Maple Syrup Candies
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These Maple Syrup Candies are made with only one ingredient: pure maple syrup! Make them in maple leaf molds for cute results.
December 17th is National Maple Syrup Day! You must celebrate with maple syrup, and these maple syrup candies are the perfect way to do so! How cute are they? The best thing is that they are delicious too. You can also make my maple bourbon green beans for dinner. They’re the best.
Share the maple syrup love on social media today using the hashtags #NationalMapleSyrupDay, #MapleSyrupDay and #RecipesForHolidays!
Be sure to follow my December Food Holidays page so you never miss a food holiday in the month of December.
“I always feel at home where the sugar maple grows… glorious in autumn, a fountain of coolness in summer, sugar in its veins, gold in its foliage, warmth in its fibers and health in it the year round.”
-John Burroughs
The History of Maple Syrup:
Facts from Maple Valley Cooperative:
The origins of maple sugaring (the practice of making maple syrup from sap) are steeped in legend. Native Americans began the practice long before Europeans arrived in North America. However, no one knows what tribe first discovered it. There are multiple legends regarding its discovery.
Early Native American methods of sap collection involved cutting a V shape into the bark of the maple tree and placing a wedge at the bottom of the cut. Sap would flow out of the wedge and into baskets that were placed at the base of the tree. The sap was collected and slowly boiled until it became syrup. At this point, they would allow it to cool and it would be kept in baskets. Generally, the gathering and boiling of sap was done by women in the tribe.
When European colonists settled in the area, they learned how to tap maple trees from the indigenous people. However, instead of using a wedge to extract sap, they would drill holes in the trees using augers. They would then insert wooden spouts into the holes and hang buckets from them to collect sap.
In modern times, there are many options for making maple syrup that are available to producers. Depending on which method they use, they are able to greatly increase production and efficiency in their production, thus lowering cost for customers. However, at its most basic level, the process has not changed much from the original method used by early Native Americans.
Only One Ingredient Needed!
All you need is pure maple syrup to make this recipe. Don’t use the processed stuff that you might buy to put on pancakes. Use PURE maple syrup!
You can buy the maple leaf candy molds on Amazon. They’re so cute!
How to make Maple Syrup Candies:
The full, printable recipe is at the end of this post.
- Attach a candy thermometer to a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring maple syrup to a boil in the saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until syrup reaches 235℉ (110℃).
- Remove from heat and cool to 175℉ (80℃) without stirring, about 10 minutes.
- Stir mixture rapidly with a wooden spoon until thick, creamy, and lighter in color, about 3 minutes.
- Pour into molds. Scrape the excess off the top with a knife. Allow to cool at room temperature until set.
- Unmold the candy. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Tools needed:
- Candy Thermometer: Be sure to buy one that has a clip that can attach to the pan.
- Maple Leaf Candy Molds: You can also use these to make ice cubes or small brownies!
What I Love About This Recipe:
- They’re darn cute.
- They’re so tasty!
- It’s a fun way to add maple flavor and sweetness to an Old Fashioned cocktail (in place of simple syrup!)
Fun Facts about Maple Syrup:
- Of the 132 species of maple trees, only 3 species are used to make maple syrup. Black maple, red maple, and sugar maple are popular choices for syrup producers due to the high sugar content of the sap.
- One tree can produce up to 15 gallons of sap per year. 40 gallons of sap can make 1 gallon of syrup!
- Most of the world’s maple syrup comes from Quebec.
- Maple farming is very weather-dependent. Producers typically start tapping trees in early spring, when the trees and their sap begin to thaw. In a good year, the sugaring season will last between four and six weeks.
- Due to rationing during the Second World War, Canadians were encouraged to sweeten their food with maple syrup instead of sugar.
Maple Syrup Candies
Ingredients
- 2 cups pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Attach a candy thermometer to a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring maple syrup to a boil in the saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until syrup reaches 235℉ (110℃).
- Remove from heat and cool to 175℉ (80℃) without stirring, about 10 minutes.
- Stir mixture rapidly with a wooden spoon until thick, creamy, and lighter in color, about 3 minutes.
- Pour into molds. Scrape the excess off the top with a knife. Allow to cool at room temperature until set.
- Unmold the candy. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
