Maple Grove Farms Sugar Free Maple Flavored Syrup Review

I’ve used   Maple Grove Farms Sugar Free Maple Flavored Syrup   for a few months now, to add low-calorie maple flavor to almond drinks, cereals, and of course, buckwheat pancakes and waffles.   To me, this naturally and artificially flavored syrup product is a pleasant alternative to table sugar and corn syrup-based sweetener products.  It supplies some of the unique natural maple flavor that makes real maple syrup so worth the extra expense over the man-made varieties of maple-flavored corn syrup.

The Maple Grove Farms low sugar syrup has 30 calories per 1/4 cup serving, or about 8 calories per tablespoon, compared with pure maple syrup that wacks you with 50 calories per tablespoon or 200 calories per quarter cup.

This product seems to equal honey and agave nectar in terms of sweetness.  However, I’d suggest that you not use maple flavored syrup in place of these other sweeteners, as it’s flavor interacts differently with the foods you put it on.  Thus, the resulting flavors may not be what you expected or wanted.

 

Benefits, Features, Pros, and Advantages

  • This maple flavored syrup dissolves completely and quickly in hot drinks.  It’s easier to dissolve than honey.
  • It requires just one stirring, as it does not typically separate after it’s  completely dissolved in beverages.
  • Though a low-calorie imitation of real maple syrup, this product nonetheless, impresses the palate as a, medium-strength maple flavor, and has a pronounced, albeit fake-smelling, maple aroma.
  • This brand of maple flavored syrup appears darker than the corresponding Great Value brand (reviewed later), and has a stronger flavor (though not sweeter, but also more uniquely maple and natural-tasting).
  • This flavored syrup is clear and indeed, dark amber in color when poured onto a white plate; a bit darker than both honey and agave nectar.  So it can darken the colors of foods or beverages you put it in.  Keep this in mind.
  • A pure maple syrup lover since I first learned about it nearly a decade ago, I’m pleased that through products such as this lower-calorie offering from the Maple Grove Farms brand, all maple flavored syrup has certainly moved into widespread distribution and sale here in North America in light of America’s obesity problem.
  • This product is easy to find at bigger grocery stores.  So one usually needs not to travel to a designated health food store just to buy it.  Most stores in my area carry much of the complete line of Maple Grove Farms syrup products these days.
  • I’ve never experienced any intestinal or stomach problems from this okay-tasting syrup.
  • This syrup indeed has a syrupy feel to it, but somewhat thicker than grade A real maple syrup.  In fact, real maple syrup tends to flow more freely (thinner) than these imitation varieties.
  • When they talk about the classic taste of pancakes and pure maple syrup, they must have had the Maple Grove Farms brand in mind indeed.  Though this flavored syrup is not as good-tasting to me as their real maple syrup, the basic idea of maple flavor is well replicated in this product.
  • Though this product indeed compromises on taste as compared to the real thing, I’d say that it’s one of the least compromising maple flavored syrups on the market thus far.
  • They sweeten this product with Splenda brand sucralose zero calorie sweetener, along with the sorbitol sugar alcohol.
  • This product seems comparably priced to others in its class.

 

Disadvantages, Cons, Problems, and Concerns

  • I wish they’d package this product in glass instead of plastic.
  • Most of the sweetness in this product comes from sugar alcohol, that can wreak havoc in some people.  I’d recommend that they do away with the sorbitol and rely entirely on sucralose for the sweetness.
  • If spilled, any maple syrup, natural or not, can draw bugs, just as spilled sugar or sugary syrup might.  Like you would with sugar, take care during clean-up that you leave no sticky syrup behind that could attract ants and roaches.  It’s easy to clean and quite water-soluble.  So a wet dish rag effectively removes spills.  The darkness of this syrup makes it easy to see if spilled on counters and tables.

 

Ingredients

Water, sorbitol, cellulose gum, natural & artificial maple flavor, salt, sucralose, sodium benzoate (to preserve freshness), caramel color, phosphoric acid, acesulfame potassium, potassium sorbate (to preserve freshness), sorbic acid, citric acid.

 

Nutrition Facts

  • Serving size: 1/4 cup (60 millilitres).
  • Servings per container: about 12.
  • Calories: 30.
  • Fat calories: 0.
  • Total fat: 0 grams, 0% DV.
  • Cholesterol: 0 milligrams, 0% DV.
  • Sodium: 105 milligrams, 4% DV.
  • Total carb: 10 grams, 3% DV.
  • Sugar alcohol: 10 grams.
  • Protein: 0 grams.

 

Product Rating

I sort-of like this sugar-free maple flavored syrup.  Clearly though, it’s not as good-tasting as real maple syrup.  But for the sacrifice in some of that great natural maple flavor, you also avoid most of the sugar calories of real maple syrup.  So I’d rate this product at 90 out of 100.  Much of what it taketh away in flavor, it gives back in reduced calories.

 

Where To Buy Maple Grove Farms Sugar Free Maple Flavored Syrup

Look for the clear plastic bottle with the red, green, yellow, and white label that is capped with a red lid at your favorite larger grocers.

 

References

 

Revision History

  • : Adjusted category and tag assignments, fixed typos, and added white space.
  • 2012-06-23: Originally published.