Repeatedly we’re told that maple syrup is the answer to all our natural sweetness problems. You’ll see ‘pure maple syrup’ in recipes throughout the health webosphere. but what does it really mean, and is maple syrup even any better for you than straight up sugary golden syrup?
Next time you come across a recipe that asks for pure maple syrup, you might think just using golden syrup is the same, not to mention cheaper, more readily available and, as a syrup, there’s no difference. If only that were true! Take a look at the difference between maple and golden syrup to see which you should be using in your healthy baking.
Maple Syrup
What’s the difference: in form?
Maple syrup is made from the sap of sugar maple, red maple of black maple trees.
What’s the difference: in process?
Sap is drained from the tree and then boiled down until pure syrup. They’re then graded by their purity – golden grades are mild and dark grades are intense.
Related posts: What’s the difference: honey vs. raw honey vs. agave nectar?
What’s the difference: in nutritional value?
Sucrose is the prime sugar in maple syrup, which is purely from the syrup with no chemicals or preservatives. Made up of 32% water, 67% carbs (90% being sugars) with high levels of manganese and riboflavin. Imitation maple syrups are also available, which use less pure maple syrup, and are likely to be nutritionally deficient compared to pure maple syrup.
Looking to buy a sugar free maple syrup? Take a look here
Golden Syrup
What’s the difference: in form?
Golden syrup is made from refining sugar cane or sugar beets into an inverted sugar syrup.
What’s the difference: in process?
Sugar cane or sugar beets are refined by either dissolving or evaporating the sugar crystals into fructose and glucose or by treating with enzymes.
What’s the difference: in taste?
Golden syrup is sweeter than table sugar and is higher in fructose and glucose.
If you’re on the hunt for a traditional golden syrup, there are plenty of options (Lyle’s 
My Wellbeing Journal 