Better Than Mrs. Butterworth's Pancake Syrup recipe can be made in 3 minutes with 3 ingredients and you can have thick, rich and delicious syrup at a fraction of the cost.
Better Than Mrs. Butterworth's Pancake Syrup is a perfectly delightful rich and thick syrup that takes it time dripping down the tower of pancakes. Kids say it tastes even better than Mrs. Butterworth's and we could not agree more.
Out of Pancake Syrup? We have a Solution!
Have you ever whipped up a grand slam breakfast with all the fixings (eggs, pancakes, bacon, etc) and then realized you are completely out of pancake syrup? Who the heck wants to run out in their pajamas on a weekend morning while the rest of your breakfast is getting cold. Better Than Mrs. Butterworth's Pancake Syrup recipe has got you covered!
We have the perfect solution! You probably have these 3 ingredients in your pantry now… brown sugar, vanilla and water. Go ahead and check, we will wait for you. If you have those 3 little ingredients and 3 minutes of time you too can make thick and rich Better Than Mrs. Butterworth’s Pancake Syrup right now. There is absolutely no need to be running to the stores in your PJ’s as life is way too busy for that nonsense.
Why you are going to love Better than Mrs. Butterworth’s Pancake Syrup
You are going to love this Better than Mrs. Butterworth’s Pancake Syrup as it is so thick and rich, gluten-free and vegan. You may use either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar. We prefer the dark brown sugar as it has a robust complex flavor and is higher in molasses content than light brown sugar. Molasses contains vital vitamins and minerals, such as iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6, and selenium. We also made a batch with light brown sugar and the syrup is lighter in color. The sun came out in full force for the first time as for all the other shots it was raining outside so it looks a lot lighter.
Another reason why you are going to prefer to make your own homemade Better than Mrs. Butterworths Pancake Syrup recipe is to avoid the added ingredients in the store-bought version. Here is the list of ingredients on the back of Mrs. Butterworth's syrup; High fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, water, salt, cellulose gum, molasses, potassium sorbate (preservative), sodium hexametaphosphate, citric acid, caramel color, natural and artificial flavors. What exactly is sodium hexametaphosphate and why would we want this in our pancake syrup?!?
However, sweets are sweets! If you are diabetic or are sticking to a low carb diet, we are sorry but this recipe is just not for you. If you are trying to go low carb be sure to check out our recipe for Sesame Low Carb Bread a delicious and fun idea for breakfast, lunch and everything in between.
Here are some helpful pointers for making this Better than Mrs. Butterworths Pancake Syrup super delicious…
- You do not need a candy thermometer to make this recipe but you cannot be distracted and forget about the 3-minute time simmer very gentle boil time limit or you will end up with a delicious molasses hard candy instead of syrup.
- You are looking for a medium simmer with some bubbles for 3 minutes, not a full hard boil. (If you have an electric burner this may require you to pull your pan slightly off the burner to get the right heat)
- If you use a candy thermometer, do not let the temperature get above 200 F (93 C) degrees during the 3 minutes. Cooking below this temperature, there is still a lot of liquid so you will have a syrup instead of hard candy. To confirm you are doing it right, if you do not have a candy thermometer, drop a little of this syrup into cold water to cool, it should form a liquid thread that will not ball up.
- If your temperature is going up too high, just pull off the burner for a couple of seconds to bring the temperature back down and then adjust your heat.
- You can use either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar but we love the flavor of the dark brown, extra rich and delicious.
- As this recipe does not have any corn syrup or preservatives you will need to reheat to use if you let it cool and you can do this for about 20-30 seconds in the microwave. When this recipe for Better Than Mrs. Butterworth's Pancake Syrup cools, the sugar will crystalize.
- If you do not want to worry about having to reheat your syrup to use each time, then stir in 1 tablespoon of corn syrup after cooking your syrup.
- If you love an extra buttery taste, you can feel free to add a dollop of butter after you pull the syrup off the heat to melt.
- You can keep your leftover syrup in the refrigerator for up to a month in a sealed container. Remember it will crystallize so you will have to reheat before use.
All you need is about 3 minutes and 3 ingredients and you can have thick, rich and delicious syrup without a trip up to the local store in your PJ's.
If you are looking for some other delicious pancakes to fuel your day be sure to try our Gluten-Free Cardamom Pancakes , Gluten-Free Thai Shrimp Pancakes , or our Tofu Veggie Pancakes
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Better Than Mrs. Butterworth's Pancake Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup Brown sugar
(packed firmly) - we used dark brown sugar but you can also use light brown sugar - ¾ cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Mix brown sugar, water and vanilla in saucepan and bring to a very gentle boil for 3 minutes. Do not cover and stir frequently. The goal you need to be looking for the thread stage when boiling the brown sugar so do not allow the temperature to go above 200 degrees F. (93 degrees Celsius).
- HELPFUL HINTS: You do not need a candy thermometer to make this recipe but you cannot be distracted and forget about the 3-minute time simmer very gentle boil time limit or you will end up with a delicious molasses hard candy instead of syrup.
- You are looking for a medium simmer with some bubbles for 3 minutes, not a full hard boil. (If you have an electric burner this may require you to pull your pan slightly off the burner to get the right heat)
- If you use a candy thermometer, do not let the temperature get above 200 F (93 C) degrees during the 3 minutes. Cooking below the 200 F (93 C) degrees temperature, there is still a lot of liquid so you will have a syrup instead of hard candy. To confirm you are doing it right, if you do not have a candy thermometer, drop a little of this syrup into cold water to cool, it should form a liquid thread that will not ball up.
- If your temperature is going up too high, just pull off the burner for a couple of seconds to bring the temperature back down and then adjust your heat.
- Remove your syrup from burner and allow to cool. The syrup will thicken upon cooling. Do not allow the syrup to boil vigorously or leave on longer or your will have hard candy. If after 10 minutes of cooling your syrup is still not thick enough, then reboil for another 30 seconds to a minute. (If you want a buttery syrup, you can add a dab of butter after your remove your syrup from the heat and stir)
- Serve your Better than Mrs. Butterworth’s Pancake Syrup immediately over pancakes, icecream or other desserts.
- Your Better Than Mrs. Butterworth's Pancake Syrup with crystallize when it cools and it does not have any corn syrup. You will need to reheat any leftovers in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds or until the crystals dissolve before use.
- If you do not want to worry about having to reheat your syrup to use each time, then stir in 1 tablespoon of corn syrup after cooking your syrup.
- If you love an extra buttery taste, you can feel free to add a dollop of butter after you pull the syrup off the heat to melt.
- You can keep your leftover syrup in the refrigerator for up to a month in a sealed container. Remember it will crystallize so you will have to reheat before use.
Aubry says
I am going to save this recipe for that morning when I open the cupboard and realize I am out of Syrup
Ken says
It's too bad what's happened to some of the brands, and more and more people are looking for alternatives. I have to try this.
HWC Magazine says
Not to mention that some staples are still very difficult to come by this is a great little recipe to have in your back pocket. Thanks so much.
Sharon L Akofio Sowah says
I live in a tropical country. Can this syrup be stored in a cupboard and for how long? Will it spoil quickly if not refrigerated?
HWC Magazine says
Hiya Sharon! We also lived in a hot tropical area of Hong Kong. We stored our syrup in the refrigerator in a sealed container in the refrigerator up to one month and just reheated quickly before use to get rid of any sugar crystals. As there are no preservatives in this recipe, mold can grow in a hot tropical climates. The boys would go through it so fast, we never had it very long. Wishing you a super week ahead.
Gerlinde de Broekert says
What a great idea to make your own syrup.
Katerina says
OMG, I am just drooling in front of the screen!!!!
HWC Magazine says
LOL... So glad you like the updated photos. This is an oldie but goodie recipe we make all of the time.
Abbe@This is How I Cook says
My mother used to make this. We always wished we were out of syrup just so we could have it!
HWC Magazine says
That is so cool Abbe! We think that this syrup is richer than anything at the market too.
Shannah says
Hello,, Is it possible to double or triple your pancake syrup? Is it alright to put it in the fridge? I used to make it 30 yrs. ago but could never get it to the consistency. 🙁 Now, I will be forced to buy a thermometer. Please, reply to: [email protected]. Thank you. Shannah
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hello Shannah, thanks for your questions. I will reply both here and at your e-mail as other readers may have the same questions. You can certainly double or triple the recipe. I also stored mine in the refrigerator (for up to one week....I have hungry teenager boys and nothing seems to last very long). However after you refrigerate the syrup, sometimes little sugar crystals can form on top of your syrup but once you heat it back up to luke warm temperature it becomes a thick and rich syrup consistency again. (sometimes you can add a couple tablespoons of corn syrup to the mixture to prevent this) I needed a candy thermometer to get the syrup to the thread stage when boiling the sugar, so do not allow the temperature to go above 111 degrees Celsius" Have a super weekend!
Shannah says
Bam, Thank you so much for my quick reply on the maple syrup. 🙂 Shannah
Healthy World Cuisine says
You are most welcome. Wishing you a super weekend Shannah.
Angela says
Thanks for the idea, I'm going to try it. Does it store well?
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hello Angela, I know you are going to laugh at this but I have teenage boys and I have never had lots left over. However, once we did have a little left over and I stored it in the refrigerator for over a week and then just needed to bring it back up to temperature. (As I stored it in the refrigerator a couple of sugar crystals formed on top and once it was heated up just to a luke warm temperature, it was a nice delicious thick rich syrup again.)
kim h says
I like a buttery syrup. Could you use butter flavor like you use for cakes instead of vanilla?
Healthy World Cuisine says
Sure feel free to add butter to the recipe. After you take the syrup off the burner, add two teaspoons of butter and stir until melted. Thanks for stopping by. Take Care, BAM
Cindy says
I just made this for my family. We used it on French toast. Everybody loved it!!!!!
Bernice says
I love how your sons challenge you and how you find solutions. 🙂
Carolyn Chan says
I don't know Mrs Butterworth but you might have to take her name, Bam ! I love the fact that with just three ingredients you get better tasting syrup than one that has stuff in it you have to look up to find out what it is. (And great idea on the chocolate chip pancakes !)
Promenade Claire says
Count me in for breakfast round at yours! PLEASE 🙂
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
Homemade syrup! Nice. We've been so busy these past weeks even on weekends that we rarely had time to make pancakes and waffles. I need to make my own syrup next time I make pancakes. I bet this syrup is so delicious and addicting...
bentodays says
Yummy this looks delicious! Love it that you made your own syrup!