Maple cream. The gorgeous end product you get from boiling and hand-stirring maple syrup into a naturally sweet 1-ingredient delight!
Growing up, we always had a generous amount of maple syrup at an arms reach. My dad has a sugar bush (sugar shack), and that’s where he transforms maple sap into beautiful, naturally sweet maple syrup.
In this post (with video), I share my experience in making homemade maple cream.
How To Make Maple Cream
With a good quality pure maple syrup, candy thermometer, saucepot and a wooden spoon, you can make naturally sweet maple cream! Also known as maple spread or butter.
One of the best tips I can give you is never to make maple cream when you’re in a rush!
It takes time to boil the syrup and then cool it to the right temperature before starting the 30-minute stirring process. With some patience, you will transform this 1-ingredient recipe into a beautiful maple cream.
The Process
Making this homemade maple treat is pretty simple. First, you need to prep the bowls or pots you’re going to use to cool the syrup once it’s boiled and reaches the right temperature of 234° F.
The picture below is an excellent example of the ice bath I used when making this batch.
Then cool the syrup. Once it reaches about 95° F, you start stirring the syrup. Be ready to stir for a good 30 minutes!
Various Instructions
When I decided that I wanted to make a batch of this maple goodness, I called my dad to find out how he does it. He’s been making maple recipes with his own maple syrup for years. I trust his instructions—with a few tweaks 😉
By curiosity, I did quickly search the web and YouTube for similar recipes. There’s a lot but I did particularly like this one because she prepared her maple butter with only maple syrup as well.
How-To Video
Get Ready to Stir!
You will need to stir for a good 30 minutes. Get your arm ready, find a partner, turn on some music and get stirring!
See below to see what the texture looks like after 10, 20 and 30 minutes of good old hand-powered stirring!
After 10 minutes of stirring the boiled pure maple syrup.
20 minutes later, after stirring continuously.
Finally, after 30 minutes of hard work, your cream should be nice and thick. And it will thicken even more once refrigerated.
Maple Cream Bars
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How To Make Maple Cream
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 1-3/4
- Category: Desserts, Sauce, Treat
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegan, Plant-Based
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
With a good quality pure maple syrup, candy thermometer, saucepot and a wooden spoon, you can make naturally sweet maple cream! Also known as maple spread or butter. One of the best tips I can give you is never to make maple cream when you’re in a rush!
It takes time to boil the syrup and then cool it to the right temperature before you start the 30-minute stirring process. With some patience, you will transform this 1-ingredient recipe into a beautiful maple cream. If you’re vegan, this is an excellent honey alternative.
CAUTION: Boiling syrup is extremely hot!
Ingredients
– 2 cups pure maple syrup
Tools
a) 1 medium to large pot (8-in)(to boil syrup)*
b) 1 medium pot (7.5-in) or stainless steel bowl (to mix)
c) 1 large pot (9.5-in) or large stainless steel bowl (for ice bath)
d) Candy thermometer
e) Wooden spoon
f) Ice cubes
g) Glass jar(s) with lid
Instructions
Before you begin, please watch the How-To Video.
Step 1
Place the medium pot (b) for cooling down and mixing the boiled syrup into the freezer. This pot can be smaller than the one to boil your syrup. Prepare a saucepot or stainless steel bowl to use as an ice bath. Add a generous amount of ice cubes to the bottom and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready for it. Getting those saucepots prepared before you start is key.
Step 2
Attached your candy thermometer to a medium to large saucepot*. On low to medium heat, bring 2 cups of pure maple syrup to a gentle boil. Do not stir the syrup while it’s boiling. Keep an eye on your boiling syrup at all times, don’t walk away. If your syrup boils too close to the edge, reduce your heat to prevent overflowing. Once the syrup reaches 234° F (some wait until 235° F, but that makes it thicker), remove it from the heat.
Step 3
Immediately transfer the boiled syrup to the medium pot (b) placed overtop the larger pot (c) with the ice cubes. Be very careful hot maple syrup can burn you! Cooldown the maple syrup to about 95° F. Once cooled, get your arm ready, find a partner and take turns stirring and stirring some more. The process takes about 30 minutes to transform the syrup into a gorgeous golden, thickened maple cream.
Step 4
As soon as the cream is ready, transfer it to a glass jar with a lid. Store the cream in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
Notes
*Make sure your pot is large enough to prevent overflowing. An 8-inch pot should do the trick.