Pancakes and maple syrup are a classic and delicious breakfast. But for those watching their sugar intake, maple syrup might be a rare treat. Get some sugar-free maple syrup, though, and you can have that sweet maple flavor whenever you want without the high glycemic load. And it's not just for pancakes! Sugar-free maple syrup is a great alternative for cooking, baking, smoothies, and hot drinks, too.
We compiled a list of the top 10 best sugar-free maple syrups. Our favorite is ChocZero's Maple Syrup; it's sweetened with natural monk fruit extract, making it an excellent option for those who want to avoid sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners. Check out the rest of our list below. And if you want to know more about the sugar substitutes out there, our buying guide reviewed by a registered dietitian is full of information and helpful tips.
Quick List - Top Sugar-Free Maple Syrups
Andrea Marincovich (aka The Realistic Dietitian), is a registered dietitian and macros nutrition expert. She helps individuals reach their weight, body composition, and specific health goals through nutrition. Andrea specializes in altering diets in order to meet the needs of each client, such as: macro-centered, keto, paleo, Mediterranean, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, diabetic, renal, cardiovascular, IBS/IBD, and GERD diets.
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It’s no secret that Americans eat more sugar than we need to. Added sugar can be found in many products in our grocery stores, even ones you wouldn’t expect, like bread, peanut butter, and pasta sauce.
The 2015 to 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting added sugar intake to no more than 10 percent of your calories each day. Choosing sugar-free alternatives is a good way to limit your added sugar intake while still getting the sweetness you crave.
Excessive sugar consumption can cause weight gain, an increased risk of heart disease, and type two diabetes. Because it spikes your blood sugar quickly, it can affect your energy levels and mood. It’s also bad for oral health and has even been linked to the development of acne.
We could go on and on about the different ways too much sugar is bad for you, but the rule of thumb is to limit sugars - especially added sugars - as much as possible.
When shopping for sugar-free products, you might also come across ones labeled as "no sugar added." There's a slight difference between these two labels.
"Sugar-free" means there's less than half a gram of total sugar in the product, including naturally occurring sugar and added sugar. "No sugar added" means no additional sugar was added during the manufacturing process. Products with this label may still contain naturally occurring sugar like fructose or lactose.
Here are a few points to keep in mind to help you choose the best sugar-free maple syrup for you!
Sugar-free maple syrups contain alternative sweeteners, like sugar alcohols, artificial sweeteners, and monk fruit extract. They all provide a sweet flavor, but some have certain properties that you should be aware of.
Despite their name, sugar alcohols do not contain the same alcohol found in an alcoholic beverage. Rather, they’re a type of carbohydrate that is partially resistant to digestion. They’re less sweet than sugar and have fewer calories. In sugar-free maple syrup, they're sometimes combined with artificial sweeteners to achieve the desired level of sweetness.
Sugar alcohols occur naturally in berries and other fruits, although they can also be processed from other sugars. Unlike table sugar, they don’t cause cavities, and some can even protect against tooth decay. But, because of how they’re digested, they can cause bloating, gas, and diarrhea, especially for those with IBS or FODMAP sensitivity.
The most common sugar alcohols added to sugar-free maple syrup are erythritol, sorbitol, and maltitol. Erythritol is about 70 percent as sweet as sugar with five percent of the calories. It’s a good choice for those with digestive issues, as it’s less likely to irritate.
Sorbitol has around 60 percent of the sweetness and calories of sugar. It’s known to have little effect on blood sugar, making it a good choice for people with diabetes. Maltitol is nearly as sweet as sugar, with about 50 percent of the calories. However, it has a higher glycemic index than other sugar alcohols, so it may be more likely to spike blood sugar.
Monk fruit comes from Southeast Asia and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Recently, it’s become a popular sugar substitute in the United States. It has zero calories and is 100 to 250 times sweeter than table sugar.
It has a glycemic index of zero, so it won’t spike blood sugar. Monk fruit’s sweetness comes from antioxidants called mogrosides, which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties when consumed in high amounts.
Artificial sweeteners include aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose. They’re synthetically made and can be up to 1,000 times sweeter than table sugar. They’re usually zero calories or very close to zero because so little is needed to achieve a sweet taste.
Artificial sweeteners are generally considered to be okay for people with diabetes. They’re also less likely to cause tooth decay than sugar.
While there have been concerns that artificial sweeteners cause cancer, recent studies have found that this link is unlikely to exist in humans. However, some people may experience allergic reactions or other sensitivities, though this varies on an individual basis.
Depending on your reason for going sugar-free, certain maple syrups may be a better choice than others. If you have diabetes, look for ingredients that won’t spike your blood sugar. Choose sugar substitutes with a glycemic index near zero, like monk fruit extract, sorbitol, or erythritol.
If you’re on a low-carb or low-sugar diet like keto, pay attention to the nutrition facts as well as the ingredients. While most sugar substitutes are low in carbs, not all are. For example, many people on the keto diet avoid maltitol, which has a glycemic index of 52.
In addition, while pure artificial sweeteners are usually keto-friendly, name brands like Splenda often contain additional ingredients that increase the number of carbs and calories.
If you tend to have digestive issues, you may want to stay away from sugar alcohols since they are more difficult for your gut to absorb. Of course, everyone is different, and you should always speak to your doctor before making changes to your diet.
While typical maple syrup tends to have a predictable taste and syrupy thickness, sugar-free maple syrup has more variety. Depending on the ingredients used, it can vary in consistency and taste.
Manufacturers use different thickening and flavoring agents. In addition to this, sugar substitutes may carry their own unique flavor. The best way to get an idea of what the syrup will be like is to read some of the reviews.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ChocZero Maple Syrup | ![]() | Syrup Sweetened With Monk Fruit Extract | |
2 | Maple Grove Farms Sugar Free Syrup | ![]() | A Sweet Syrup for All Your Breakfast Needs | |
3 | Smuckers Sugar Free Breakfast Syrup, 2 pack | ![]() | Squeezable Syrup With Notes of Butter | |
4 | Walden Farms Maple Walnut Syrup | ![]() | No Sugar Alcohols and Zero Calories | |
5 | Log Cabin Sugar Free Syrup (2 pack) | ![]() | Tastes Just Like the Original Log Cabin | |
6 | Cary's Sugar Free Low Calorie Syrup|2 pack | ![]() | Low Calorie and Full of Flavor | |
7 | Lakanto Maple Flavored Sugar-Free Syrup (3 pack) | ![]() | A Syrup With Natural Sweeteners | |
8 | Mrs. Butterworth's Sugar Free Syrup | ![]() | A Familiar Flavor With Fewer Calories | |
9 | Blackberry Patch Maple Praline Flavored Sugar Free Syrup | ![]() | Notes of Maple, Praline, and Butter | |
10 | Pyure Organic Maple Syrup Alternative | ![]() | A Syrup Made With Organic Ingredients |
Made with natural ingredients and sweetened with monk fruit extract, this syrup from ChocZero is a good choice if sugar alcohols aren't your thing. The vegetable fiber gives it a thick, rich texture that's even thicker than maple syrup. It's free of gluten and GMOs, too.
Some reviewers were disappointed that it spiked their blood sugar. However, most buyers loved this syrup's thick texture and said it has no aftertaste, unlike other sugar-free syrups. They used it successfully for pancakes, desserts, and cooking.
This syrup from Maple Grove farms is low calorie and low carb. For each two-tablespoon serving, there are five calories and three grams of carbohydrates. It's sweetened with sorbitol, a sugar alcohol, as well as a few artificial sweeteners. Use it on your sweet breakfast foods or for cooking.
Some reviewers said this syrup doesn't really have a maple flavor. Despite that, many said the flavor is still tasty. They liked the consistency and said it's delicious on pancakes and waffles.
With Smucker's Sugar Free Breakfast Syrup, you can enjoy a generous four tablespoons per serving. In each serving, there are 20 calories. The syrup is sweetened with sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners, including Splenda, for a well-rounded taste.
Some reviewers wished the maple flavor was more present. On the other hand, many said this is their favorite sugar-free syrup. They liked that it has a thick consistency and slightly buttery taste.
If you're looking for a little more flavor, try this Maple Walnut Syrup from Walden Farms. It's gluten-free, sweetened with sucralose, and has maple and walnut flavoring. And it has zero calories per serving! It also comes in caramel and chocolate.
Some reviewers complained that there was an artificial aftertaste. Others found it to be too runny. Still, many reviewers liked that it has a good maple flavor and no sugar alcohols. They liked it on pancakes, yogurt, and even salmon.
Log Cabin's Sugar Free Syrup has 80 percent fewer calories than the original Log Cabin syrup, with only 20 per serving. It's made without sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Instead, it uses sorbitol (a sugar alcohol) and a blend of artificial sweeteners for flavor.
Reviewers said this syrup had a great flavor, and they could barely tell it's sugar-free. Reviewers on the keto diet said it was a great alternative to maple syrup.
This syrup from Cary's is both sugar-free and gluten-free. It's also low in calories, with only 15 calories per four tablespoons. Instead of sugar, it uses sorbitol for flavor with a bit of aspartame to round out the sweetness.
Some reviewers said this syrup was too watery for their liking. Still, many liked its smooth texture and said the flavor was delicious. Both diabetics and people on low carb diets said this was a great maple syrup replacement.
This sugar-free syrup from Lakanto is made from natural ingredients and uses monk fruit extract and erythritol to provide that sweet taste. It's friendly for people with diabetes, vegans, and people on the keto or paleo diet.
Some reviewers complained that their bottle contains tapioca or potato starch, which doesn't work for their diet. Others said the consistency is quite watery. However, many reviewers praised this syrup's delicious flavor and said it has no aftertaste.
Mrs. Butterworth's is a classic. Their sugar-free syrup has 80 percent fewer calories and zero grams of sugar per serving. It's sweetened with sorbitol, a sugar alcohol, as well as the artificial sweeteners aspartame and acesulfame potassium.
Some reviewers complained that this syrup was too thin or didn't taste like maple. However, many reviewers said that they couldn't even tell it's sugar-free. Diabetics and people on the keto diet said this was a great alternative to real maple syrup.
Blackberry Patch's Maple Praline Flavored Sugar Free Syrup isn't as low calorie as the other syrups on our list, but it still has fewer calories than real maple syrup and zero grams of sugar. It contains natural ingredients and is sweetened with maltitol. It has praline, maple, and butter flavoring.
Some reviewers were disappointed that this syrup isn't low carb; it has 28 grams of carbohydrates per serving. On the other hand, many reviewers said it has a thick, rich consistency and a delicious maple flavor.
This syrup from Pyure is made with ingredients that are USDA organic and non-GMO Project verified. It contains no artificial sweeteners, using natural sugar alcohol and Stevia instead. It's also high in fiber, with seven grams per two-tablespoon serving.
Some reviewers complained that this syrup is too watery and squirts out of the bottle too quickly. Others warned of a Stevia aftertaste. Still, many reviewers said the flavor is delicious and truly tastes like maple. They loved it on pancakes!
Now that you've picked a sugar-free maple syrup, you can drizzle and douse to your heart's content. Check out some more of our favorite products for the most important meal of the day.
This expert reviewed the contents of the buying guide for accuracy and provided factual corrections when necessary. They did not participate in the product selection process, nor are they affiliated with any of our choices unless explicitly stated so.
No. 1: ChocZero|Maple Syrup
No. 2: Maple Grove Farms|Sugar Free Syrup
No. 3: Smuckers|Sugar Free Breakfast Syrup, 2 pack
No. 4: Walden Farms|Maple Walnut Syrup
No. 5: Log Cabin|Sugar Free Syrup (2 pack)
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