Corn syrup substitute

For each cup of light corn syrup, dissolve 1 cup of granulated sugar in 1/4 cup of warm water. For candy cooked past the soft-ball stage, use golden syrup cup for cup instead.

5 options, scored for what you are making · Checked

Out of corn syrup mid-recipe?

Tell Sous Chef what you are missing. It swaps the ingredient and rewrites the steps that use it, and keeps your original recipe.

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What are you making?

  1. Sugar + water

    Great fit

    1 cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup warm water

    For this dish: PureWow lists it for pies, and the filling never gets hot enough to crystallize.

    How: Stir the sugar into the warm water until it dissolves completely. For dark corn syrup, PureWow uses packed brown sugar instead.

    What changes: Same sweetness with no corn flavor. Tasting Table and PureWow warn it crystallizes if cooked past the soft-ball stage, about 235°F.

    No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.

  2. Golden syrup

    Great fit

    1 cup golden syrup

    For this dish: Tasting Table recommends it for pecan pie, where its buttery caramel flavor fits.

    How: Swap cup for cup.

    What changes: Slightly thicker, with a buttery caramel flavor. Healthline says it works especially well in candy, and PureWow lists it for candy too. It can be hard to find in the US.

    No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.

  3. Honey

    Works

    1 cup honey

    For this dish: Sets and sweetens, but the honey flavor is noticeable.

    How: Swap cup for cup. A lighter honey has a milder flavor (PureWow).

    What changes: Adds honey flavor. It does not stop crystallization, so skip it for caramel and candy. Tasting Table notes some baked goods may need a little baking soda for a proper rise.

    No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.

  4. Maple syrup

    Works

    1 cup pure maple syrup

    For this dish: Works, but the filling tastes of maple and sets a little looser.

    How: Swap cup for cup. A darker grade gives a stronger maple flavor (Tasting Table).

    What changes: Thinner and less sweet, with a strong maple taste. Not for candy or caramel; it can crystallize.

    No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.

  5. Agave nectar

    Works

    1 cup agave nectar

    For this dish: PureWow lists it for pies, though the thin syrup binds less.

    How: Swap cup for cup outside of candy making.

    What changes: Mild flavor but thin, so Tasting Table calls it a weak binder. Not for candy.

    No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.

Scores are our editorial judgement from the sources below, not lab tests.

What corn syrup does in a recipe

Corn syrup is a liquid glucose syrup. It sweetens, keeps baked goods moist, gives pecan pie its gooey filling, and in candy and caramel it helps stop sugar from crystallizing. Swaps that are mostly ordinary sugar can crystallize when cooked to high temperatures, so the candy test is the hardest one to pass.

Swap it in your recipe with Sous Chef

A substitution is more than one ingredient line. The steps that use it change too. Sous Chef edits both on a working copy of your recipe, so the original is always one tap away.

You ask Sous Chef

"I don't have corn syrup."

Sous Chef edits the recipe

1 cup corn syrup
1 cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup warm water
Added to the steps: Stir the sugar into the warm water until it dissolves completely. For dark corn syrup, PureWow uses packed brown sugar instead.
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When not to substitute

For hard candy, brittle, marshmallows or caramel cooked past the soft-ball stage, keeping sugar from crystallizing is the whole point. Use golden syrup or a recipe written without corn syrup.

Common questions

Can I use honey instead of corn syrup in pecan pie?

Yes, cup for cup. The pie will taste of honey. Golden syrup or a sugar and water mix tastes more neutral.

How do I replace dark corn syrup?

Utah State University Extension uses 3/4 cup light corn syrup plus 1/4 cup light molasses for each cup of dark corn syrup. PureWow gives the same 3 to 1 ratio.

Can I make corn syrup with sugar and water?

Yes. Colorado State and Utah State both list 1 cup sugar plus 1/4 cup water per cup of corn syrup. It can crystallize if cooked to hard candy temperatures.

Related

Sources

Cook with what you have.

Import any recipe into Sous Chef and ask for the swap. It rewrites the ingredient list and the steps, and never loses the original. Free on iPhone.

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