The thick commercial stuff has a thickener added. Like guar gum or maybe chia seeds.
The only recipe I know is dark brown sugar simmered with an equal quantity of water until dissolved....then "maple flavoring" added or perhaps vanilla.
Have you tried sorghum syrup? Or a light molasses?
The more sugar in the syrup the thicker it will be....you could always use dark corn syrup with added maple flavoring.

Fenugreek seed has a strong maple flavor when steeped whole in vodka. I've made 'maple' flavoring that way in the past. You might try clear corn syrup as a base...

I used to make it like Linda describes, adding maple flavoring with a dab of vanilla to brown sugar and water boiled together to make syrup.

If you don't mind your kids eating corn syrup, then you could use brown sugar with a bit of water and light corn syrup (they might object to the flavor of the dark) add maple flavoring and a bit of vanilla.

We often pull harvested fruit from the freezer and warm it up to make a waffle/pancake sauce/glaze/syrup. No sugar having so much naturally. A tbsp of quick tapioca will thicken. Tiny bit of water. No added sugars needed. At least try something healthier and don't call it syrup...just call it warm fruit jam...or something cute...they might like it. Even if you don't garden I see many frozen fruits without added sugars in the freezer section.

I have a good stock of blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries.

sleevendog, what a marvelous idea! So basic, and yet who would have thought? Do you mash the fruit when you add thickener?

You can make a sugar syrup, and add real maple syrup for flavor.

The ratio for the syrup

• 1 cup water

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup brown sugar, packed

• 2 tablespoons butter

• So many of the maple flavor extracts are imitation

I also make fruit syrups, usually I start with a jam recipe and add only half the pectin, or I don't cook the long cooked version as long so it doesn't gel, then I can it. That's for mornings when I'm in more of a hurry (or still sleepy, LOL).

Or, like sleevendog, I pull frozen fruit from the freezer and make a quick sauce, it only takes a minute on the stovetop.

I still like real maple, though, probably a throw-back from when Grandpa used to tap the maples and do his own "sugaring".

It's funny, Grandma used to make "homemade" syrup with brown sugar and we detested it. In lieu of syrup we would spread butter on the pancakes and sprinkle them with sugar, and we probably got less sugar than we would have had with syrup, LOL. We also used jam, sometimes, and Dad liked whole grain pancakes with apple sauce.

Annie

Thank You all for your responses.

Sleevendog, your warm fruit jam sounds delicious. I can almost taste it made with strawberries...a spoonful or two on top of a plain scone with a dollop of whipped cream. Yum!!! Thank You I will be trying this as soon as the strawberry fields are ready.. (not my strawberries)

I don't care for pure maple syrup and neither do my grands..wonder if that's because I grew up with Log Cabin. Lol

C_lantro. I followed your recipe except I used a bit more maple extract and left out the vanilla and butter flavoring since I was out of both. ( who else but me could run out of vanilla)

OMG talk about good. My kids all lined up for a plastic spoon of the syrup to taste test. They all said please don't ever buy Log Cabin again...this is the BEST. I never realized making fake lol maple syrup was so easy and it puts the store bought to shame.

Were having breakfast for dinner tomorrow so i'll be making homemade waffles.

We don't have waffles, pancakes, french toast often only about every two months. I don't mind giving the kids this sweet yummy, sticky treat occasionally. They generally eat fairly healthy unlike their friends who live off fast food so I'm ok with this once in awhile.

Thank you all for your help. Much appreciated.

Log Cabin Syrup actually contains real maple syrup.

About 4%, which is 4% more than any other pancake syrup contains.

Momj. I didn't know that about Log Cabin but even without real maple syrup C_lantros was hands down, two thumbs up, 5 stars the best maple flavored syrup I have ever eaten. 6 of us at the dinner table tonight and everyone raved over the syrup. My grands told me to give you all a BIG Thank You.