This homemade pancake syrup is rich, buttery, and full of warm brown sugar and vanilla flavor. It cooks into a thick, glossy syrup that tastes like the old-school pancake syrup, only so much better because it’s homemade.
Brown Sugar Pancake Syrup
My auntie, who also taught me to make homemade pancakes, showed me how to make syrup with brown sugar after I told her how much maple syrup my kids poured over their pancakes and how expensive it was getting.
I first shared her recipe here in 2014, and it's been a reader favorite ever since. It's easy and affordable to make, but what I love most is the old-school buttery sweetness that reminds me of the pancake syrup you'd get at a diner or find in Grandma's kitchen.
Homemade Pancake Syrup Ingredients
It's made with water and brown sugar as the base (honey won’t work), butter for flavor and a pourable texture (viscosity), and a little vanilla (or maple extract) for flavor.
Homemade Pancake Syrup Without Maple
As the brown sugar and water simmer, they reduce into a rich, pourable syrup with a deep caramel-like sweetness. Butter makes it silky and gives it that classic pancake-syrup flavor, while vanilla rounds everything out. If you want a maple flavor, swap the vanilla extract for maple extract.
How to Make Pancake Syrup
You’ll find a step-by-step short video in the recipe card. Here is an overview of what you’ll be doing:
- Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
Then reduce the heat and simmer to reduce the liquid. - Add the butter and stir to dissolve it while it’s simmering.
Turn off the heat and add the vanilla or maple flavoring.
- Serve it drizzled over your pancakes or waffles, or use it to dip French toast sticks.
How to Store It
An old maple syrup bottle or a lidded jar is perfect for storing leftovers. Once it’s cooled, transfer it into the bottle and keep it in the fridge for up to a month. It needs refrigeration because of the butter. Reheat as much as you need in a microwave-safe cup in 15-second increments.
Best Pancake Recipes
According to my readers, these are the best pancake recipes. Start with the fluffy recipe, or a stack of chocolate chip pancakes, the disappearing banana pancakes, or everyone’s favorite blueberry pancakes recipe.
Homemade Pancake Syrup (Easy 10-Minute Recipe)
Watch how it’s made:
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla or maple extract
Instructions
Make the syrup:
- In a medium saucepan, add the brown sugar and water. Heat them over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 4 minutes to reduce it.
- Add the butter and stir for about 2 minutes, until it has melted into the brown syrup. Turn off the heat, add the vanilla or maple extract, and stir.
- Enjoy warm drizzled over pancakes or waffles.
Storage & future use:
- Allow the brown sugar syrup to cool down. Then, transfer it into a jar or syrup bottle. Refrigerate for up to a month.
- To reheat, microwave in 15-second intervals if the jar or bottle is microwave-safe, or heat the amount you need in a small pryrex measuring cup. You can also warm it up in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until the syrup is heated through.
Notes
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Jennifer Berg says
Have you ever made the syrup with a sugar alternative such as Stevia or Monkfruit?
Laura Fuentes says
Yes. I’ve used Swerve brown sugar substitute to make this syrup.
Diana Kardash says
My daughter and I are enjoyed the pancake syrup. I made it and I feel it is a little bit on the runny side. What can I do to thicken it up a bit?
Laura Fuentes says
Thank you for sharing how much you enjoyed this syrup! The recipe, as is, is the classic recipe from the 1950s made with simple ingredients. The thickness is the biggest reason between this syrup made with brown sugar vs corn syrup, which has a thicker viscosity (thicker texture). I haven’t tried adding anything to thicken it. You can try adding 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed in 1 tablespoon of water in the last 2 minutes of simmering, then let it sit for 5 minutes. I hope this helps!
Jeff Watson says
I need some help here. Should light brown sugar or dark brown sugar be used for this syrup?
Laura Fuentes says
Either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar can be used. The darker one has more molasses in it and will give a richer syrup taste.
Lisa says
I lovd this pancake syrup recipe!
RD says
Can you use milk instead of water
Laura Fuentes says
you would not want to use milk to make syrup because the milk protein will burn when making the syrup.