This 1-Ingredient Maple Cream is a homemade Trader Joe's maple butter copycat, and all you need is pure maple syrup! It's thick, silky, and spreadable, with the richest maple flavor you've ever tasted. Heat it, cool it, whip it, and just like that you've got a jar of liquid gold.
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If you've been on TikTok this fall, you've probably seen the viral maple butter latte everywhere. It's made with Trader Joe's Organic Maple Butter, which is seasonal and not always easy to find on the shelf. Now you can make your own at home any time of year!
So what is maple cream, exactly? It's maple syrup that's been cooked down and whipped until it turns creamy and opaque, with no butter or dairy at all. If you're wondering about maple butter vs maple cream, they're the exact same thing with two different names!
Stir a spoonful into your morning coffee for a salted maple latte, or pair it with my French toast coffee syrup for the coziest fall drinks. It's also amazing swirled into my Iced French Toast Latte! Let's make it!
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What Does Maple Cream Taste Like?
Maple cream tastes like the richest, most concentrated maple syrup you've ever had, with toasty, caramel-y notes from cooking it down. Whipping it changes the texture completely, so it goes from runny syrup to a silky, creamy spread that melts on your tongue.
It's sweet, buttery-tasting (even though there's zero butter!), and so smooth. Think of it like the frosting version of maple syrup!
Why You'll Love 1-Ingredient Maple Cream
- Just 1 ingredient: All you need is pure maple syrup. No butter, no cream, no mystery ingredients!
- Trader Joe's taste, any time of year: It tastes just like Trader Joe's Organic Maple Butter, but you don't have to wait for it to come back in season. No more hunting for it on the shelf!
- Perfect for lattes: Stir it into espresso for the viral maple butter latte, or melt it into steamed milk for a cozy maple latte. It dissolves so smoothly!
- Naturally dairy-free and vegan: Since it's made from nothing but maple syrup, it's dairy-free and vegan. Everyone can enjoy it!
- Makes a great gift: Pour it into a cute jar and tie on a ribbon for the easiest homemade gift. Your friends will be obsessed.
Ingredients Needed
- Pure maple syrup: This is the one and only ingredient! Make sure it's 100% pure maple syrup, because pancake syrup won't thicken or whip into maple cream.
Substitutions
Maple syrup grade: Any grade of pure maple syrup works! Golden or amber syrup makes a lighter, more delicate maple cream, while dark syrup gives you a bolder, more robust flavor. Whichever you use, it needs to be REAL maple syrup, not the artificial stuff.
Stand mixer: A hand mixer works too, it just takes a bit longer and you'll need to hold it the whole time. You can also stir it by hand with a wooden spoon, which is the traditional way (and a serious arm workout!).
Candy thermometer: No thermometer? Drop a little hot syrup into a glass of cold water. If it forms a soft ball you can squish between your fingers, it's ready.
How to Make Homemade Maple Cream
Learning how to make maple butter like Trader Joe's at home is so easy!
- Step 1: Heat the syrup. Pour the maple syrup into a large saucepan with lots of extra room, since it foams up as it cooks. Heat it over medium-low without stirring until it reaches 235°F on a candy thermometer, which takes at least 10 minutes. If it starts foaming up too much, turn the heat down to low.
- Step 2: Cool it down. Take the pan off the heat and set it in an ice bath for 5 minutes. Cooling it quickly is the key to that smooth, creamy texture.
- Step 3: Whip it. Scrape the syrup into the bowl of a stand mixer with a spatula. Whip it with the whisk attachment on medium speed for 5–10 minutes, until it turns light in color and thick but still pourable.
- Step 4: Store it. Transfer the maple cream to a jar and store it in the fridge for up to 3 months. It'll thicken a lot in the fridge, so microwave it for a few seconds to make it pourable again.
Variations to Try
- Maple Butter Latte: Stir a spoonful of maple cream into hot espresso until it melts, then pour it over ice with your milk of choice. This is the viral Trader Joe's-style latte, and it's so good!
- Salted Maple Cream: Whip in a pinch of flaky sea salt at the end for a sweet-and-salty twist. It's perfect for the salted maple lattes all over TikTok.
- Vanilla Maple Cream: Add a splash of vanilla extract right before whipping for a warm, bakery-style flavor. It's amazing on toast and waffles!
- Cinnamon Maple Cream: Whip in a pinch of cinnamon for a cozy, French toast-inspired spread. Try it on a warm bagel!
- Maple Cold Foam: Froth a spoonful of maple cream with heavy cream and a splash of milk. Spoon it over iced coffee or cold brew for an easy upgrade.
Recipe Success Tips
- Use a big pan: Maple syrup foams up way more than you'd expect when it boils. A large saucepan gives it room so it doesn't bubble over onto your stove.
- Don't stir while it heats: Stirring the hot syrup can make it crystallize too early and turn grainy. Just let it simmer and keep an eye on the thermometer.
- Test your thermometer: Before you start, check your candy thermometer in boiling water, where it should read 212°F. If it's off, adjust your target temperature by the same amount.
- Don't skip the ice bath: Cooling the syrup quickly creates tiny sugar crystals, which is what gives maple cream its silky-smooth texture.
- Whip until it lightens: Keep whipping until the syrup turns from dark amber to a light, creamy caramel color. That color change means it's ready!
FAQs
Maple cream is pure maple syrup that's been heated, cooled quickly, and whipped until it turns thick, creamy, and spreadable. Even though it's sometimes called maple butter, there's no butter or dairy in it at all!
Not exactly! Maple butter is technically regular butter flavored with maple, while maple cream is made from nothing but maple syrup. Trader Joe's calls theirs Organic Maple Butter, but it's really maple cream, which is exactly what this homemade version makes.
Grainy maple cream usually means the syrup was stirred while it was hot, or it didn't cool down enough before whipping. Let it simmer without stirring and don't skip the ice bath!
Nutritional Info
Since maple cream is just cooked-down maple syrup, nearly all of its 176 calories per serving come from natural sugar, with no fat, dairy, or additives. It's more concentrated than regular syrup, so a little goes a long way! A small spoonful is all you need to sweeten a latte or top a slice of toast.
Total nutritional content per serving is:
- Calories: 176 calories
- Total Fat: 0 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Carbohydrates: 43 grams
- Sugar: 42 grams
*This nutritional information is an estimate and calculated based on the ingredients used to create the recipe. The nutritional value of your ingredients may differ slightly. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
Other Homemade Sauces and Syrups
1-Ingredient Maple Cream (Trader Joe's Copycat)
Equipment
- 1 large saucepan
- 1 stand mixer
Ingredients
- 2 cups pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Add the maple syrup to a large saucepan. It should hold at least 8 cups to allow room for the maple syrup to foam up.
- Heat the maple syrup over medium-low without stirring it, and simmer it until it reaches a temperature of 235℉. This will take at least 10 minutes. If it starts to foam up a lot, reduce the temperature to low.
- Once it reaches 235℉, remove it from the heat and set the saucepan in an ice bath for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, transfer the syrup to the bowl of a stand mixer, using a spatula to scrape out all of the maple syrup.
- Using the whisk attachment, whisk the maple syrup on medium speed for 5-10 minutes, until light in color and a thick but pourable consistency. Transfer to a jar and store in the fridge for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
xoxo Megan
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