Artificial Food Coloring Free Maple-Cinnamon Sauce
Bottled pancake syrups and flavored sauces are notorious for sneaking in artificial dyes and synthetic additives, but this one is made entirely from whole, recognizable ingredients you can feel good about. Pure maple syrup forms the sweet backbone, while unsalted butter adds a rich, velvety body that no imitation product can really replicate. Ground Ceylon cinnamon brings a warm, slightly floral spice that's noticeably more delicate than the standard cassia variety, and a touch of apple cider vinegar at the finish keeps the sweetness from feeling one-note. Arrowroot starch does the thickening work here — it creates a glossy, smooth sauce without any of the cloudy, starchy texture cornstarch can sometimes leave behind. The technique is simple but worth following closely: pull the pan off the heat as soon as the sauce coats a spoon, since arrowroot will thin back out if it keeps cooking. Drizzle it over pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, or roasted fruit and you'll wonder why you ever reached for the squeeze bottle.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup water
- ¾ tsp ground ceylon cinnamon
- 1 tsp arrowroot starch
- 1 tbsp cold water
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 pinch fine salt
Instructions
- 1
Combine the maple syrup, butter, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking until the butter is fully melted and the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes.
- 2
Whisk in the ground Ceylon cinnamon and salt, then bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly fragrant and beginning to thicken at the edges, about 3 minutes.
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