This Maple Syrup Alternative Has Deeper Flavor

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When you're in need of maple syrup but don't have any on hand, you may have reached for an alternative. Agave syrup, molasses, and honey will work on top of pancakes, but there's another syrup option to consider. Sorghum syrup, made from an ancient grain that comes from Africa, is said to have a more complex flavor than maple syrup.

While maple syrup comes from a tree, sorghum syrup comes from the stalks of the plant of the same name. It's one of the most widely consumed grains in the world, and the United States is the world's largest producer. It is eaten as a grain and sometimes called milo, but the plant is also used for animal feed and as a renewable fuel source. In the 1800s, varieties of the crop were specifically imported to make sugar. The Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity reported that by 1888, the United States produced 20 million gallons of it.

Sorghum syrup is most similar to molasses; however, many consider it to be more flavorful than both molasses and maple syrup. It has an earthy, nutty flavor, and it's still plenty sweet, but it won't overwhelm your taste buds like straight white sugar does. Today, sorghum syrup remains somewhat of an old-school Southern food — but one that deserves a revival.

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Now that you understand what sorghum syrup is, you can see how it can be handy to have a bottle in the pantry. Naturally, it can be used in place of maple syrup or molasses in recipes, and it works really well on top of waffles, pancakes, oats, or a buttered biscuit. Keeping with the theme of breakfast, you could certainly use it to sweeten coffee or tea, but know that it's not going to have a neutral flavor like cane sugar.

For baking, any recipe that calls for a liquid sweetener, sorghum syrup can be used as a 1:1 replacement. For recipes made with cane sugar, substitute sorghum syrup at about half the amount to avoid adding excess liquid. Anywhere you find molasses in baking, sorghum syrup also shines; think crinkle cookies, gingerbread, and pumpkin loaves.

And while this next idea might not be a typical use for the sweetener, it also has the potential to replace a simple syrup in cocktails. Agave or honey are popular alternatives for the cane sugar-based simple syrup, but sorghum syrup will bring a new, complex layer of flavor to cocktails. Sticking with its Southern roots, the sweetener is perfect for an old fashioned cocktail.