12 Healthy Maple Recipes to Make at Home

Maple syrup photo by Adam Rose on Flickr/Creative Commons

Pumpkin spice may be enjoying its day in the sun, but let us not forget the original fall flavor: maple. A New England classic 365 days a year, maple syrup takes on a special kind of perfection as the leaves change, sweaters are removed from storage, and the air takes on that delightful crispness.

Enough waxing poetic. Here, 12 healthy maple recipes sure to enhance your autumn.

1. No-Bake Maple Almond Butter Cookies
via Texanerin Baking

We’re avid fans of any cookie you can also eat for breakfast. These no-bake almond butter and maple syrup creations fit the bill, with no refined sugars and plenty of healthy fats.

2. Maple Butternut Squash and Chicken Pasta with Kale
via Fork Knife Swoon

Butternut squash, maple syrup, and kale all in one recipe? Sounds like an instant fall classic.

3. Vanilla Maple Almond Sunbutter
via Lexi’s Clean Kitchen

If you’re looking to get out of your peanut butter rut, try this decadent but healthy combination of almonds, sunflower seeds, maple, and vanilla. You’ll need a food processor for this recipe.

4. Maple and Walnut Overnight Oats
via Baking Ginger

Take your overnight oats habit into fall with this recipe. Assemble it before bed, leave it in the fridge overnight, and grab and go on your way to work.

5. Maple Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas
via To Simply Inspire

These lightly sweet chickpeas would make a great addition to fall salads. This recipe calls for brown sugar and maple syrup, but opt only for maple if you’re watching your sugar intake.

6. Blackberry, Apple, and Maple Crumble
via Deliciously Ella

What’s fall without an apple dessert? This one is sweetened only with maple syrup, keeping it on the up and up.

7. Healthy Maple Peanut Butter Fudge
via Texanerin Baking

The words “healthy” and “fudge” don’t typically belong in the same sentence. But when the confection is made only from maple syrup, peanut butter, coconut oil, and vanilla, we’ll allow it.

8. Slow Cooker Apple Maple Pork Tenderloin
via Food & Whine

Crisp fall days call for hearty evening meals. Apples and maple syrup lend this pork and veggies roast a nice, sweet touch. Use low-sodium soy sauce to keep salt content in check.

9. Healthy Carrot Cake in a Mug
via Asia Bradlee

Sometimes, dessert is just calling your name. Answer the call with this carrot mug cake. It’s sweetened with maple syrup and takes only a minute to bake in the microwave.

10. Roasted Maple Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes
via Pumpkin n’ Spice

These easy roasted sweet potatoes are bound to become one of your go-to fall side dishes. They only have to roast for about half an hour, so dinner will be ready in no time.

11. Apple Pecan Salad with Maple Vinaigrette
via Creme de la Crumb

There’s no such thing as a sad desk salad when it’s packed with this much fall flavor. To keep it as healthy as possible, use toasted pecans instead of candied.

12. Homemade Granola
via Cookie + Kate

Granola is one of those foods that seems healthy, but tells an entirely different story when you actually read the label. Avoid loads of added sugar by making this maple syrup-sweetened version yourself.