The Breakfast Ingredient You Should Use To Sweeten Milkshakes

While unusual or surprising ice cream flavors are nothing new (Orange and licorice-swirled tiger tiger, anyone?), people tend to think of milkshakes in more conventional terms. Sure, classic flavors like strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate are great, but there's a secret ingredient that can make your milkshake an autumn-flavored, comfortingly sweet delight: maple syrup!

Yes, your pancake's sweet and sticky best friend can also be part of a marvelous milkshake. The syrup not only adds distinct maple flavor to the shake, but also makes it even sweeter than the ice cream itself. Former Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, apparently enjoys vanilla milkshakes made with maple syrup — which makes sense, given that maple syrup is one of Canada's most famous products, and a maple leaf appears on the Canadian flag. But you don't have to be Canadian to enjoy a maple milkshake, especially since maple syrup is also produced in the northeastern United States.

If you want to try a maple milkshake for yourself, the first thing you'll need to do is source some syrup. Buying maple syrup sounds simple enough, but it can actually be tricky to navigate, especially if you don't ordinarily use maple syrup in cooking. While you're unlikely to be short on options, there are pitfalls in the supermarket breakfast aisle that you'll want to avoid.

Many of the breakfast syrups sold in grocery stores aren't actually pure maple syrup at all, even if they're described as being maple flavored, or have maple leaves on the bottle. One particular grocery store syrup — called "pancake syrup" — is actually just maple-flavored corn syrup, so be sure to check the ingredient label before you buy. Using maple-flavored pancake syrup in a milkshake will result in a different flavor, without that signature maple taste. Luckily, most grocery stores also carry pure maple syrup, and often, the best pure maple syrup doesn't come with a huge price tag.

Milkshakes aren't the only things that can get a boost from a bit of maple syrup — and it appears that you could probably find a good reason to add maple syrup to every meal. Some people enjoy swirling maple syrup into coffee as a sweetening agent, or adding it to cocktails instead of simple syrup. Maple desserts also have potential that goes well beyond Justin Trudeau's favorite milkshake flavor, with classic maple-glazed donuts and old-fashioned maple-walnut fudge. Maple crème brûlée can make for an elegant end to a fancy dinner, while maple pudding — a traditional Québécois dish that resembles a cobbler — is served hot, with a dollop of ice cream on top.

It's hard to find anything much sweeter than maple syrup, so it may come as a surprise to learn that it can also be a popular addition to savory dishes. Some maple syrup main courses are classics, like maple-glazed ham or maple salmon. On the other hand, maple-based sauces can be a hit for side dishes, like a salad dressed with maple-balsamic vinaigrette; and maple-glazed roasted carrots caramelize when cooked for a sweet (but not too sweet) way to eat your vegetables.