If you are just starting the keto diet or easing yourself into it with a low carb lifestyle, chances are you haven’t even thought of having pancakes, waffles, or french toast. Probably because of the fact that these are all high carbohydrate filled foods, but that isn’t even taking into consideration the maple syrup people lather these delicious breakfast plates with.

Now there are companies coming out with low carb and keto pancake mixes like Birch Benders and Swerve that are making it possible to have them again, but what about the added syrup?

Can you just through on maple syrup on top of the keto pancakes? Is maple syrup keto friendly? That is the answer I am aiming to get to the bottom of.

After the research and information I gathered I’ve got my answer:

Maple syrup is not keto friendly.

But no need to worry! There are keto friendly syrups and maple syrup alternatives that I provide at the end of this article.

You can find my favorite keto maple syrup on Amazon here

How is maple syrup made?

Maple syrup is made by different species of maple trees. They create a starch during cold weather that they store at the base of the tree in their trunks and in their roots. In the late winter and early spring, this starch is converted to sugar and rises. Maple syrup harvesters will drill holes in the trees to gather this sap. Once they have it, the sap is processed by heating to evaporate the water leaving the concentrated syrup.

What ingredients are in maple syrup?

Pure maple syrup makes it easy to breakdown the ingredients. There is only one. You can find it below.

Xylem Sap

This is the sap found in the roots and base of the maple trees after tapping and drilling holes into the tree.

How many different maple syrups are there?

To make this as easy as possible we will group all types of maple syrup into 2 categories. No need to get confused between the different flavorings of maple syrup.

Pure/Real Maple Syrup

This type of maple syrup is never messed with artificially or refined in any way. It is simply collected from the maple tree and processed by evaporating out the water and that is all. Pure/Real Maple Syrups are given an A grade and is distinguished by colors and flavor.

  • Grade A | Golden Color and Delicate Taste
  • Grade A | Amber Color and Rich Flavor
  • Grade A | Dark Color and Robust Flavor
  • Grade A | Very Dark and Strong Flavor

Pure Maple Sup Nutrition Facts

Amount Per 1 tbsp
Calories 52

 

% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0 g 0%
Saturated fat 0 g 0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0 g
Monounsaturated fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Sodium 2 mg 0%
Potassium 42 mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 13 g 4%
Dietary fiber 0 g 0%
Sugar 14 g
Protein 0 g 0%

 

Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 2% Iron 0%
Vitamin D 0% Vitamin B-6 0%
Cobalamin 0% Magnesium 1%

 

Artificial/Fake Maple Syrup

This is the most common maple syrup fund in the homes of America. Here are the common ingredients found in one of the most popular artificial maple syrup brands, Aunt Jemima Original Syrup

aunt jemima maple syrup

INGREDIENTS: Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Cellulose Gum, Caramel Color, Salt, Sodium Benzoate And Sorbic Acid (Preservatives), Artificial And Natural Flavors, Sodium Hexametaphosphate.

Is maple syrup unhealthy for you?

Real maple syrup has some natural health benefits, but may not be healthy for someone on a keto or low carb diet.

Health Benefits According to AcadianMaple.com

  • Manganese (aids in energy production)
  • Zinc (helps your immune system)
  • Calcium (great for strengthening bones and teeth)
  • Riboflavin (aids in metabolic processes)
  • Magnesium (associated with lowered risk of heart disease)
  • Potassium (helps to maintain a normal blood pressure)

Where can you buy maple syrup?

You can find maple syrup just about anywhere they sell your common grocery items. Places like, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Target, Walmart, Amazon, etc.

You can find pure maple syrup here on Amazon here

You can find pure maple syrup here on Amazon here

What can you use maple syrup with?

Maple syrup is used as a sweetening ingredient in many recipes. It is used for delicious pancakes, waffles, french toast, and more. The options are endless when it comes to maple syrup usage in recipes and dishes, but should you even be using it if you are on a keto or low carb diet.

So… is maple syrup keto friendly?

No. Maple syrup is NOT keto friendly because of the extremely high number of carbs and sugar found in the ingredients and because maple syrup has a high glycemic index of 65 leading to a very large effect on your insulin levels. 

But there is a keto option that you can substitute and it tastes very similar.

You can find my favorite keto maple syrup on Amazon here

Are there any types of maple syrups that are keto friendly?

Not all maple syrups should be treated the same because of the different ingredients that are found on the nutrition labels, but for the most part, pure and artificial maple syrup are not keto friendly.

Is pure maple syrup keto friendly?

No

Is artificial maple syrup keto friendly?

No

What are some alternatives to maple syrup?

Here are some of the alternatives to maple syrup currently out there. They may not all be keto friendly so beware.

Are there any keto friendly friendly maple syrup recipes?

Yes,  there are some options to make a keto friendly maple syrup at home. Here are some of our favorite recipes.

Let us know if you have any questions or if you want to connect and talk more about the keto diet or keto lifestyle!