Quick Answer
The most common substitutes for corn syrup in caramel are:
- Honey
- Maple syrup
- Brown rice syrup
- Golden syrup
- Agave nectar
- Glucose syrup
While corn syrup provides smooth texture and prevents crystallization in caramel, several alternatives can also do the job. Honey, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, golden syrup, agave nectar and glucose syrup all contain high amounts of glucose and fructose like corn syrup, allowing the sugar to stay dissolved in the caramel.
The main differences are flavor and sweetness level. Honey, maple syrup and brown rice syrup will add their own distinct flavors. Glucose syrup is the closest substitution in terms of flavor neutrality like corn syrup. And ingredients like agave vary quite a bit in sweetness, so the amount used may need to be adjusted.
What Does Corn Syrup Do in Caramel?
Corn syrup is commonly used in caramel candy recipes to:
- Prevent crystallization – Corn syrup interferes with crystal formation thanks to its high glucose content. This helps keep the caramel smooth and creamy.
- Contribute smooth texture – The viscous liquid consistency of corn syrup produces a smooth, flowing caramel.
- Enhance flavor – While relatively flavorless itself, corn syrup brings out buttery, toasted sugar flavors during cooking.
- Help with stability – Corn syrup raises the boiling point of the mixture slightly, allowing it to cook at higher temperatures with less risk of burning.
- Add sweetness – With nearly 100% sugar content (glucose and fructose), corn syrup significantly contributes to the sweet flavor of caramel.
So in summary, the main roles of corn syrup are preventing crystallization, providing a smooth liquid texture, boosting flavor, adding sweetness and allowing the caramel to cook at higher temperatures.
Any substitute used in place of corn syrup will need to perform most of these same functions. Let’s take a look at how some common swaps compare.
Honey
Honey makes an excellent substitute for corn syrup in caramel. With a sugar content around 80%, honey has high concentrations of glucose and fructose that interfere with crystal formation. This means it helps keep caramel smooth and free of grains.
The main difference is that honey adds its own distinct flavor. The floral, slightly tangy taste of honey comes through in the finished caramel, making it taste less neutral than corn syrup. But many people enjoy this honey flavor in caramel candy, sauce or other recipes.
When swapping honey for corn syrup, use:
- 3/4 cup honey for every 1 cup corn syrup
- Reduce any liquid in the recipe by 2-3 tablespoons to account for the extra moisture in honey
Because honey is sweeter than corn syrup, you may also want to cut back slightly on the sugar.
Benefits of Honey
- Prevents crystallization like corn syrup
- Creates smooth, creamy texture
- Adds flavor complexity
- Allows cooking at high temps
- Easy to find in stores
Downsides of Honey
- Alters the flavor profile – not neutral like corn syrup
- Runs thinner than corn syrup
- Costs more than corn syrup
- Contains extra moisture that must be accounted for
So in summary, honey can replicate the texture and prevent crystallization like corn syrup, while also contributing delicious honey flavor. It is thicker and runs differently than corn syrup, so the amount may need slight adjusting. But overall, honey is an excellent ingredient swap in caramel.
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup is another great choice for replacing corn syrup in caramel. With about 60% sugar content, maple syrup sufficiently prevents crystallization in the cooking process. And it adds wonderful maple flavor that many people love in caramel recipes.
When substituting maple syrup for corn syrup, use:
- 3/4 cup maple syrup for every 1 cup corn syrup
- Reduce any other liquids by 2-3 tablespoons to account for the extra moisture in maple syrup
You may also want to slightly reduce the sugar amount since maple syrup is sweeter than corn syrup.
Benefits of Maple Syrup
- Prevents crystallization well
- Adds unique and delicious flavor
- Has smooth, liquid texture
- Allows high temperature cooking
- Easy to find and purchase
Downsides of Maple Syrup
- Alters flavor from neutral corn syrup
- Runnier than corn syrup
- More expensive than corn syrup
- Contains extra moisture to account for
In summary, maple syrup makes a great corn syrup substitute in caramel. It prevents crystallization, adds liquid texture, allows high heat cooking and provides a wonderful flavor. The amount used may need slight adjusting for moisture and sweetness differences. But overall, maple syrup shines in caramel recipes.
Brown Rice Syrup
Brown rice syrup is an excellent choice for replicating the properties of corn syrup in caramel. Made from cooked brown rice, this sweetener has high maltose content. Maltose is a sugar that interferes with crystallization as well as corn syrup’s glucose.
When substituting brown rice syrup for corn syrup, use:
- 1 cup brown rice syrup for every 1 cup corn syrup
- Reduce liquid in the recipe by 2 tablespoons to account for the moisture in brown rice syrup
The amounts can typically be swapped 1:1 since brown rice syrup and corn syrup have similar sweetness and thickness.
Benefits of Brown Rice Syrup
- Prevents crystallization extremely well
- Adds neutral flavor like corn syrup
- Has similar viscosity as corn syrup
- Allows high heat cooking
- Easy to find in stores
Downsides of Brown Rice Syrup
- Slightly less sweet than corn syrup
- More expensive than corn syrup
- Contains small amounts of moisture to account for
In summary, brown rice syrup is an excellent substitute in caramel. It has similar properties to corn syrup, preventing crystallization, providing thickness and viscosity, and cooking at high temperatures. The flavor is relatively neutral as well. It performs nearly identically to corn syrup in caramel recipes.
Golden Syrup
Golden syrup is a popular ingredient used in England to make desserts, candies and other sweets. With about 60% sugar content, it can successfully prevent crystallization in caramel like corn syrup. And it has a similar smooth, thick texture and appearance.
When replacing corn syrup with golden syrup, use:
- 1 cup golden syrup for every 1 cup corn syrup
The amounts can typically be swapped 1:1 in caramel recipes.
Benefits of Golden Syrup
- Prevents crystallization well
- Has a smooth, thick texture
- Adds some caramel flavor
- Allows high temperature cooking
Downsides of Golden Syrup
- Not as readily available as other substitutes
- Imported from England, so can be expensive
- Adds subtle flavor instead of being neutral
Golden syrup performs very similarly to corn syrup in caramel and prevents crystallization. It may be harder to find and cost more than other alternatives, but provides an authentic ingredient substitute from England’s version of caramel treats.
Agave Nectar
Agave nectar (or agave syrup) comes from the agave plant and is often used as an alternative sweetener. With a sugar content around 75-90%, it contains enough glucose and fructose to prevent crystallization in caramel.
The main difference is that agave nectar is often much sweeter than corn syrup. So when substituting it in a caramel recipe, you’ll need to use less agave nectar and reduce the sugar:
- 2/3 cup agave nectar for every 1 cup corn syrup
- Reduce sugar in the recipe by 1/4 cup
This helps account for the increased sweetness that agave nectar provides.
Benefits of Agave Nectar
- Prevents crystallization
- Adds sweet flavor
- Smooth, viscous texture
- Allows high temperature cooking
Downsides of Agave Nectar
- Much sweeter than corn syrup
- Amount must be reduced to account for sweetness
- Slightly thinner than corn syrup
- Adds subtle flavor
Agave nectar makes a good corn syrup substitute, as long as the higher sweetness factor is considered. Reducing the amount and sugar compensates for the increased sweetness. This allows agave to prevent crystallization and lend a smooth texture in the caramel recipe.
Glucose Syrup
Glucose syrup is essentially a commercial grade corn syrup that is made from starch for candy production. With nearly 100% glucose content, it prevents crystallization extremely well.
When substituting glucose syrup for corn syrup, you can use:
- 1 cup glucose syrup for every 1 cup corn syrup
The amounts can be swapped 1:1 in caramel recipes.
Benefits of Glucose Syrup
- Prevents crystallization perfectly
- Neutral in flavor like corn syrup
- Smooth, thick texture
- Allows high heat cooking
- Most similar substitute to corn syrup
Downsides of Glucose Syrup
- Can be difficult to find in regular grocery stores
- Typically must be ordered online
- More expensive than corn syrup
Glucose syrup mimics the properties and performance of corn syrup virtually identically. The only downside is it may not be readily available in stores. But if you can find it online, it makes the perfect substitute for corn syrup in caramel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is corn syrup used in caramel?
Corn syrup is used in caramel because it:
- Prevents crystallization – The high glucose content interferes with sugar crystal formation, keeping the caramel smooth.
- Provides a smooth texture – The thick, viscous consistency makes the caramel silky.
- Enhances flavor – Corn syrup helps bring out the rich butterscotch taste of the caramelized sugar.
- Allows higher cooking temperatures – Corn syrup raises the boiling point so the mixture can cook at higher temps without burning.
- Adds sweetness – With nearly 100% sugar content, corn syrup makes the caramel taste extra sweet.
What is the best substitute for corn syrup in caramel?
The best substitute depends on the factors most important to you:
- For preventing crystallization – Glucose syrup or brown rice syrup
- For closest texture – Brown rice syrup or golden syrup
- For neutral flavor – Brown rice syrup or glucose syrup
- For easiest to find – Honey, maple syrup or brown rice syrup
- For adding flavor complexity – Honey or maple syrup
Brown rice syrup likely performs the most similarly to corn syrup overall. But ingredients like honey and maple syrup add delicious flavor complexity.
Can I make caramel without corn syrup?
Yes, absolutely! Many other liquid sweeteners can successfully replicate corn syrup’s properties in caramel. Replacements like honey, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, golden syrup, agave nectar and glucose syrup all help prevent crystallization.
The recipe may just need slight adjustments to account for moisture content, sweetness levels, or flavor differences. But you can certainly make delicious caramel recipes without corn syrup by using one of these alternative syrups or sweeteners.
Do I have to use a liquid sweetener or can I substitute sugar?
You need to use some type of liquid sweetener like honey or maple syrup rather than plain sugar. The liquid syrups contain high amounts of glucose and fructose that interfere with crystallization during cooking. Plain table sugar does not have the same effect.
You can still use regular granulated sugar in combination with one of the liquid sweeteners for the caramel’s sweetness and flavor. Just be sure to also include a corn syrup replacement like the options mentioned in this article.
The Bottom Line
Corn syrup provides some very useful properties in caramel that prevent crystallization, allow high heat cooking and produce a smooth texture. But there are plenty of excellent options for replacing corn syrup in caramel recipes:
- Honey – Adds delicious honey flavor
- Maple syrup – Provides wonderful maple taste
- Brown rice syrup – Most similar overall
- Golden syrup – Used often in England for sweets
- Agave nectar – Accounts for higher sweetness
- Glucose syrup – Nearly identical properties
The recipe may just need small adjustments to account for moisture content, sweetness levels or flavors. But these corn syrup swaps will give you delicious caramel for candy, sauce, or desserts.
