Is Maple Syrup Vegan?

Is maple syrup vegan? Straight from the tree, it is. However, there’s something you need to watch out for! Read on to learn more.

Following a vegan diet doesn’t just mean abstaining from meat. Vegans avoid all animal products, including eggs, dairy, and even honey. Sadly, many foods that seem to be vegan, such as chocolates, beers, and bread, may actually contain non-vegan ingredients.

If you’re new to a plant-based diet, you may have questions about what you can and can’t eat. Is maple syrup vegan? What ingredients should you watch out for when you’re reading product labels?

While sticking to a vegan diet may seem difficult, it’s much easier when you know what to pay attention to.

Is Maple Syrup Vegan?

Maple syrup is a food that seems like it should be naturally vegan. Straight from the tree, it is!

But then comes the problem. After the sap has been collected, it’s brought to the sugarhouse. It’s then boiled down.

The water is evaporated, caramelizing the sugar a bit to leave a nice and thick syrup. But now there’s foam on top of the syrup that needs to be reduced.

This is when conventional producers will add in animal fat. That’s right. They add in lard to help defoam the maple syrup.

To make matters worse, this ingredient doesn’t appear on the label. It’s such a tiny amount that it’s not required to be listed.

Thankfully, there are a few simple ways to make sure that a product is vegan-friendly. If a maple syrup is labeled as organic, you can rest assured that it’s safe for vegans.

Organic maple syrup products must use organic vegetable oils during the production process.

Another option is to contact the company directly. Find the manufacturer’s website and send them a message asking them if they use any animal byproducts to make their maple syrup. You may also be able to find lists of vegan-friendly products online.

Once you get your hands on some vegan maple syrup, give one of these fantastic maple syrup recipes a try!

Here are some of my favorites:

I have also have about 250 vegan recipes that you might enjoy! Most of them are sweets. ;)

Can You Use Maple Syrup as a Substitute for Honey?

Honey is never vegan, but as long as you buy the right product, maple syrup is safe for vegans to enjoy. This means that you can use it as a substitute for honey in many recipes.

Even though maple syrup is thinner than honey, it will work well in a variety of recipes. While the taste may be slightly different, you’ll still get the sweet flavor that honey provides.

There are some recipes, like granola bars, that call for honey, in which you really shouldn’t sub maple syrup.

That’s because the stickiness of the honey is required to hold the recipe together. I do have these Vegan Granola Bars that use maple syrup. They’re also no-bake!

And in some recipes like these Chocolate Flapjacks or Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats that do call for honey but have a vegan option, there’s another alternative – brown rice syrup or golden syrup (also called light treacle).

So there are lots of options other than honey. :)

I hope I’ve answered your question! If you have any others, please leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to help answer it.

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