Real whipped maple butter is pure comfort food in a jar and growing up in Northern New York, pure maple syrup was always a way of life in our house. Out of all the sweet treats we made during tapping season, my Nanny's homemade maple spread was always the family favorite.
Unlike cold-whipped spreads that easily separate, her old-fashioned recipe boils pure maple syrup to a soft-ball stage (238℉) before whisking it into real salted butter. The result is a silky, velvety spread that holds its texture and tastes incredible melting over warm toast or buttermilk pancakes!
What Maple Butter Actually Is
You may hear "maple butter" and picture something complicated, but it's really just real melted butter whipped with boiled, pure maple syrup until the two come together into something smooth and spreadable that tastes almost like fudge!
Some recipes cook maple syrup down and whip it into it's own dairy-free maple cream, but that's not this recipe. This maple butter spread keeps the butter in the mix, giving it a rich, velvety texture that holds up on warm toast without melting right through. Depending on where you grew up, you might call it maple butter cream or maple butter spread, but I just call it delicious!
What You'll Need
- Melted Salted Butter: Real salted butter, melted so it easily whisks together with the warm boiled syrup.
- Pure Maple Syrup: 100% Grade A pure maple syrup (dark or amber grade provides the richest flavor). Avoid pancake syrup or artificial syrup, which contains corn syrup and won't thicken properly.
A Few Quick Recipe Tips
- Candy Thermometer is Key: Boiling to 238℉ is what thickens the syrup so it emulsifies smoothly into the melted butter without separating.
- Whisking Technique: Start your mixer or hand mixer on low speed so the warm syrup doesn't splash, then increase the speed as it thickens and cools. Be sure to whisk it until it cools - if you don't it will likely separate.
Common Whipped Maple Butter Questions
The syrup didn't reach 238℉ (soft-ball stage), or the mixture wasn't whisked long enough while cooling. Re-warm the bowl over simmering water for a minute and re-whip until smooth.
Yes! Just add a pinch of salt while whisking to balance the sweet maple flavor.
How We Ate it Growing Up
Nanny's maple butter never lasted long on toast alone, though that's still the best way to judge a new batch. From her table, it went on:
- Warm buttered toast, English muffins, and fluffy homemade biscuits.
- Buttermilk Pancakes and waffles, in place of syrup.
- Stirred into hot coffee in the morning with a splash of heavy cream.
- Spooned over a bowl of oatmeal or cream of wheat.
- Swirled into homemade vanilla ice cream in the last minutes of churning so you get maple butter bites in every scoop.
Keeping Your Maple Butter Fresh
Because this recipe contains real dairy butter, keep it refrigerated in a sealed jar or airtight container, where it will stay fresh for up to 3 months.
When you are ready to serve, pull the jar out of the fridge about 10 to 15 minutes ahead of time. Letting it sit on the counter allows the cold butter to soften slightly so it spreads smoothly over warm pancakes and biscuits without tearing them.
Since this is a big batch, if you need to, you can freeze a portion of it. Just place in freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 6 months. Transfer it to the refrigerator the night efore you want to use it so it can thaw slowly.
Tried Nanny's recipe? Leave a quick rating below to let me know how it turned out! And, if you snapped a picture, tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch - I'd love to see it!
📖 Recipe
Whipped Maple Butter
Equipment
- Electric hand mixer (with whisk attachment)
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Ingredients
- 4 cups pure maple syrup
- 2 cups salted butter , melted (4 sticks)
Instructions
- In a large heavy bottomed pot, over medium-high heat, bring maple syrup to a boil. Cook until candy thermometer reaches 238℉. Remove from heat and set on a hot pad away from the stove.
- Using an electric hand mixer with whisk attachment, blend melted butter into hot syrup, whisking until fully incorporated and maple butter spread has cooled.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 months.
Shelby Law Ruttan says
This recipe brings back memories every time I make it. I love the buttery sweet maple flavor of this spread and my very favorite way to enjoy it is over toast, english muffins, or in a hot bowl of oatmeal. It's tasty off the spoon as well if you are looking for just a taste of something sweet! Easy to make, you just have to really watch the syrup as it boils and make sure it's cooled to room temp by the time you are done whipping it together.