Name: Better Than Mrs. Butterworth's Pancake Syrup
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 cup Brown sugar ((packed firmly) - we used dark brown sugar but you can also use light brown sugar); 3/4 cup water; 1 teaspoon vanilla

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

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

Hungry For More? Subscribe to our Newsletter and follow along on Facebook, You Tube, Instagram, and Pinterest for all the latest updates.