Maple syrup nutritional facts

Michelle Neff<hydemich@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension -

Maple syrup is great on pancakes, waffles, ice cream and in many other desserts. Let’s explore the nutritional facts and benefits of enjoying real maple syrup.

Maple syrup is a byproduct of trees. Each year, producers around the country spend their spring making delicious maple syrup. Maple syrup is made by boiling down the sugar sap that is taken from maple trees. During spring, trees are coming alive and sap is flowing, providing a great time to harvest sap and turn it into the sugary treat of maple syrup.

The sap needs to be boiled to remove the water and turn the sugar into maple syrup. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make just 1 gallon of maple syrup. Producers use a variety of methods of collecting sap as well as boiling it. Many producers use evaporators of varying sizes to help boil it down. Once it is ready, syrup is made and bottled into smaller containers for consumers to enjoy.

The nutritional benefits of maple syrup are numerous. The following are reasons to avoid corn syrup flavored with maple and stick to real maple syrup products:

  • 1 tablespoon of maple syrup is 50 calories.
  • No additives, coloring or preservatives are used in making maple syrup.
  • Maple syrup is full of antioxidants.
  • 1 tablespoon of maple syrup contains the following vitamins and minerals:
    • 20 milligrams of calcium
    • 2 milligrams of phosphorous
    • 0.2 milligrams of iron
    • 2 milligrams of sodium
    • 5 milligrams of potassium

Maple syrup is one of the oldest agriculture enterprises in the United States, and Michigan ranks sixth in maple syrup production. To learn more, Michigan State University Extension suggests visiting the Michigan Maple Syrup Association.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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