For many bakers these days, corn syrup isn’t a standard pantry staple, so familiarizing yourself with the best corn syrup substitutes can be helpful. Perhaps the ingredient’s relative scarcity in today’s home kitchens can be traced to some bad publicity that surrounds the stuff. For those who remain tentative, it’s worth noting that regular corn syrup—the kind you find at your grocery store in the baking section—is not the same thing as high fructose corn syrup. While both are made from corn starch, corn syrup is 100% glucose syrup, while high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has been processed to convert some of that glucose into fructose.
When seeking a substitute, it’s also important to understand why recipes call for corn syrup. It’s an invert sugar, which means that it prevents sugar crystals from forming. This is crucial when you’re making things like caramel, fudge, or other candies that aim for a smooth final texture rather than something that is crystalized, lumpy, and grainy. “It keeps the sugar syrupy and moist,” says Alice Medrich, author of Seriously Bitter Sweet: The Ultimate Dessert Maker’s Guide to Chocolate.
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When it’s not used to prevent crystallization, corn syrup can be used to lend shine and body to things like chocolate sauce or pecan pie. A bottle of corn syrup’s expiration date is likely years out, but if you still don’t care to keep it stocked in your pantry, there are a few alternatives, some of which you may keep around for topping pancakes and biscuits:
Agave nectar
“If I had to make a substitution, I would probably try agave first,” says New York City-based recipe developer Janine Desiderio. “It’s a bit more neutral in flavor than honey, is still a liquid at room temp, and is similar in sweetness level.” To quantify that, corn syrup is usually around 77 degrees Brix (a scale used to measure the dissolved sugar solids in a liquid and frequently used to determine the solution’s level of sweetness—the higher the Brix, the sweeter the syrup). Agave rings in at 65 to 79 degrees Brix. Agave’s mild flavor makes it a great equal swap-in for dishes like pie or chocolate sauce, but it won’t work as well for candy-making since it has different chemical properties than corn syrup.
Brown rice syrup
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A one-to-one substitution for corn syrup at about 78 degrees Brix, and a favorite of Epi staffer Kendra Vaculin, brown rice syrup is made by breaking down rice starches into simple sugars and boiling them into syrup. It can be used for candy-making because it prevents crystallization. While the consistency is similar to corn syrup, it has light nutty flavor (almost like toasted brown rice) that’s delicious, but may not work for all dishes.
Honey
Honey won’t prevent crystallization as well as corn syrup does, so it’s not the best choice if you’re making candy, but it’s great for other uses. You can sub in equal quantities, but at around 80 degrees Brix, honey does bring a higher rate of sweetness. It also has a distinct flavor, so try to choose a mild variety like acacia or clover, unless you specifically want to add a strong taste of honey to what you’re making. “It’ll take over unless it’s a very subtle honey,” says Chocolatier Michael Recchiuti of San Francisco-based Recchiuti Confections. For recipes that wouldn’t be complemented by those honey notes, Recchiuti suggests going with one of the more neutral corn syrup alternatives.
Golden syrup
“I love Lyle’s Golden Syrup,” says New York City-based pastry chef and cookbook author Karen DeMasco. “It’s not as strong as honey,” she says; and that’s a good thing. Recchiuti agrees: “It’s got a little bit of a slight caramel flavor, and it’s got wonderful texture,” he says. “It won’t take away from any other subtleties of the recipe.” The British pantry staple, which is a by-product of sugar refinery, can be tricky to find in American grocery stores. If you score a canister, the syrup can be substituted one-to-one for corn syrup (though it is slightly sweeter at around 82 degrees Brix) and it happens to have many of the same chemical properties as corn syrup, so it can be used in candy-making.
Black treacle
Black treacle, an uncrystallized syrup variety popular in Britain, is a good choice for anyone looking for a substitute for dark corn syrup. This darker counterpart to golden syrup is often used in desserts like sticky toffee pudding or simply for stirring into tea. “It’s like a different, stronger version of molasses. It’s very intense,” says Recchiuti. It’s on the higher end of the Brix scale at about 80 degrees, but it also has an inherent bitterness to balance some of that sugar. While treacle does work for candy recipes, its potent and specific taste will certainly translate into the final product, so be sure the existing flavor profile of your dish will be harmonious with those dominant brown sugar and molasses notes.
Cane syrup
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Cane syrup is made by extracting the juice from raw sugar cane stalks and boiling it down until thick. It has a robust, almost smoky flavor. It’s not a great substitute to use in hard candy and caramel making, but at around 65 degrees Brix, is a worthy, flavorful replacement in baking recipes like our Brown Butter Pecan Pie With Rum.
Tapioca syrup
Derived from the starches of the cassava plant, this sweetener can be used as another one-to-one substitute for corn syrup. Recchiuti prefers it over brown rice or agave syrups, citing its similar consistency to corn syrup and noting that it easily incorporates into recipes. He also says it has a tendency to read slightly less sweet than those other alternatives, even though it has a high Brix level of around 80 degrees. Tapioca syrup can recrystallize as it sets at room temperature, so while it’s a good choice for cakes and even ice creams, Recchiuti notes that it’s not stable enough to use in certain applications he’s tested, such as marshmallows.
Sugar-water solution
Standard simple syrup uses a 1:1 ratio of granulated sugar to warm water, but by increasing the sugar content to a 4:1 ratio, you can create a thicker sugar syrup that’s closer to the consistency of corn syrup. This sugar solution will indeed recrystallize, but it’s a particularly apt choice for substituting light corn syrup in baked goods. Its neutral-flavored sweetness means it can seamlessly stand in for corn syrup, rather than introducing its own additional flavor.
Maple syrup
Maple syrup has a pretty specific flavor and it’s a bit thinner in consistency than corn syrup, but you can still use an equal amount in most baked goods and sauces. At around 67 degrees Brix, it’s slightly less sweet, but the rich flavor will carry it through, especially when subbing it in for dark corn syrup. Just be careful about adding it to recipes that would clash with or be overwhelmed by a maple component.
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