9 Corn Syrup Substitutes for Silky Sauces and Crackly Candy

Agave nectar

"If I had to substitute something, I would probably try agave first," says recipe maker Janine Desiderio, who is based in New York City.

Brown rice syrup

Brown rice syrup, which can be prepared by breaking down rice starches into simple sugars and boiling them into syrup, is a favorite of Epi worker Kendra Vaculin. It may be used as a one-to-one replacement for corn syrup at a Brix of roughly 78.

Honey

While honey is fantastic for other reasons, it's not the ideal option if you're creating candy because it won't prevent crystallization as well as corn syrup does.

Golden syrup

"I adore Lyle's Golden Syrup," says pastry chef and cookbook author Karen DeMasco, who lives in New York City. She states, "It's not as strong as honey," which is advantageous.

Black treacle

If you're looking for an alternative to dark corn syrup, try black treacle, an uncrystallized syrup variant that's popular in Britain.

Cane syrup

Cane syrup is made by extracting the juice from raw sugar cane stalks and boiling it down until thick. It has a robust, almost smoky flavor.

Tapioca syrup

This sweetener, which is made from the starches of the cassava plant, is another 1:1 replacement for corn syrup.

Sugar-water solution

A 4:1 ratio of granulated sugar to warm water is used to make standard simple syrup; however, you may also make a thicker sugar syrup that resembles corn syrup by increasing the sugar content.

Maple syrup

Although it's slightly thinner in consistency and has a more distinct flavor than corn syrup, you can still use the same quantity in most baked items and sauces.