Maple syrup vs. Molasses — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison
Summary
In short, molasses is denser in nutrients containing 8g more carbohydrates and 30 more calories per 100g serving.
Molasses is 25 times higher in fructose and seven times higher in glucose, while maple syrup contains two times more sucrose.
Molasses provides 335 times more vitamin B6, 22 times more vitamin B5, and 11 times more vitamin B3, while maple syrup is 635 times richer in vitamin B2.
Molasses is a better source of most minerals, containing 43 times more iron, 27 times more copper, 16 times more phosphorus, 12 times more magnesium, and seven times more potassium.
Table of contents
Introduction
Molasses and maple syrup are both sweeteners, but they are quite different in terms of taste, texture, and nutritional value.
Production and Classification
Molasses, also known as black treacle, is a byproduct of the sugar refining process. Sugar cane or sugar beets are crushed to extract their juice, which is then boiled to create a concentrated syrup. The sugar crystals are then separated from the syrup; the remaining syrup is molasses.
Maple syrup is produced by tapping maple trees and collecting the sap that flows out. The sap is then boiled to evaporate the water content and concentrate the sugars, resulting in thick, sweet maple syrup. The production process is labor-intensive and requires specific weather conditions for the trees to produce sap, which makes maple syrup relatively expensive compared to other sweeteners, including maple syrup.
Maple syrup and molasses are both classified as natural sweeteners.
Appearance, Taste, and Use
Molasses is a thick, dark syrup with a viscous texture made from sugar cane juice or sugar beet juice. The quality of molasses can vary depending on the refinement process, with lighter molasses being sweeter and darker molasses being more bitter. Either way, it usually has a strong flavor. Molasses is often used in baking, especially in recipes for gingerbread, molasses cookies, and baked beans.
Maple syrup, on the other hand, is a thinner, lighter syrup that is made from the sap of maple trees. It has a distinct, sweet taste that is often described as "woodsy." Maple syrup is commonly used as a topping for pancakes and waffles, but it can also be used in baking and cooking.
Nutrition
The infographics below present the nutritional numbers for 100g serving sizes of molasses and maple syrup. However, the average serving sizes of these sweeteners per person is one tablespoon or 20g for molasses and ¼ cup or 83g for honey.
Macronutrients and Calories
Molasses is somewhat denser in nutrients, containing 75% carbohydrates, 22% water, and 3% other nutrients. Maple syrup, on the other hand, consists of 67% carbohydrates, 32% water, and 1% other nutrients.
Macronutrient Comparison
Calories
Both sweeteners are high-calorie foods; however, molasses contains 30 more calories per 100g serving. In each 100g serving, maple syrup provides 260 calories, while molasses has 290 calories.
Carbohydrates
Molasses is higher in carbohydrates compared to maple syrup. Per 100g serving of molasses provides 74.8g of carbs, whereas maple syrup contains 67g.
All 100% of carbohydrates found in these sweeteners are made up of net carbs, as they do not contain dietary fiber.
Molasses is 25 times higher in fructose and seven times higher in glucose, while maple syrup contains two times more sucrose.
Carbohydrate type comparison
Protein and Fats
Molasses and maple syrup contain insignificant amounts of protein and fats.
Vitamins
These natural sweeteners are good sources of most B-group vitamins, except vitamin B12 and vitamin B9 or folate.
Molasses provides 335 times more vitamin B6, 22 times more vitamin B5, and 11 times more vitamin B3. At the same time, maple syrup is 635 times richer in vitamin B2 and almost two times richer in vitamin B1.
Maple syrup falls in the top 10% of foods as a source of vitamin B2. A 100g serving of this sweetener covers 98% of the daily needed vitamin B2 value.
Vitamin Comparison
Minerals
Molasses is overall richer in most minerals, containing 43 times more iron, 27 times more copper, 16 times more phosphorus, 12 times more magnesium, seven times more potassium, and two times more calcium.
Maple syrup is, however, five times richer in zinc. It is also somewhat lower in sodium.
Mineral Comparison
Glycemic Index
The glycemic index of pure Canadian maple syrup has been measured to be 54 (1). This falls in the low to moderate category.
The glycemic index of molasses has not yet been researched. However, researchers looked into the possibility of using sugar cane-derived filtered molasses concentrate as a natural functional component that could alter how carbohydrates are metabolized and lower the glycemic index of meals and beverages (2).
Health Impact
Natural sweeteners are often considered a healthier alternative to refined sugar, as they are less processed and may contain additional nutrients. In this section, we will look at the scientific evidence behind these claims.
Cardiovascular Health
Reducing the intake of foods and beverages with added sugars, such as maple syrup and molasses, is advised by the 2021 Dietary Guidelines to Enhance Cardiovascular Health (3).
However, research shows that molasses supplementation is effective at raising high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, also known as “good” cholesterol, in experimental animals (4).
The metabolic effects of agave syrup and molasses were similar to that of maple syrup (5).
Diabetes
As mentioned above, maple syrup has a low to moderate glycemic index, meaning its consumption raises glucose levels slowly. Molasses intake may help lower the glycemic index of other foods.
Researchers have found that natural sweeteners like maple syrup and molasses are less likely to cause insulin resistance and hepatic inflammation than refined sugars in diabetic rats. In other words, maple syrup and molasses are healthier substitutes for white sugar (6).
Sources.
- https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/114/5/1625/6320814
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267871575
- https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001031
- https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/abs/10.1024/0300-9831.75.3.211
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1756464614003077
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7469035/
Infographic
Fat Type Comparison
Comparison summary table
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| Rich in minerals |
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| Lower in price |
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| Lower in Sugar |
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| Lower in Sodium |
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| Lower in Saturated Fat |
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| Lower in Glycemic Index |
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| Lower in Cholesterol | Equal | ||
| Rich in vitamins | Equal | ||
All nutrients comparison - raw data values
| Nutrient | |
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Opinion |
| Net carbs | 67.04g | 74.73g |
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| Protein | 0.04g | 0g |
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| Fats | 0.06g | 0.1g |
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| Carbs | 67.04g | 74.73g |
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| Calories | 260kcal | 290kcal |
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| Fructose | 0.52g | 12.79g |
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| Sugar | 60.46g | 74.72g |
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| Calcium | 102mg | 205mg |
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| Iron | 0.11mg | 4.72mg |
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| Magnesium | 21mg | 242mg |
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| Phosphorus | 2mg | 31mg |
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| Potassium | 212mg | 1464mg |
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| Sodium | 12mg | 37mg |
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| Zinc | 1.47mg | 0.29mg |
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| Copper | 0.018mg | 0.487mg |
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| Manganese | 2.908mg | 1.53mg |
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| Selenium | 0.6µg | 17.8µg |
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| Vitamin B1 | 0.066mg | 0.041mg |
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| Vitamin B2 | 1.27mg | 0.002mg |
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| Vitamin B3 | 0.081mg | 0.93mg |
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| Vitamin B5 | 0.036mg | 0.804mg |
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| Vitamin B6 | 0.002mg | 0.67mg |
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| Saturated Fat | 0.007g | 0.018g |
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| Monounsaturated Fat | 0.011g | 0.032g |
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| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.017g | 0.05g |
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Which food is preferable for your diet?
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| Low Fats diet |
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| Low Carbs diet |
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| Low Calories diet |
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| Low Glycemic Index diet |
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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
Comparison summary
References
All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.
- Maple syrup - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169661/nutrients
- Molasses - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168820/nutrients
All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.