Have you ever tried to make maple syrup? If you have, you know it is a long process and takes a lot of maple trees. It’s definitely not something you can do in a weekend. It takes a lot of time and effort. I can’t show you how to easily make maple syrup, but I can tell you how to make your own syrup at home for pancakes and waffles, even if it’s not from maple trees.

Making your own syrup isn’t just extra tasty, you also know what is going into your syrup. You don’t have to worry about the extra preservatives. Also, what about those times when you whip up a delicious stack of pancakes only to find out you have no syrup? You can make this syrup with even the most basic ingredients that you probably already have.

Start by mixing one cup of granulated sugar, one cup of packed brown sugar, one coup of water, 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon of maple extract in a saucepan and stir it with a wooden spoon. You can replace the brown sugar with granulated if you don’t have any, but it won’t be as rich. You can skip the maple extract if you don’t have any.

Combine all the ingredients on the stovetop until they are combined completely. Turn the stove on medium high and bring it to a boil. Then turn down the heat and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until it is as thick as you want it to be.

I prefer it to be nice and thick so that it doesnt soak into my pancakes or French toast so easily and make it soggy. Thinner syrup will resemble more the consistency of real maple syrup. Test it out for the best way that you like.

You can either use your maple syrup immediately or store it in the refrigerator. Use an old syrup container, jar, or squeeze top water bottle to store your syrup. If you want thicker syrup, you can use more sugar or less water and you can double or triple the recipe if you would like.

The syrup can be stored in the fridge for many weeks. Whenever you go to use it, stick it in the microwave to soften. It will be a little hard at first until you do this. It’s a delicious way to have it on your pancakes. Add a couple tablespoons of butter to your syrup if you like a buttery flavor.

Homemade is always better, right? Most of the time it is, and this case is one of them. It might not be as good as real maple syrup, but it is the next best thing. And if you don’t like real maple syrup, you can still get the great homemade taste the way you like it!