Maple: Your New Sweetening Staple
These days it feels like there’s a million different sweeteners out there. You can’t walk into a store without being bombarded with coconut sugar, agave nectar, stevia, whatchamacallit-nectar… The list goes on and on! So what sets maple syrup apart from the others and why do I recommend it?
First Thing’s First…
I always remind my clients to go easy on the sweeteners, even the natural ones! But when a recipe does call for a sweet touch, my #1 pick is pure maple. It has a leg up on plain old refined sugar for two reasons– it’s relatively unprocessed and it also has naturally occurring minerals. The syrup is directly extracted from maple trees and the fluid that leaks out of the tree is collected and boiled until most of the water evaporates. What’s leftover is a yummy sweet natural syrup filtered straight from Mother Nature that contains even more minerals than honey!
A Word to the Wise…
Make sure to take a look at the label when buying it! Many brands you see in the store may actually just be syrup with added fake maple flavors. Unfortunately, the syrup you drizzle all over your pancakes in a restaurant probably contains a bunch of fillers and additives…a far cry from the real deal.
Pure Maple is the Key
Look for a bottle that only has one ingredient: “pure maple syrup.” My personal go-to is Grade A Dark Color because it packs a more intense flavor punch. That way, you can use less and still get all the sweetness you crave! Next time you’re on the lookout for a new sweetening staple, reach for the maple.
