23 Reviews of Homemade Corn Syrup Substitute ( Simple Syrup )

From: Judielise

On Apr 10, 2007

After not buying regular corn syrup from the stores because they use high fructose corn syrup in it, I was very happy to find this recipe. I mixed this up as stated, though I too didn't know what "soft balls" were, either. I just simmered it and stirred constantly, until it thickened and turned completely clear. I let it cool and used 1 cup of it in Recipe # 47780, Homemade Pancake Syrup. It was perfect and delicious! I poured the rest in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and keep in the back of my pantry, dark and cool. Perfect! I will now make one more thing from scratch, saving money and my health. Thanks, again. Just to let you know, I got about a cup and a half out of the recipe after simmering. Well worth it!

From: 89240

On Mar 14, 2004

Great recipe. I needed corn syrup for a marshmellow recipe, and realized we didn't have any! This worked great, but I only got about 1 1/2 cups out of it.

From: Lori91761

On Jun 15, 2007

I've been looking for a sugar-free corn syrup for years. So I took this recipe and used Splena in place of the white sugar and it works great....Thanks...

From: mianbao

On Jun 16, 2004

I tried this, but ran into major difficulties understanding the recipe. "Simmer until it begins to form soft balls when you stir" is an instruction I have yet to see elsewhere in many years of cooking. I thought perhaps it meant to cook it the soft ball stage of candy making, so was going to use my candy thermometer, when I discovered it was broken. So I tried the cold water candy test for soft ball. As the mixture was cooling, I stirred it (it might have been better if I hadn't), and it crystallized. Since the main reason corn syrup is used in recipes is that it discourages crystallization, this does seem to defeat the purpose. Actually, though, the recipe I was using this in was a sherbet that called for corn syrup combined with a sugar and water mixture, so I was able to dissolve the crystallized syrup, and make the sherbet successfully. That is the reason I'm not rating this. I do think that this would not work well in some recipes.

From: LoversDream

On Aug 9, 2007

Very handy for me, being an American living in the UK! Thanks for the great recipe... Lyles Golden Syrup just doesn't work well with alot of stuff calling for Karo Syrup. I found this on another site, which should clear up the confusion over the "soft ball" part of the instructions: LIGHT CORN SYRUP SUBSTITUTE 2 c. white sugar 3/4 c. water 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar ( in spice aisle) Dash of salt Combine all ingredients in a heavy, large pan. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and put cover on it for 3 minutes to get sugar crystals off the sides of the pan. Uncover and cook until it reaches soft ball stage. Stir often. Cool syrup and store in a covered container at room temperature. It will keep for about 2 months. Makes almost 2 cups

From: amyelice

On Mar 2, 2008

I too try to avoid high fructose corn syrup whenever I can. The only change I made to this recipe was to use 1 cup Splenda Baking Blend instead of 2 cups sugar. This substitution reduced the calories by half but only yielded 3/4 cup syrup. I used a candy thermometer and cooked the mixture until it reached the soft ball stage. It turned out perfectly. Thanks for sharing!

From: Jessie-belle

On Apr 13, 2008

Wow, easy to make and I'm sure much healthier. I did the same thing as someone else here and used this with the syrup recipe. Thank you for sharing!

From: Charishma Ramchandani

On Nov 25, 2004

This is quite close to store bought corn syrup. I used this to make Midas Squares [Midas Squares} and they came out very well. Thanks alot for posting this recipe. I'll be using this one alot!!!

From: Chef #572152

On Jun 30, 2008

Good recipie to have

From: *all4him*

On Feb 12, 2008

Thanks for the recipe. It worked wonderfully. I needed corn syrup to make icing for my v-day cookies and the icing turned out beautifully.