Did you know you can turn maple syrup into sugar at home? In fact, it's quite easy! And you can even turn that maple sugar into powdered sugar to make icings, frostings, and more!
Over the past few years, my family has tried to completely eliminate white sugar from our diet completely. There are a lot of reasons, but the main reason is the the effect that white sugar has on the body's ability to function and absorb nutrients properly.
So, we've turned to natural sweeteners, as well as drastically reducing the amount of "sugar" we consume, no matter the source.
But there were still a few hold outs in our recipe catalog that we would pull out the sugar for just a few times a year. I decided it was time to try and figure out how to make those favorite recipes with maple sugar (or honey) instead!
With the exception of a few canning recipes like my jams and jellies, we have been successful!
This recipe for how to make homemade maple sugar is simple and can be used as is in recipe as a 1:1 replacement for white OR brown sugar.
However, if you'd like to take it a step further and make powdered maple sugar, you can also do that too!
How to Make Maple Sugar at Home
If you've ever boiled water, you'll be able to make this maple sugar from maple syrup. It's that easy!
You will need a few pieces of equipment to make it easier on you, but you can also "eyeball it", if needed. The results may vary though.
- Mixer with a beater attachment
- Candy thermometer
Yes, you CAN mix this by hand, but you're going to need to work fast, and the mixture gets VERY tough to mix as it cools. So, if you can borrow a mixer, or even grab a hand mixer, that's going to be better than trying it with a spoon.
The candy thermometer is optional, but again, you're going to get better results if you use the right tools.
✅ This is the candy thermometer we use, and it helps me get perfect results every time.
Step One:
In a large, heavy bottom sauce pan or pot (at least 3 times larger than the amount of syrup you are cooking), pour the maple syrup and turn onto medium-high heat.
DO NOT STIR as this can cause crystals to form and will hinder the sugar making process.
Step Two:
Bring to a boil and monitor the temperature until it reaches 255°F (124°C)
Note: If the temperature on the gauge doesn't move any more once it gets to a certain point, bump the setting up on your stove and monitor closely.
Step Three:
Remove syrup from heat and in the bowl of an electric mixer (or by hand, if needed) start the paddle attachment at low speed and pour the hot syrup into the bowl.
Be careful to have the speed low enough that the hot syrup doesn't splash. It is basically lava and can burn you!
Step Four:
Beat on low-medium speed, raising the speed as much as you can without causing any splashing. Continue to mix until the syrup completely turns to powder.
Step Five:
Scrape maple sugar onto a parchment lined tray and allow to fully cool.
There will be a lot stuck to the sides of the bowl. I have found that using a wooden spoon really helps get the vast majority of it out of the bowl.
NOTE: Soak the bowl in warm water and the excess will melt away.
Step Six:
You can use the sugar at this point as a white or brown sugar replacement in any recipe! Store in an air tight container for up to a month at room temperature, or for up to 3 months in the refrigerator.
How to Make Powdered Maple Sugar
While 95% of the time, the straight maple sugar created above works perfectly for my recipes, there are times when powdered sugar is needed. Fortunately, powdered maple sugar works 1:1 in recipes that calls for regular powdered sugar.
Even royal icing! Here's my standard royal icing recipe made with powdered maple sugar instead!
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Step One:
Take the maple sugar created above and pour it into a food processor. Process on high for about 3-5 minutes.
NOTE: You want to maple sugar to be completely cool before starting this process, so you don't have large chunks of hot sugar sticking together.
Step Two:
In a fine mesh sieve, sift the powdered sugar from the larger granules.
✅ This is the sieve we use and it works really well!
We set the granules aside and use them in place of white or brown sugar.
Step Three:
For each cup of powdered maple sugar, add 1 tablespoon of arrowroot powder and mix well. This will keep the sugar from caking, and will help with the thickening process when baking with the powdered maple sugar.
Maple Sugar FAQs
Over the years, we have gotten many questions on the process of making your own sugar from maple syrup. Here are the most frequently asked questions and their answers!
How Much Sugar will 1 Cup of Maple Syrup Yield?
We have found that the yield is just about identical to the starting amount. So, if you need 2 cups of maple sugar, you would process 2 cups of maple syrup.
This can vary slightly if you end up boiling more of the water away than normal, which is why a candy thermometer is so helpful!
Can I use Maple Sugar for Canning?
While I haven't broken into this topic yet myself (YET), my friend Michelle Visser is "the maple queen" and she has a recipe for canning pears in maple syrup you might enjoy!
How Should I Store Maple Sugar?
Unlike honey, maple syrup is not shelf stable for long periods of time. It will mold eventually (ask me how I know!).
So, if you want to store maple sugar at room temperature, be sure to store it in an air tight container, with an oxygen absorber, and a moisture absorber. Or you can store it in the fridge or freezer.
If you store it in a cold environment, you may find that it reabsorbs a bit of moisture. That's likely going to be fine for any recipe you need it for, however, if you want to dry it out, just pop it in the dehydrator at 135°F or in the oven on the lowest setting until it's dry again.
You May Also Enjoy:
Maple Cream Cheese Oatmeal Cream Pies
Honey Sweetened Dark Chocolate
Homemade Marshmallows without White Sugar
How to Make Maple Sugar
Ingredients
- 2 cups maple syrup
- 1-2 tbsp arrowroot powder (for powdered sugar only)
Instructions
- In a large, heavy bottom sauce pan or pot (at least 3 times larger than the amount of syrup you are cooking), pour the maple syrup and turn onto medium-high heat.DO NOT STIR as this can cause crystals to form and will hinder the sugar making process.
- Bring to a boil and monitor the temperature until it reaches 255°F (124°C)Note: If the temperature on the gauge doesn't move any more once it gets to a certain point, bump the setting up on your stove and monitor closely.
- Remove syrup from heat and in the bowl of an electric mixer (or by hand, if needed) start the paddle attachment at low speed and pour the hot syrup into the bowl.Be careful to have the speed low enough that the hot syrup doesn't splash. It is basically lava and can burn you!
- Beat on low-medium speed, raising the speed as much as you can without causing any splashing. Continue to mix until the syrup completely turns to powder.
- Scrape maple sugar onto a parchment lined tray and allow to fully cool. There will be a lot stuck to the sides of the bowl. I have found that using a wooden spoon really helps get the vast majority of it out of the bowl.
- You can use the sugar at this point as a white or brown sugar replacement in any recipe! Store in an air tight container for up to a month at room temperature, or for up to 3 months in the refrigerator.
How to Make Powdered Maple Sugar
- Take the maple sugar created above and pour it into a food processor. Process on high for about 3-5 minutes.NOTE: You want to maple sugar to be completely cool before starting this process, so you don't have large chunks of hot sugar sticking together.
- In a fine mess sieve, sift the powdered sugar from the larger granules. We set the granules aside and use them in place of white or brown sugar.
- For each cup of powdered maple sugar, add 1 tablespoon of arrowroot powder and mix well. This will keep the sugar from caking, and will help with the thickening process when baking with the powdered maple sugar.
Nutrition
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