How to Make Maple Butter (Maple Cream) | Easy Homemade Maple Spread Recipe

By Rebecca St.Clair

Learn how to make maple butter from maple syrup? This easy maple cream recipe transforms pure maple syrup into a smooth homemade maple spread. Perfect for breakfast recipes, brunch spreads, and holiday treats, this classic maple butter tutorial is simple and delicious.

This easy maple cream is made with just one ingredient: pure maple syrup. This easy homemade maple spread recipe walks you through the simple process of turning syrup into maple butter. If you’re looking for a traditional maple cream recipe or an easy maple butter tutorial, this step-by-step guide has you covered.

How to Store Maple Butter (Maple Cream)

Fridge

• Place the maple butter in a clean, airtight glass jar or sealed container.
• Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Freezer

• Store it in a freezer-safe airtight container, leaving a little room for expansion.
• Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
• Thaw it in the refrigerator and stir well before serving.

How to Cook Maple Syrup for Maple Butter

Thread is how we refer to a sugar and liquid candy mixture that has been heated to 230°F. Heating sugar to different temperatures will result in a softer to harder end product.

Jelly 220 °F (104 °C)

Thread 230 °F (110 °C)

Soft-ball 240 °F (115 °C)

Firm-ball 248 °F (120 °C)

Hard-ball 260 °F (127 °C)

Soft-crack 285 °F (140 °C)

Hard-crack 302 °F (150 °C)

If you have a candy thermometer and would like to use this for making maple butter (maple cream), make sure to keep the bottom of the thermometer in the liquid and not touching the bottom of the pot. This will give you a false reading.

Since candy thermometers did not always exist, candy makers would use the method of dropping the cooked candy into cold water. When the liquid is dropped in water it will easily form a thick sticky thread.

You can also use this handy chart to make other pure maple syrup treats. Heat it to soft ball to make maple taffy or cook it all the way to hard crack to make your own maple syrup lollipops.

Tips and tricks for the perfect maple butter (maple cream)

Cooking sugar is a tricky process. The cooked syrup goes from not done, done, to bunt beyond repair in a few seconds. To make this recipe perfect the first time, Prep work – Make sure you have everything ready to go before starting to cook the maple butter. Large pan with water – Hot sugar will continue to cook for a few minutes after removing from the heat. If you notice the syrup is starting to get too dark, dip the bottom of the pot into cool water to immediately stop it from cooking. Don’t leave it in the cold water too long, as you will then have the syrup set up in the pan. Constant supervision – The syrup can bubble up and boil over if you are not paying attention. If you notice it bubbling up, remove it from the heat until it settles back down. Lower the temperature as needed. No stirring! – Stirring the hot syrup mixture may cause it to crystallize. Just allow it to bubble away on its own. Caution! – Cooking sugar is extremely hot! Never touch the hot syrup with your skin.

What type of maple syrup to use for maple butter (maple cream)

Pure maple syrup is needed to make maple butter, this is not the same as pancake syrup found in a squeeze bottle at the grocery store.

While any type of pure maple syrup will work for this recipe, my go-to is golden or amber maple syrup. It has a lighter and milder maple flavour.

As you cook the syrup down to make the cream, it will darken and intensify the flavour. Starting out with a lighter syrup gives a milder and creamier maple butter.

How to Make Maple Butter (Maple Cream)

1. In a large sauce pot on medium heat, add your desired amount of pure maple syrup.
2. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer and reduce the temperature down to medium-low.
3. While constantly watching, allow the maple syrup to cook and simmer until a candy thermometer reaches Thread 230 °F (110 °C).

4. Remove from the heat and pour into the bowl you will be mixing it in.

5. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature about 80 °F (25 °C). This temperature does not have to be exact. (You can place the bowl in a tray of cool water to speed up this process. Make sure none of the water gets inside the bowl.)

6. Whip the butter with either an electric mixer or you can whip it by hand with a wooden spoon.

7. Whip the butter until soft and creamy. The more you whip it the stiffer the butter will be.

8. The butter will still be liquid for a few minutes after whipping. Transfer it immediately into the container you will store it in for easy pouring.

9. The maple butter is ready to use right away.

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