I’ve used Great Value Sugar Free Syrup several times now, to add low-calorie maple flavor to almond drinks, cereals, and buckwheat pancakes and waffles. To me, this naturally and artificially flavored syrup is a pleasant alternative to table sugar and corn syrup-based sweetener products, though it does burn my throat a little if I get too much of it on a fork full of pancake. 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.
This product seems to equal honey and agave nectar in terms of sweetness. However, I’d suggest that you not use this syrup in place of these other sweeteners, as it’s flavor interacts differently with foods. Thus, the resulting flavors may be unexpected and not desired.
This low sugar syrup has 35 calories per 1/4 cup serving, or about 9 calories per tablespoon, compared with pure maple syrup that bops you with 50 calories per tablespoon or 200 calories per quarter cup.
Benefits, Pros, Advantages, and Features
- 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 Great Value 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 lighter than the corresponding Maple Grove Farms Sugar Free Maple Flavored Syrup (reviewed here), and has a weaker flavor overall, in terms of levels of sweetness and maple flavor.
- This 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 when food appearance is important.
- This product is easy to find at Walmart exclusively. But you’re out of luck if you have no Walmart near you.
- I’ve never experienced any intestinal or stomach problems from this reasonably good-tasting syrup.
- It has a syrupy feel to it, but somewhat thicker than grade A real maple syrup. In fact, real maple syrup tends flows more freely (thinner) than imitation varieties like this one.
- Though this flavored syrup is not as good-tasting to me as real maple syrup, the basic idea of maple flavor is fairly well replicated in this offering.
- Though this product indeed compromises on taste as compared to syrup of nature, it’s nonetheless one of the least compromising maple flavored syrups I’ve tasted.
- They sweeten this product with a host of low and zero calorie sweeteners such as Splenda brand sucralose, acesulfame potassium, along with the sorbitol sugar alcohol.
- This product seems comparably priced to others like it.
- Without added sugar, this product is very much less addictive than real maple syrup.
Disadvantages, Cons, Problems, and Concerns
- 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.
- I wish they’d package this product in glass instead of plastic.
- It can burn my throat a bit.
Ingredients
Water, sorbitol. Contains less than 2% of cellulose gum, salt, natural and artificial flavors, caramel color, xanthan gum, sorbic acid and sodium benzoate (preservatives), acesulfame potassium (non nutritive sweetener), potassium chloride, sodium hexametaphosphate, phosphoric acid, sucralose (non nutritive sweetener).
Allergy warning: May contain traces of milk, wheat, and soy.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving size: 1/4 cup (60 millilitres). Servings per container: about 12.
- Calories: 35. Fat calories: 0.
- Total fat: 0 grams, 0% DV.
- Saturated fat: 0 grams, 0% DV.
- Trans fat: 0 grams.
- Polyunsaturated fat: 0 grams.
- Monounsaturated fat: 0 grams.
- Cholesterol: 0 milligrams, 0% DV.
- Sodium: 115 milligrams, 5% DV.
- Potassium: 95 milligrams, 3% DV.
- Total carb: 11 grams, 4% DV.
- Dietary fiber: < 1 gram, 0% DV.
- Sugars: 0 grams.
- Sugar alcohol: 10 grams.
- Protein: 0 grams.
- Vitamin A: 0% DV.
- Vitamin C: 0% DV.
- Calcium: 0% DV.
- Iron: 0% DV.
- Folic acid: 0% DV.
Product Rating
I sort-of like this sugar-free syrup but am not crazy about it. 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 pure maple syrup. So I’d rate this product at 85 out of 100. Much of what it lacks in flavor, it gives back in reduced calories and carbs.
Where To Buy Great Value Sugar Free Syrup
Look for the clear plastic bottle with the white label that is capped with a blue lid, with the blue and white Great Value logo and a picture of pancakes with syrup running over them on the front, exclusively at Walmart grocery stores and super centers.
References
- Sodium Hexametaphosphate on Wikipedia
- Sorbic Acid on Wikipedia
- Sucralose on Wikipedia
- Where To Buy Great Value Sugar Free Maple Flavored Syrup
Revision History
- : Adjusted category and tag assignments, fixed typos, and added white space.
- 2012-06-26: Originally published.