Sugars & sweeteners · Glycemic index

Does maple syrup spike blood sugar?

Not much. Maple syrup has a low GI of 54, and a 20 g serving (1 tablespoon) has a low glycemic load of 7. Pure maple syrup has a low GI in the one published test, but it is still concentrated sugar: a tablespoon carries a low glycemic load, a quarter cup on pancakes does not.

Key numbers

Glycemic index: 54; Low GI
Glycemic load: 7; Low GL
Available carbs: 13 g; 0 g fiber
Serving: 1 tablespoon; 20 g · pure

GI vs GL for maple syrup

The glycemic index (GI) compares how fast the carbohydrate in a food raises blood sugar against pure glucose (100), using a fixed amount of carbohydrate. The glycemic load (GL) adds the other half of the story — how much carbohydrate a normal serving actually contains: GI × available carbs ÷ 100. For maple syrup: 54 × 13 g ÷ 100 ≈ 7.

That figure comes from a single published test in the 2021 international GI tables (“Maple syrup, pure Canadian (Queen Foods, Australia)”), so treat it as approximate. Only one ISO-standard test has been published. A maple-flavored syrup (not pure maple) tested higher, at 68.

Eating a different amount? Work out the glycemic load of your portion.

How to eat maple syrup with less of a spike

Measure it with a spoon instead of pouring from the bottle; USDA's quarter-cup serving is more than four tablespoons.
Buy pure maple syrup rather than maple-flavored pancake syrup, which tested 68.
Use it on protein-rich foods such as Greek yogurt rather than on white pancakes.

Other low-GI choices

Compare with

See all 67 foods in the glycemic index table

Frequently asked questions

What is the glycemic index of maple syrup?

Maple syrup has a glycemic index of 54, which is low. That figure comes from a single published test in the 2021 international GI tables (“Maple syrup, pure Canadian (Queen Foods, Australia)”), so treat it as approximate. A 20 g serving (1 tablespoon) contains about 13 g of available carbohydrate, giving a glycemic load of 7 (low).

Is maple syrup good for prediabetes?

Maple syrup is an added sugar, so treat it like one. A teaspoon or two to flavor oatmeal or yogurt is fine; pouring it over a stack of pancakes is a large load.

Is maple syrup better than sugar for blood sugar?

Its GI may be lower — pure maple syrup tested 54 in the only published study, against an average of 66 for table sugar — but that is a single test, and both are added sugars best kept to small amounts.

Sources

GI values come from the international GI tables; carbohydrate and fiber per serving are calculated from USDA FoodData Central.

Data last checked September 30, 2026.