Out Of Pancake Syrup? Try This 3-Ingredient Alternative

There's nothing like a weekend batch of light and fluffy pancakes topped with butter and doused in syrup to bring back all the warm, cozy nostalgia of yesteryear. But what happens when you make the perfect batch (while avoiding common pancake mistakes, of course) only to discover you've run out of syrup? While you might be completely devastated at first, as long as you have three ingredients, you can whip up a quick pancake syrup alternative in minutes.

You'll need water, brown sugar, and maple extract. Combine the water and brown sugar in a saucepan and let it simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved, similar to how you would make a classic simple syrup. Once that happens, stir in a touch of maple extract — it's best to start conservatively with about ½ teaspoon, and increase as needed — then let the mixture cool. You can store the syrup in the refrigerator for about three to four weeks.

Your sugar-to-water ratio will determine how runny or thick the final product is. A typical simple syrup uses a 1:1 ratio (one cup of sugar to one cup of water), resulting in a thin, easily pourable syrup with a runny consistency similar to real maple syrup. If you prefer a thicker syrup more like the pancake syrup you grew up with, you may want to increase the sugar. This will create a richer consistency somewhere between real maple syrup and molasses.

Start with one cup of brown sugar to ½ cup of water, and adjust according to your personal preference. Serve the syrup slightly warm or at room temperature for the best results, but keep in mind that once refrigerated, it will thicken significantly. If it becomes too thick, simply bring it to room temperature or heat it in the microwave or on the stove. Also, note that the syrup may crystallize slightly in the refrigerator — this is normal and will disappear once it's warmed.

While you're likely making this for pancakes, feel free to use this syrup however you would typically use maple syrup. Drizzle it on oatmeal, roasted veggies, or even use it to make a maple-infused brown sugar boba.