, you might think about an artificial syrup – however, it might be a better option to get the smallest bottle of real maple syrup that you can find. Since you do not need a lot of maple syrup to make maple coffee, even a tiny bottle can last you quite a while.
Simple Recipe for Maple Syrup in Coffee
If you are new to maple syrup in coffee, this is an ideal first recipe to get started with.
You will need:
One cup of your favorite coffee
1-2 teaspoons of 100% real maple syrup
Milk
A large coffee mug
Microwave
Coffee maker
Spoon
To make the maple coffee, follow these steps:
1. Brew the Coffee
Brew your favorite coffee using the method that you would normally use. Medium and dark roasts tend to work better for maple coffee.
2. Heat the Maple Syrup
Add 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup to the bottom of your mug. Heat the syrup for 10-15 seconds in the microwave. It doesn’t need to be very hot; you just want to take the chill away so that it doesn’t end up cooling your coffee too much.
3. Mix the Ingredients
Next, pour your coffee over the maple syrup and stir until it is mixed well. Add some milk to taste.
If you’re used to having sugar in your coffee, try this recipe without adding any extra sugar first. Since maple syrup is practically all sugar, you might find that it is sweet enough without having to add any more sugar to it.
Spiced Maple Syrup Coffee Recipe
If you’ve tried maple syrup in coffee a few times and like the flavor, then you can try this more advanced recipe that mixes other spices with the maple syrup in your coffee. The flavors in this coffee recipe complement each other well, and it’s still quite easy and simple to make.
You will need:
- One cup of coffee
- 1-2 teaspoons 100% real maple syrup
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Milk
- Coffee maker
- Microwave
- Spoon
- Large coffee mug
1. Brew the Coffee
Just like for the simple maple coffee recipe, start by brewing your favorite coffee as you normally would.
2. Heat the Syrup and Spices
Add 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup and a pinch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg to the bottom of your mug. Place in the microwave for 10-12 seconds to heat.
3. Add Your Coffee
Pour your coffee over the maple syrup and spices and stir until it is mixed well. You can add some milk to taste if you like. However, bear in mind that many people are not keen on the taste of milk in spiced coffee, so it’s a good idea to try it without milk first to see if you like it.
Is Maple Syrup in Coffee Healthy?
When most people want to sweeten coffee, we might grab a teaspoon of sugar, or brown sugar if you want something a little more natural. While maple syrup and sugar have a similar amount of calories with around seventeen calories per teaspoon, maple syrup doesn’t have empty calories like sugar does. Maple syrup is actually quite nutritious, and contains the following:
- Riboflavin
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Calcium
- Manganese
- Zinc
- Potassium
- Thiamine
- Phenolics
Along with phenolics, which are a type of antioxidant found in berries, maple syrup also contains many other antioxidants, including eight that are only found in maple syrup. While one teaspoon of it won’t be enough vitamins and minerals to make a serious impact on your health, it can certainly add up and be better for you than taking sugar in your coffee over time.
How Maple Syrup Tastes in Coffee
Maple syrup dissolves in hot liquids very easily, so all you need to do is stir in a teaspoon or half a teaspoon into your hot black coffee for it to dissolve and incorporate fully into your drink. Unlike other sweeteners, maple syrup is less likely to crystallize in the hot drink. It has a rich, smooth taste that complements the flavor of black coffee very well. If you want, you can also add a splash of cream or milk.
If you are new to maple syrup in coffee, it’s a good idea to start adding a little bit at a time and experiment until you get it just how you like it. Maple syrup is slightly different to sugar and it does have a slight aftertaste, so it’s also worth experimenting with different coffee beans and roast levels to see which flavor profiles it matches best with. Once you get used to it and find a coffee that it works well with, it can be the best coffee sweetener syrup that you have.
What is the Healthiest Sweetener for Coffee?
Brewing with freshly roasted ground coffee is the best way to make your coffee taste sweet. You can also choose coffee beans that have natural sweet notes to get a sweeter cup of coffee that does not need anything adding to it. Brewing freshly roasted and freshly ground coffee beans is the best way to bring out the natural sweetness of the coffee. If you prefer it sweeter, maple syrup in coffee can be a healthier alternative to sugar. You can also learn how to make imitation maple syrup, but bear in mind that this is not a natural ingredient and will not have all the nutrients present in simple maple syrup.
Other Ways to Use Maple Syrup
Along with adding it to your coffee, there are plenty of other maple syrup uses to consider. One of the best ways to use it is on pancakes, if you’re wondering what do you put maple syrup on then pancakes might be the first thing to come to mind. Maple syrup vs pancake syrup has some differences, including that pancake syrup is higher in sugar and artificial ingredients, while 100% real maple syrup is all natural and has more nutrients.
If you want to add sweetness to your coffee in a healthier and more natural way, there are plenty of reasons to give 100% natural maple syrup a try.
About the author
Johan Hedlund
I´m living in Karlstad, Sweden with my family. Been working the last 25 years with several start ups in the tech industry. Coffee has been an integral part, both professionally and privately. Eager to learn new things and happy to be a member of the era of we community.
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