brown rice syrup

Brown rice syrup is an unusual ingredient that isn’t used frequently in Western cuisine. Over the years, as the skies have opened up, opportunities for many of us to travel for holidays, business trips, and even relocate, so more and more foreign food and ingredients have made their way into the country and onto our dinner tables.

This article is all about brown rice syrup. From how to use it, to fun and easy recipes for you to try, by the time you finish reading this post, you should feel like an expert. I hope the information in this article helps you!

What is Brown Rice Syrup

Brown rice syrup is a natural sweetener that has about half the sweetness of sugar. It is mildly sweet with a nutty aftertaste, and many people say that it tastes a lot like butterscotch.

It comes in a mason jar and it is usually sold in Asian shops and online, so you might struggle to find it in your local supermarket. Stores that sell vegan produce will probably stock brown rice syrup as it is a great vegan syrup with lots of uses. I must warn you that the price is a lot higher than other syrups on the market, so make sure you use it sparingly.

You won’t need to refrigerate brown rice syrup; however, refrigeration will make it last longer. You can keep an opened jar of syrup for up to a year, which is plenty of time to use up.

How Can I Use Brown Rice Syrup

If you have a jar of brown rice syrup in your pantry that needs to be used up, then the following are perfect for the job. You can use this syrup as a topping or as the sugar component in recipes. Here are some examples:

On Pancakes and Waffles

Why not slather your pancakes or waffles with this delicious syrup instead of the regular maple syrup or honey.

Ice cream dressing

Take your ice cream to the next level and pour some brown rice syrup over the top. If you are watching your sugar intake but still have a sweet tooth, brown rice syrup is the ideal option. It has a glycemic index of 98, which is higher than sugar, but it is considered to be better for you and offers more health benefits than regular table sugar.

Tea and Coffee

Have you ever tried using brown rice syrup in your tea or coffee instead of sugar? It is particularly tasty in homemade bubble teas or iced frappes. Try it out for yourself and see what you think!

Cakes and Confectionery

Brown rice syrup is particularly common in cakes and confectionery that are marketed not to contain refined sugars. You can use it instead of maple syrup in
maple cakes, cupcakes, and even banana bread.

Vegan and Gluten-Free No-Bake Items

Vegan no-bake cakes and biscuits more often than not contain brown rice syrup. Honey is not vegan, and maple sugar isn’t a healthy sugar syrup, so brown rice sugar is the perfect sweetener with just the right amount of stickiness to hold the dessert together.

Recipes

Brown Rice Syrup Toffee

This toffee recipe is super easy to make and far less sweet than traditional toffee, making it especially less sickly sweet. What I love the most about this recipe is that it is gluten-free and suitable for people with celiac disease and other gluten-related illnesses.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup Chopped Almonds
  • Dark Chocolate
  • 1 cup Gluten-Free Brown Rice Syrup

Instructions 

  • Line a pan with foil and lightly grease the foil. For this recipe, you should use an 8x8 pan.
  • Melt 1 cup unsalted butter and 1 cup gluten-free brown rice syrup and stir frequently.
  • Once the butter has melted, place a candy thermometer into the pan so that you can monitor its temperature.
  • Put the mixture on high heat and stir it continuously until it reaches 270 degrees.
  • Take the mixture off the heat and stir 3/4 cup chopped almonds before pouring it into the lined pan and letting it cool.
  • Melt some dark chocolate and spread it over the toffee. I recommend melting about six ounces of chocolate, but you can use more if you like a thick layer on top of your toffee.
  • Refrigerate and serve once the chocolate and toffee have completely cooled.
Course: syrup
Keyword: brown rice, syrup, toffee

Rice Crispy Treats

Is there anyone who doesn't love rice crispy squares? This simple recipe will only take you about 10 minutes to prepare in total

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup brown rice syrup
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp. sea salt
  • 4 cups brown rice crisp cereal

Instructions 

  • Mix brown rice sugar and coconut oil in a pan
  • Bring the mixture to a boil and constantly stir for a minute and a half.
  • Stir in the vanilla extract and a pinch of sea salt.
  • Put the cereal into a large mixing bowl and mix well until all of the cereal is coated evenly.
  • Tightly pack the rice crispy mixture into a lined tray and press until the mixture is flat.
  • Refrigerate to cool and cut into wedges.

Notes

Top Tip: If you want to add a bit of extra flavor and texture, you can melt chocolate and spread it over the wedges, and allow it to cool and harden.
Course: Dessert
Keyword: rice crispy

Caramel Popcorn Bites

Caramel popcorn bites are a fun little food that is also very easy to make and oh-so-yummy. They look great on any dinner party table and are greatly appreciated by guests.

Ingredients

  • 3 bags microwave popcorn (plain)
  • 1 cup brown rice syrup
  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • 2/3 cup coconut sugar
  • 2/3 cup dairy-free butter
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. vanilla

Instructions 

  • Open three bags of ready-made popcorn and pour them into a bowl. Remove and dispose of un-popped kernels.
  • Melt the butter and pour in the coconut sugar, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, and salt into a pan.
  • Cook the mixture until it thickens and begins to bubble. This usually takes about five minutes, but you need to keep an eye on it to ensure the caramel doesn't burn.
  • Add the vanilla extract into the pan before folding in the popcorn.
  • Mold the popcorn into balls. You can put lollipop sticks into the balls to make them easier and less messy to eat.
  • Chill and serve.

Notes

Note:  Use unsalted and butter - free popcorn so that the flavors don't interfere with the ingredients you are adding. There is nothing worse than over-flavored desserts!
Course: Dessert
Keyword: popcorn

Nutritional Values

Brown rice syrup is made from brown rice, so you might presume that it is a healthy ingredient, but you would be mistaken. This highly refined and concentrated syrup is packed full of calories and carbohydrates. It will also cause your blood sugar levels to rise through the roof, so avoid using it if you suffer from diabetes and similar health conditions.

Storing Brown Rice Syrup

Brown rice syrup can pretty much be forgotten about even if you have opened it as long as you store it correctly. You can store it in the pantry or in the refrigerator. If the brown rice sugar that you purchased didn’t come in a glass resealable container, then I recommend transferring it into one to help keep it nice and fresh.

Note: Brown rice syrup is much like any other sweet treat in that it attracts ants and other sugar-loving insects. You will probably find ants and other insects in brown rice syrup that haven’t been closed properly, especially if it isn’t stored in the refrigerator.

You May Also Like: Keto Maple Syrup Recipe

Final Thoughts

You certainly won’t regret investing in a bottle of brown rice syrup as it will come in handy. If you see yourself as a foodie and like to experiment with lots of different recipes, then you will come across a recipe that calls for brown rice syrup that will catch you by surprise.

If you come across brown rice syrup in your local supermarket and you don’t have any at home, then buy it! It can be hard to purchase, and you never know when you might need it. Have fun experimenting with it, and let me know what your favorite thing to make with it is!

Author

Peter's path through the culinary world has taken a number of unexpected turns. After starting out as a waiter at the age of 16, he was inspired to go to culinary school and learn the tricks of the trade. As he delved deeper, however, his career took a sudden turn when a family friend needed someone to help manage his business. Peter now scratches his culinary itch on the internet by blogging, sharing recipes, and socializing with food enthusiasts worldwide.

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