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I’ve tried numerous sugar-free maple syrup versions in the past, and to be honest, all of them have been disappointing. Most are sweetened with asparatame, or at best sucralose, which is a deal breaker if you are trying to avoid artificial sweeteners. Even worse, you can immediately tell they are artificial – they taste that way, too. Who would want an aftertaste in their syrup?!
For a while, I had resigned to just skipping the syrup altogether. I would slather my pancakes and waffles with butter, nut butter, fresh fruit, or nothing at all. They were still delicious, but I sure did miss my maple syrup.
Then I started thinking, I wonder if there is a low carb maple syrup recipe made with erythritol? Being my favorite sweetener, it seemed only logical that a sugar-free syrup with it would be good. I couldn’t find one, though. There was only one (obvious) thing left to do – create one, of course!
I was so excited when this sugar-free maple syrup recipe turned out. Yes, my low carb, gluten-free pancakes and waffles could be complete again!
If you miss maple syrup, this sugar-free version is the end of that. It uses real maple extract, so the flavor is authentic, not contrived. Erythritol provides a natural sweetness without the carbs or sugar, and the consistency is viscous and pourable, just like real maple syrup. You can adjust the thickness to your liking during the recipe process.
I used granulated erythritol the first time I made it, but the granules in there were detectable. After trying it again with powdered, I do recommend powdered erythritol for a smoother texture.
With only four ingredients and ten minutes of prep time, this sugar-free maple syrup is one of the easiest condiments you’ll ever make. The recipe makes about a cup, and a little goes a long way, so it will last a while for most people. You can always double or halve the recipe as needed, though.
The low carb maple syrup syrup stores pretty well in the refrigerator, but the only caveat is that the erythritol will crystallize over time. Don’t be alarmed! This problem is easy to remedy. Simply reheat the syrup, then either shake (if storing in a bottle or lidded container) or whisk until it’s smooth again. The consistency will be smoothest when the syrup is warm, which is just as well, because warm maple syrup is the best anyway.
4-Ingredient Sugar-free Maple Syrup (Low Carb, Gluten-free):
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| Servings | Prep Time | Cook Time |
| 2-tablespoon servings | 5 minutes | 5 minutes |
| 4-Ingredient Sugar-free Maple Syrup (Low Carb, Gluten-free) With real maple extract, this sugar-free maple syrup is close to the real thing, without carbs or calories. Low carb, gluten-free, and ready in just 10 minutes!
|
- 1 cup Water
- 1 cup Powdered erythritol
- 1 1/2 tbsp Maple extract
- 1/2 tsp Xanthan gum
- Whisk together the water, erythritol, and maple extract in a small saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the erythritol dissolves.
- Pour the liquid into a blender. Sprinkle half of the xanthan gum on top (don't dump, just sprinkle lightly and evenly). Puree immediately, until no lumps remain. Repeat with the remaining xantham gum.
- Wait a few minutes to allow the syrup to thicken further. If it's still thinner than you'd like, add a little more xanthan gum, just a tiny bit at a time (1/16 teaspoon at a time, sprinkled lightly and pureed again).
Net carbs per serving: 0g
*Recipe has 0 calories and 0 grams carbohydrates, excluding erythritol, which has 0 net carbs.
**Syrup may crystallize over time if you store it, and is smoothest when warm. If crystallization occurs, heat it again (either on the stove or in the microwave), then either shake or whisk vigorously until smooth. You can reduce crystallization by using powdered (rather than granulated) sweetener.
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Need something low carb and gluten-free to put your syrup on? Try these:
Sarah says
This looks so good – I have yet to like any “maple syrup” I have tried to make. I will have to try this one!
STACEY says
I can’t wait to try this, the low carb natural syrup brand I buy is so pricey 🙂
Georgina says
WOW! This sounds amazing!
Kim | Low Carb Maven says
Genius! I can’t wait to try this. Thanks for the recipe!
Kody Loveless says
I am diabetic. I love good sugar free options. It would be so awesome to try this out. Crazy how it only has 4 ingredients. Never knew that maple extract did not have any sugar in it.
Debra says
Do we have to count the carbs in erythritol?
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Usually not, because it doesn’t get absorbed. Some sugar alcohols, like maltitol, can cause blood sugar spikes, but erythritol typically does not. (A few people are particularly sensitive but that’s rare.) In general, both fiber and erythritol can be subtracted from total carbs to get the net carb count. I don’t include them, and have never had erythritol knock me out of ketosis or spike blood sugar. Hope this helps!
Debra says
Wonderful! I made this syrup yesterday, and it was fabulous. Thanks so much.
Lyn Wishart says
Can you point me to a brand of maple extract that you use? Everything I’ve found online contains sugar & alcohol!
I’m from Australia so probably limited options here.
Thx,
Lyn
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Of course! This is the one I use, which is on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2fsV7hO. I would assume they’d deliver around the world, but not sure about the shipping cost. The container is big, so will last you a long time. It does have alcohol, but no sugar. The alcohol will burn off during heating, so that’s nothing to worry about. Hope this helps!
Mumsies says
I made something really similar this morning but used the confectioner’s style *Swerve (erythritol) in another recipe that called for 2 cups water. It ended up tasting okay but lacking depth. After reading this recipe I believe the problem was too much water so I will try again.
*I have found that using the confectioner’s style works better in every recipe. It dissolves quickly and if it recrystalizes it is not noticable due to the fine texture. Usually I buy it on Amazon in bulk to save money.
TY for the link to the maple flavoring, I will try that one next time 😀
Mumsies says
I forgot to mention that I also added 2 tsp of vanilla which was nice, too.
Deb Rodriguez says
Hi Maya, I’m confused because the link you provided doesn’t show any nutritional label and the seller listed the nutritional label (because someone asked in the comments) as this “The maple extract has 120 calories, 30g sugar, and 30g carbohydrates per 100 gram (3.5 oz) serving.”
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Hi Deb,
The seller that answered is a third party re-seller, not the original seller or manufacturer (Olive Nation). The nutrition info they stated (120 calories, 30g sugar, 30g carbohydrates) is not correct. The FDA would mandate a nutrition label if that were the case, and since it does not have one, the seller would have no way to accurately claim that this is the nutrition info. You can see from the ingredients list (alcohol, water, natural caramel color, glycerine, and maple concentrate) that there are no ingredients containing sugar. This reaffirms that the info can’t be correct.
According to the FDA Food Label Guide, “The regulations provide for an exemption for foods that contain insignificant amounts, as defined in 21 CFR 101.9(j)(4), of all of the nutrients and food components required to be included in the nutrition label. Exempted foods include coffee beans (whole or ground), tea leaves, plain instant unsweetened instant coffee and tea, condiment-type dehydrated vegetables, flavor extracts, and food colors.” (Source)
From a nutrition info standpoint, maple extract can be treated just like vanilla extract (or other liquid extract), in that it would not add any macronutrients.
Anne Wintermute says
I agree with Maya, the one by Olive Nation is great. I love real maple syrup but I grew up on home made. You used to be able to get good extract by McCormick but they thought it better to make something that has no taste and requires almost a total bottle to get any taste (yucky as it is) at all. Crescent “Mapleine” still has a good flavor. And of course, I could only find these on Amazon.
Michael Nance says
Will this much erythritol per serving cause stomach issues? Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Hi Michael, No, it shouldn’t cause stomach issues. Erythritol is different from other sugar alcohols in that it gets absorbed in the small intestine, so it doesn’t make it to the large intestine where other sugar alcohols would cause stomach upset. I have a comparison of low carb sweeteners here.
Michael Nance says
Thanks!
Linda says
I made ot and ot has a strange taste. Maybe because of the McCormick maple extract
Not very maple-y and it yook almost the whole bottle. ($3.99!) Will try the kond you suggest next time. Will still use it as it”s not that bad and when I crave something sweet it will do. Hate to waste things.
Tanya says
Can I substitute xanthan gum for chia seeds, psylllium fiber or flaxseed?
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Hi Tanya, I haven’t tried those, but I don’t think they would work since the consistency probably wouldn’t be smooth. I wouldn’t want a grainy syrup. If you do try it, let me know how it goes.
Coko says
This maple syrup was amazing! Thank you!!!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
You’re welcome, Coko! I’m so glad you liked it.
Phyllis Hunt says
Wonder if glucomannan powder could be used as the thickener?
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Hi Phyllis, I haven’t tried but think it could work. Let me know if you give it a try!
Steven says
I used stevia instead of erythritol and it turned out bitter. I used 4 packets of Stevia, was that too many packets or does stevia just simply not work with this recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Hi Steven,
Sorry to hear the stevia version turned out bitter for you. There are a couple of factors that could affect this.
First of all, what brand of stevia did you use? Anything in packets is not pure stevia and has a bulking agent in it, so it’s hard to say if 4 packets was too much or not since I don’t know how concentrated it was. This could be good or bad depending on what the bulking agent is (erythritol is good, maltodextrin is actually just another name for sugar and not so good). I have a low carb sweetener guide and conversion chart here for reference. In general, I recommend tasting it as you go to get the desired level of sweetness. Everyone’s taste buds are different when it comes to sweetness. Too much stevia will definitely result in bitterness.
It also depends on the stevia used. Sweetener extracted from young leaves tends to be less bitter. I like this brand of liquid stevia, which has less aftertaste than others I’ve tried. It will also avoid any grainy texture you may get from packets.
Do you use stevia on a regular basis? I’ve found that it takes some time to get used to it. The bitter aftertaste is less noticeable, the longer you use it.
You can try the recipe with powdered erythritol, which has a lot less aftertaste than stevia, or even none at all. Or, you could use a combination of powdered erythritol and stevia (to taste), which tends to yield a better result than stevia alone.
Jenn says
Any thoughts on using agar-agar as the thickening agent? I have to buy some for another recipe I’m making today and figured maybe 2 birds one stone…
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Hi Jenn, It might work but I haven’t tried it. Let me know if you do!
Liz says
Hi, Just wondering if I could substitute gelatin for xanthan gum?
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Hi Liz, I actually wondered that myself after I already created this recipe. I haven’t tried it yet. Let me know how it goes if you do!
Janet says
I made this and I like it. I’ve missed syrup on my keto pancakes and French toast. But I am curious. Your picture here looks like syrup in its brown color, but my maple extract is clear/ colorless. It is pure extract. The first bottle of maple flavoring I had was brown- but it was not extract. Just curious- why is yours brown?
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Thank you, Janet! I’m glad you liked it. I use this maple extract, which does have organic color in it. I’d prefer to have one without that, but haven’t found one. Where did you get your clear one?
Nicole says
I hate to waste money on recipes that are not good so here is my opinion. I made this recipe exactly and it smells funny, and the maple extract taste is way off. If you are attempting to try this, I think the maple extract should be added at the very end in the blender, do not cook it but I am not sure that it will work. Just my opinion.
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Hi Nicole, Thank you for the feedback. Could it be the maple extract you used? I use this one. I didn’t notice any funny smell or taste, and so far the recipe had positive reviews. Adding the maple extract later may work, but I haven’t tried it. I prefer to add it to the saucepan so that any alcohol taste from the extract dissipates. If you try adding it later, let me know how it goes!
Ann says
Do you store in the refrigerator or pantry? How long will it keep?
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Hi Ann, I store it in the fridge. I’m not sure what the limit is but we had it for a few weeks without a problem. It will likely crystallize sooner than it actually “goes bad”. Reheating helps if it separates/settles or crystallizes.