5 Beverages Enhanced by a Hint of Maple Syrup

Maple syrup isn’t just for warm stacks of pancakes and flavoring smoked bacon. We’re all for embracing the sweeter side of life, particularly while sipping delicious beverages. Maple syrup is the ideal ingredient for the task, as the earthy, caramel-tasting sweetener can be easily spooned into mugs, drizzled into cups, and poured into blenders. Plus, instead of having to wait for sugar crystals to dissolve, a quick addition of maple syrup can quickly sweeten up a drink so you can get to sipping and smiling over your tasty creations stat. 

The natural ingredient comes packed with nutrients like riboflavin and thiamin, minerals, and compounds that have been studied by researchers investigating the health-promoting properties of  the sweetener. If you’re starting the day off on a soothing note with a warm cup of coffee or looking to perk up a dull afternoon with a refreshingly cool smoothie, drinks sweetened with maple syrup have the power to transform even expected, mundane routines. After all, we bet you deserve a treat. 

Maple syrup can be just the ticket your next smoothie needs. Whether you’re packing the blender with cocoa powder and bananas to make a healthy black forest smoothie recipe or reaching for spinach and avocado to make a cool and refreshing summer green smoothie, a spoonful of maple syrup can add the right complementary sweetness to your drink. 

As you begin to pour maple syrup into the blender, keep in mind that maple syrup can lend a variety of tasting notes to drinks. You’ll find different grades of maple syrup, ranging from extra light maple syrup to dark maple syrup. While there isn’t an internationally set criteria to classic maple syrup, you can assess the color of the syrup to get an idea of the intensity of taste. Generally speaking, lighter maple syrups lean towards a gentler sweetness than darker, more caramelized-tasting syrups. What is known as early season maple syrup can offer a more subtle flavor than darker syrup made later in the season. If you get to sampling, you’ll also notice flavor variations among maple syrups taken from different areas. Regardless of the maple syrup you use for your beverages, add the sweetener conservatively, taste, then adjust accordingly for the recipe that serves your smoothie creations.  

While spoonfuls of honey can nestle into the bottom of a mug and sugar crystals can take time to stir into any warm beverage of choice, maple syrup can quickly mingle with liquid contents poured into your cup. When used to sweeten homemade cups of chai, maple syrup enhances the taste of the warm, earthy tea. This simple, easy goodness is pure comfort to sip.

Adding maple syrup to tea and coffee recipes is the kind of beverage hack that can eliminate the need for artificial creamers and sugar syrups. Use a spoonful or two to sweeten not only tea but homemade cafe lattes and creamy Frappuccinos. Even a classic Americano or long black coffee can come to life with an easy swirl of the syrupy sweetener. Choose to stir maple syrup directly into your mug or crown a cup that has been capped with frothy whipped cream for the tasty reward your day deserves.

Maple syrup can bring the right amount of sweetness to homemade iced tea recipes and build upon added flavors derived from the inclusion of spices, citrus, unique teas, fresh herbs, and seasonal berries. The syrupy addition won’t distract from cold concoctions, but instead deliver a mellow sweetness that is naturally delicious. Earl Grey sweet tea recipes can brighten up with an added spoonful of maple syrup, and refreshing Thai tea recipes can take a softer turn when granulated sugar is swapped out for maple syrup. 

When making substitutions in drink recipes, you can use a similar amount of maple syrup to mix in your drinks, as the natural syrup is comparably as sweet as sugar. Serve pitchers of pre-sweetened ice tea to dinner party guests, and consider providing an extra bottle of maple syrup on the side for friends to add an extra drizzle to beverages should they crave a sweeter tasting sipper.

Instead of dumping sugar granules into pretty glass pitchers of homemade lemonade, reach for the smooth inclusion of maple syrup. Lemonade made with maple syrup is the refreshing duo a hot day calls for, and when mixed with medium or dark amber syrups, the homey maple flavor can soften the zingy pucker of freshly squeezed lemons. Maple syrup quickly blends with the other ingredients included in your glasses while complementing any extra flourishes like fresh mint, basil, and citrus fruits that have been added to your summer drink. 

Maple-sweetened lemonade is another example of a recipe that calls for taste testing along the way. A classic lemonade recipe made with lemons and water may not call for the same amount of sweetness as one that has been mixed with several different ingredients, like a pink lemonade made with beetroot juice or watermelon lemonade made with mint, for example. Add the sweetener conservatively and adjust the amount of syrup included in your drink accordingly.

Using maple syrup to sweeten your homemade hot chocolate means that you can decide just how sweet you want your drink to be. While store-bought mixes can taste artificially sugary, making hot chocolate at home puts the flavor into your own hands. Modify the ratios of cocoa powder and dark chocolate added to the pot on the stove, add more or less maple syrup, or try combining the maple syrup with a spoonful of brown sugar for an added taste of caramelized sweetness. If you enjoy warm drinks seasoned with homemade pumpkin pie spice, this is the right time to experiment.

When topped with honey whipped cream and sprinkles of cinnamon and flaky sea salt, maple-sweetened hot chocolate makes for a treat that will leave no craving unattended. After one sip of this beauty, you’ll quickly understand why a warm mug of cocoa doesn’t need to be reserved for cold seasons and snowy days.