Have you ever had to substitute brown rice syrup in a recipe? Brown rice syrup is not as easy to find as other sweeteners like white sugar or honey, but it’s actually a healthier alternative. With a little bit of creativity, you can substitute brown rice syrup in almost any recipe!
What is Brown Rice Syrup?
Brown rice syrup is made by fermenting cooked medium-grain brown rice with enzymes for about 30 minutes. The mixture is then slowly heated to precise temperatures and filtered several times. This process produces the thick, sweet substance known as brown rice syrup.
The main benefit of using brown rice syrup over other sweeteners is that it is low on the glycemic index. This means that it does not cause a spike in blood sugar levels like white sugar does. Brown rice syrup also contains more fiber and minerals than other sweeteners.
What Does Brown Rice Syrup Taste Like?
Brown Rice Syrup has a very mild flavor. It’s much less sweet compared to agave nectar, honey, and granulated sugar. When asked what it taste like, some people will tell you it has a nutty flavor and some will say it reminds them of butterscotch.
Substitutes for Brown Rice Syrup
There are, however, some substitutes for brown rice syrup in recipes. Best of all, many of these are items you may already have on hand. Check out the list below of alternative ingredients you can use to replace brown rice syrup in your meal preparation!
1) Agave Nectar
If you are looking for an alternative to brown rice syrup, then agave nectar might be one of the best substitutes. Agave nectar is a natural sweetener that comes from the sap of the Agave cactus plant. It is used as a substitute in many recipes that need brown rice syrup. You can find it at your local grocery store and use it just like you would any other liquid sweetener.
Agave nectar has about the same sweetness as honey, but it has less calories than honey or brown rice syrup. You can use 1 part of agave with 2 parts water for every part of brown rice syrup that your recipe calls for.
However, just be aware that agave nectar is a highly processed ingredient, so that may be a turn off for some people.
2) Cane Sugar
Cane sugar is a healthier, good brown rice syrup substitute. It is a type of sugar that is harvested from the cane plant. It comes in two varieties: white and brown. White cane sugar can be used to make candies, desserts, and soft drinks.
Brown cane sugar has a molasses flavor and cannot be used for making many candy products because it imparts too strong of a flavor.
It can, however, be used in some baked goods or as an alternative to brown rice syrup in some recipes.
If all you have on hand is white sugar, then feel free to use it instead of brown rice syrup in recipes.
Just remember that because cane sugar is more refined than brown rice syrup, your recipe will have a slightly different flavor and a bit more of a sugar kick.
You can use 1 part of cane sugar with 2 parts water to replace every part of brown rice syrup.
3) Maple Syrup
Maple syrup is an alternative to brown rice syrup. It is made from the sap of maple trees which are tapped in early spring before the sap starts to run freely.
The sap is boiled until it thickens into a sugary liquid that can be used as a natural sweetener for foods, drinks, and other recipes. It has a unique flavor that can enhance the taste of many dishes.
It has been shown that pure maple syrup contains more antioxidants than brown rice syrup, making it healthier for you. It has a delicious flavor that goes well in many recipes.
Use about 1/4 cup of maple syrup for every cup of brown rice syrup.
4) Molasses
This thick, black syrup is made from the refining of sugar cane or sugar beets. It has a strong, distinctive flavor that can be used in recipes that need brown rice syrup. It’s important to note that molasses doesn’t have a sweet flavor like other things, it has more of a bitter flavoring.
Molasses is a natural sweetener that has been used for centuries to add sweetness and depth of flavor in cooking. With this, you get the same rich, dark color without any strange aftertaste or ingredients.
Molasses can also be used to add a rich sweetness and depth of flavor in baking. It is often added to recipes that use brown sugar, which has been refined until it’s purer than molasses but not as sweet on its own.
You can use 1/2 cup of molasses for every cup of brown rice syrup.
5) Honey
Honey is a great alternative to brown rice syrup. It’s perfect for when you want to add sweetness but don’t want the added calories that come with sugar.
Honey is made by bees that collect flower nectar and then mix it with enzymes to create honey.
Some types of honey are more flavorful than others, but taste will vary depending on the type of flowers the bee collected nectar from.
You might need to add a bit more of honey than brown rice syrup to your recipe.
There are about 1/3 fewer calories in honey per tablespoon, but it does have more carbohydrates. Also, the taste will be different because brown rice syrup has a more neutral flavor. Honey also contains antioxidants and other nutrients that are good for your health.
Use 1/2 cup of honey for every cup of brown rice syrup. With the smooth texture of your honey, it’s sure to be a perfect substitute in any recipe that calls for brown rice syrup.
6) Corn Syrup
Corn syrup can be used as a substitute for brown rice syrup. It is made from the sugars found in corn kernels, which are processed into a thick liquid that can then be used to sweeten foods or drinks.
It’s important to note that corn syrup is not the same as high fructose corn syrup. They are both sugars but come from different sources. High fructose corn syrup is made from corn starch that has been processed to increase the levels of fructose, a type of sugar.
Corn syrup is a less refined sugar that can be used as an alternative to brown rice syrup in some recipes. It doesn’t have the same nutrients that honey or maple syrup have, but it will add sweetness and a similar flavor.
Light corn syrup is also lighter in color than brown rice syrup. It’s a good choice, but if you are looking to get the same coloring that you would get from that rice syrup, you will not get it with this alternative. However, you could dry dark corn syrup for coloring purposes.
You can use 1/4 cup of corn syrup for every cup of brown rice syrup.
7) Date Sugar
Date sugar is made from ground, dehydrated dates and is definitely a good brown rice syrup alternative. It can be used as an alternative to brown rice syrup in some recipes for baked goods, like cookies or muffins.
If you don’t have date sugar, then you can simply blend pitted dried dates in a clean coffee grinder until powdery and use it as a 1:1 substitution for date sugar.
Date sugar can be hard to find in traditional grocery stores, but you might find it at your local health food store or online.
Use 1/4 cup of date sugar for every cup of brown rice syrup that your recipe calls for.
8) Coconut Sugar
Coconut sugar is made from the sap of the coconut tree. It has a caramel-like flavor and can be used in place of brown rice syrup in recipes, but you might have to experiment to get the right amount.
Coconut sugar contains inulin, which is a fiber that can help with blood sugar control. It is also low on the glycemic index, meaning it doesn’t cause a spike in blood sugar levels like some other sugars do.
9) Stevia
This is a brown rice syrup alternative that has zero calories and zero carbohydrates. Liquid Stevia comes from a plant and is actually over 300 times sweeter than refined sugar! If you need sweetness, this is it! Since it’s so much sweeter, you need very, very little of this. The level of sweetness of this liquid sugar like alternative is much stronger than other alternatives.
If your recipe calls for a cup of brown rice syrup, you’ll only need a drop of liquid Stevia, it’s THAT potent.
10) Barley Malt Syrup
You can use a barley malt syrup or a barley malt extract. They’re made from malted barley and are similar in consistency, color and thickness to molasses. This is a lot sweeter than brown rice syrup so keep that in mind when choosing it as a swap for it in a recipe. This is a great option to use, but if you are following a gluten free diet, you will want to use something else.
Since this is so sweet, you need less of it than you would use of brown rice syrup. If your recipe calls for a cup of rice syrup, you only need 3/4 cup of barley malt syrup to use in its place.
Where to Buy Brown Rice Syrup Substitutes
Brown Rice Syrup can be difficult to find, which can be why you may need one of these substitutes. Lucky for you most of these substitutes aren’t as hard to find. If looking for brown rice syrup or any of these substitutes, look in your regular grocery store in the aisle where you would find regular sugar or other sweeteners.
If you can’t find any of these healthy alternative substitutes, you can look at your local Asian markets, specialty grocery stores or you can look for any of these online at any of the big online retailers.
With all these great alternatives for brown rice syrup, you’ll never have to worry about running out of a key ingredient again! These are tasty substitutes that you can use to add sweetness and flavor to your dish. Try out a few of these best brown rice syrup substitutes in your next recipe and see which one you like best.
Happy cooking!