Is Maple Syrup Vegan? Here’s What You Need to Know

It pours from a tree. It has one ingredient. It’s basically boiled sap. So why is anyone wondering if maple syrup is vegan?

Before you start side-eyeing your beloved pancake drizzle, here’s the good news: Maple syrup is almost always vegan. But there are a few rare production practices that raise questions—and if you’re committed to keeping your breakfast spread completely animal-free, we’re here to help.

Let’s break down what maple syrup actually is, when it might not be vegan, and how to choose brands that keep things sweet (without any suffering).

Maple Syrup Is Naturally Vegan

Maple syrup is hailed as a vegan staple for a reason. This versatile, natural sweetener usually comes straight from the sap of sugar maple trees: tapped, boiled down, and bottled. Pure maple syrup contains just one ingredient: concentrated tree sap. For the vast majority of producers, it’s as simple as it sounds.

The Sticky Question: When Is Maple Syrup Not Vegan?

While it isn’t common, some maple syrup processors remove the foam that forms during boiling by using bone char stolen from sensitive cows—which is sometimes used in processing certain sugars—or pigs’ fat.

Other non-vegan “ingredients” added to flavored syrups may include honey taken from exploited bees or “butter flavor” containing cow’s milk.

Luckily, weeding out non-vegan syrups is a piece of vegan cake (or pancake!). When in doubt, just take a quick glance at the label. If the label reads 100% pure maple syrup, it’s vegan. And remember: Being vegan is about doing the best you can practically, not stressing over rare processing practices. Just do the most good you reasonably can and choose kinder options whenever they’re available.

Popular Maple Syrups That Are Vegan

• Butternut Mountain Farm Maple Syrup
• Log Cabin Maple Syrup
• 365 Everyday Value Maple Syrup
• Purely Canadian Maple Syrup
• Coombs Family Farms Maple Syrup
• Maple Grove Farms Maple Syrup
• Stonewall Kitchen Maine Maple Syrup
• Now Real Organic Foods Maple Syrup
• Kirkland Maple Syrup
• Bushwick Kitchen Trees Knees Coffee Maple, Organic Maple Syrup Infused With Stumptown Coffee
• Bushwick Kitchen Trees Knees Spicy Maple, Organic Maple Syrup Infused With Habanero Peppers
• Escuminac Great Harvest Canadian Maple Syrup
• WildFour Organic Maple Syrup
• Crown Maple Amber Color Rich Taste Organic Maple Syrup
• Very Dark, Strong Taste Vermont Maple Syrup—Barred Woods Maple Products
• Antonio Park Amber Rich Maple Syrup
• BERNARD—Pure Organic Maple Syrup
• Nokomis 100% Pure Canadian Maple Syrup
• Wholesome Maple Syrup (All Varieties)
• Good & Gather 100% Pure Maple Syrup

Maple Syrups That Are Not Vegan

Here are some syrups you should avoid at the grocery store:

• Tree Hive Maple Syrup & Honey
• Blackberry Patch Maple Praline Flavored Sugar Free Syrup
• Blackberry Patch Butter Maple Syrup

Don’t Worry, Be Sappy!

At the end of the day, being vegan is about having compassion, not rigid standards. You can’t go wrong with 100% pure maple syrup, which is naturally vegan, widely available, and totally delicious.

By choosing vegan maple syrup, you help spare curious, social cows who want to nurture their precious babies; pigs, who form close bonds and love to snuggle with one another; and bees, who live in complex colonies and “dance” to communicate.

If you’re already vegan, great! Help us make the whole world a whole lot sweeter by challenging your friends and family to take PETA’s 3-week vegan challenge:

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