How To Make Maple Cream

Maple syrup is a pantry staple — we love to drizzle it over pancakes and waffles as well as use it for a range of savory dishes! But what about maple cream?

Maple cream is maple syrup in a more decadent form. It is very easy to make, but somehow it is not as popular as maple syrup. 

How to make maple cream? Making maple cream is easy — all you need is some good-quality maple syrup, a saucepan, a thermometer, a wooden spoon, and water. The process is quite simple: boil the maple syrup, cool it, and then mix it to turn the syrup into a cream. 

Continue reading to learn how to make maple cream at home and tips you can use to make the best maple cream!

What Is Maple Cream?

Maple cream is a cream made of maple syrup. While it sounds quite fancy, maple cream is typically made with only one ingredient: maple syrup! You can buy maple cream in stores or make it yourself. 

Maple syrup is turned into a cream through heating and cooling processes. Heating the maple syrup to a certain degree (around 235°F) and then cooling it allows you to turn the syrup into a cream just by mixing it!

If you have a big bottle of maple syrup at home or your family has a habit of opening multiple bottles of maple syrup at a time, then you should certainly turn some of it into a rich and decadent maple cream. 

Recipe Variations 

When searching for a maple cream recipe, you will come across not only one-ingredient recipes, but also ones that call for additional ingredients. 

Tips For Making Maple Cream

While making maple cream isn’t difficult at all, here are a few tips to help you achieve better results every time you make it. 

• Use good-quality pure maple syrup. One of the best tips we can give you for making good maple cream is to use high-quality maple syrup! We recommend you use grade A light or medium amber maple syrup. 
  • Stay away from pancake syrups that are made of anything but maple sap — maple syrup made of corn syrup, sugar, and artificial color can’t make good maple cream.
    
• Use a big pan. If you are not using any butter, oil, or cream to make maple cream, there is a high chance of it boiling over. To prevent this from happening, use a big pan with high sides. 
  
• Spice it up. If you love maple cream, branch out and start adding warm spices to it! Cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin spice are some of the best spices to add to maple cream. 
  
• Use a thermometer. Unless you make maple cream very often and are a pro at it, it is good to always have a thermometer at hand whenever you are making maple cream.
  • If you are not using a thermometer, don’t be surprised if you make maple candy and not cream.
  • To make sure your thermometer is accurate, submerge it in boiling water — it should read 212°F. 

How To Store Maple Cream

Unlike maple syrup that keeps well in the cold pantry or kitchen cupboard, it is best to store maple cream in the fridge, be it homemade or storebought. 

Transfer maple cream into an airtight jar or container, then store it in the fridge. Maple cream may separate as it sits in the fridge — this is normal. You just have to give the cream a good stir and it will be smooth and creamy again. 

Freezing maple cream is also an option if you want to make it last longer. Defrost maple cream in the fridge. Once the cream has thawed, mix well, and enjoy. 

How Long Does Maple Cream Last?

If you have stored your maple cream at room temperature, eat it within a month. 

Maple cream stored in the fridge in an airtight container will last anywhere from 3–6 months. Maple cream will last a few months longer if you store it in the freezer. 

How To Use Maple Cream

Maple cream is as versatile as maple syrup — you can use it in a variety of sweet and savory dishes.

Is Maple Cream Good For You?

As maple cream is made of maple syrup, it has the same nutritional value as maple syrup. The nutritional value of maple cream may change depending on the ingredients you use to make it. 

Maple cream made of pure maple syrup is healthier than table sugar. While maple cream is high in calories and carbs, it has a lower glycemic index than sugar. 

Additionally, maple cream is sweeter than sugar, so you will use less of it! If you are trying to use less sugar, substitute it with maple syrup or maple cream when possible. 

What Is The Difference Between Maple Cream And Maple Butter?

While maple cream and maple butter are often used interchangeably, they are not the same thing.

Maple cream is made of maple syrup and doesn’t contain any added ingredients. Maple butter, on the other hand, contains not only maple syrup but also butter.

Maple butter is essentially maple-flavored butter. Most recipes tell you to use one part of maple syrup for two parts of butter. As a result, the maple flavor is more intense in maple cream. 

To make maple butter, you just need to beat maple syrup with softened butter until fully blended and fluffy. You can then shape the maple butter into a tube or a brick. 

The nutritional value of maple butter and maple cream differs. Maple butter contains a significant amount of fats while maple cream (made of pure maple syrup) doesn’t contain any. 

Maple cream and maple butter are used differently too. You can use maple butter for recipes where you can use both butter and maple syrup. 

Consider using maple butter instead of regular butter for certain baking recipes to give baked goods a hint of maple flavor. As maple butter is sweet, reduce the amount of the sweetener you are using. 

Maple butter is good for spreading on toast, pancakes, and waffles. Maple butter also works well for savory recipes, including sauces and glazes for meat. 

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