This homemade maple syrup is the yummiest thing ever to eat with homemade waffles and pancakes. It only takes 10 minutes to make and contains no corn syrup, white sugar, preservatives, or other harmful ingredients.

Mike’s Maple Syrup

• 2 Cups Sucanat or Brown Sugar
• 2 Cups Light Natural Sugar or Evaporated Cane Juice Crystals (white sugar used here would still make healthier than typical store syrup)
• 2 Cups Water
• 1 TB Maple Extract
• 1/2 TB Vanilla Extract
• If you want it to have a fruity flavor you can add 2 to 3 drops of wild orange essential oil
  

Along with making the syrup taste really good, Sucanat is mainly unrefined so it still contains much of its original vitamins and minerals. I can tell when I eat much white sugar. It weakens my immune system, makes my throat sore, and turns me into a witch, which doesn’t happen when I eat this healthier sugar. It won’t spike your pancreas like white sugar does, which is important if you’re worried at all about diabetes (though diabetics should still eat in moderation).

Call your local health food store and see if you can order a big bag (about .89 lb). The small ones are too costly. I can substitute the Sucanat for most recipes that call for brown sugar, and the dried cane juice (about $1 lb) works well for recipes calling for white sugar. You may think this expensive, but so are doctor visits. Using healthy ingredients, especially sugar, is one reason we’ve stayed out of the doctor’s office for several years now. It’s good prevention.

Procedure:

Put the 4 cups of sugar in a medium to large size pot. Add 2 cups of water and stir to dissolve.

Add 1 tablespoon maple extract and 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla extract. Good maple extract is hard to find. I’ve bought lots of flavoring and finally realized I had to use double or triple the amount. The small bottles are expensive and don’t last long so I buy a 32 oz bottle once a year.

Heat to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

This homemade maple syrup is not as thick as the store-bought kind, but we’re used to it. The flavor is out of this world! Pour it in a glass measuring cup to serve or wait until it cools and put it in a plastic container.

Our favorite with waffles, pancakes, and french toast!