Light corn syrup is a clear-colored syrup made by extracting sugars from cornstarch. It also often includes a little vanilla flavoring. You'll find it listed as an ingredient in recipes for candy, caramel popcorn, frosting, and sweet sauces. It doesn't crystallize like sugar so it can withstand high cooking temperatures.
If you don't have a bottle in the pantry, you might not need to run to the store. There are a number of light corn syrup substitutes that should work out just fine; which you choose will depend on you're making.
Which Corn Syrup Substitute Will Work Best in Your Recipe?
Corn syrup doesn't add flavor to a recipe—just sweetness—so sugar is definitely the best substitute in terms of flavor. By dissolving it in water, you're creating a concentrated simple syrup. This liquid form is a great substitute for pies (like pecan) and coated fruits. However, unlike corn syrup, sugar crystallizes at high temps, so it's not a good choice for candy recipes that you have to take past the softball stage (235 F).
Assuming your recipe can take the addition of maple flavoring, any maple-flavored syrup is a brilliant substitute in all situations. It's made from corn syrup, so really you're just substituting like for like when you go this route. Of course, this is not a solution if you're allergic to corn or trying to cut corn syrup from your diet.
Honey is a good stand-in in baked good recipes because it will retain the moisture. While the honey will add a bit of flavor, the difference will be subtle as long as youstick with light-colored honey.
Agave syrup (or agave nectar) has a fairly mild flavor, so it's another option to consider. It can be used in pies, sauces, and other dessert recipes, but won't work for candy making.
Light molasses is perhaps the substitute of last resort. It will give you the body you're after, but will also change the flavor of your recipe more than any of the other substitutes. Avoid using blackstrap molasses at all costs. It has a very distinct taste that is likely to overwhelm the other flavors in your recipe.
If you're making a candy that has to go to the hardball stage, corn syrup, brown rice syrup,or another glucose syrup really is the best way to go. Hard candies were made long before corn syrup existed, so consider consulting a vintage cookbook for techniques if you're determined to forgo corn syrup entirely.
Other Substitutes For Corn Syrup
If you haven't been able to find corn syrup locally, glucose syrup (also known as confectioner's glucose) or golden syrup can be used in its place. In fact, corn syrup is just a type of glucose syrup. It can also be made from potatoes, wheat, rice, and a few other things.
The best light corn syrup substitutes are golden syrup, brown rice syrup, golden or amber maple syrup, agave, tapioca syrup, simple syrup, and light honey.
The best light corn syrup substitutes are golden syrup, brown rice syrup, golden or amber maple syrup, agave, tapioca syrup, simple syrup, and light honey.
To replace glucose syrup, we recommend using other naturally occurring syrups, like honey, maple syrup, and agave syrups. The textures and flavor profiles will give you a similar texture and mouthfeel to your final results.
There are so many substitutes for maple syrup that can replicate the taste and texture of the real thing; honey, molasses, simple syrup, brown sugar syrup, brown rice syrup, corn syrup, golden syrup, coconut nectar, agave nectar, white sugar, brown sugar, or keto syrup alternatives.
Light corn syrup has a mild, sweet flavor and is absolutely colorless.Dark corn syrup gets its brown color from the inclusion of molasses, which also adds a richer flavor. Light and dark corn syrup can be used interchangeably in almost every instance, with slight flavor variances.
Honey will tend to have a more distinct flavor and can be used in equal amounts to corn syrup. This means you can use one cup of honey for every one cup of corn syrup the recipe calls for. This alternative is healthier than corn syrup and is packed with antioxidants.
If you're looking for a simple syrup substitute, there are three favorites you probably have right in your home: honey, maple syrup and agave. For honey or agave, add warm water to them, to help turn the mix to syrup. You can also use a sweet, juicy fruit, like an orange.
While corn syrup can accurately be called glucose syrup, not all glucose syrups are corn syrup — because they can be derived from other plant sources. Nutritionally, glucose and corn syrups are similar and offer very few health benefits. Neither contains a significant amount of vitamins or minerals ( 8 ).
Add equal parts of lightly packed brown sugar and water to a small saucepan. Heat over medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolved, about 3 to 5 minutes. Be careful not to bring the syrup to a boil or it will change the consistency and may encourage crystallization.
This is probably the easiest, fastest way to get a delicious maple syrup substitute: mix some jam (or jelly, or preserves, or marmalade) with a splash of water in a small pan over medium heat. Whisk until smooth, adding more water as needed until you get a nice, syrupy consistency.
Swap in equal parts maple syrup for light or dark corn syrup in pies, cakes, or any recipe where its subtle maple flavor would be welcome. Try it in place of light corn syrup in a gooey butter cake or homemade cracker jack, or in maple fudge or sour cherry-almond ice cream with chocolate chunks.
Proper storage means keeping the corn syrup in a cool, dry place and tightly sealing the container after each use to prevent contamination and moisture ingress. Corn syrup does not typically spoil the way that dairy products do because it doesn't contain proteins or fats that can quickly degrade.
Corn syrup is often added to fudge recipes to keep them from getting grainy, again by inhibiting the formation of large sugar crystals. That's also the reason it's sometimes added to cookie glazes: smaller crystals mean the frosting is shinier when it dries.
Maple syrup: Pure maple syrup will serve as the primary sweetener for this pecan pie. Coconut sugar (or brown sugar): Either coconut sugar or traditional brown sugar will work as our secondary (dry) sweetener.
"The main difference between corn syrup and golden syrup is in the manufacturing," explains Zeratsky; corn syrup is made from corn starch, while golden syrup is made from sugar. In the U.S., golden syrup is usually sold under the name of light treacle, but it's not readily available in many grocery stores.
Different from corn syrup you can find at the grocery store, which is manufactured from cornstarch and processed with a high percentage of glucose, cane sugar syrup comes from the sugar cane plant.
While corn syrup can accurately be called glucose syrup, not all glucose syrups are corn syrup — because they can be derived from other plant sources. Nutritionally, glucose and corn syrups are similar and offer very few health benefits. Neither contains a significant amount of vitamins or minerals ( 8 ).
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