What to use instead of simple syrup
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Dissolved sweetness in a cold drink
Granulated sugar will not go into solution in a cold, low-water drink. Syrup is already dissolved, so the sweetness distributes on the first stir instead of settling in the bottom of the glass.
Superfine sugar, shaken with the citrusRan out
2 tsp sugar per 1/2 oz simple syrup
Works if there is juice to dissolve into and you shake hard. In a stirred spirit-forward drink it grits on the tongue.
Honey syrupRan out
1 part honey + 1 part hot water, stirred clear; use 1:1 for simple syrup
Floral and heavier in the mouth. It dulls delicate citrus and takes over anything built on gin.
Agave syrupPlant-based
1 part agave + 1 part warm water; use 1:1 for simple syrup
Cleaner and thinner than honey, slightly sweeter per ounce, so pull back about 10 percent in a sour.
Maple syrup, straight from the bottlePlant-based
use 3/4 the volume of the simple syrup called for
Real maple flavour and a brown tint. Fine with whiskey or apple, wrong in anything that is supposed to stay clear.
Rich simple syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 part water)Ran out
use half the volume
Same sweetness in half the liquid, so the drink dilutes less and sits thicker on the tongue.
What doesn't work: Granulated sugar stirred into a cold finished drink. It sinks, the first sip is thin and the last one is syrup, and once the ice has chilled the liquid no amount of stirring will dissolve it.
Moisture brushed onto a cake or macerated fruit
The syrup soaks into the crumb and the sugar holds water there, which is why a soaked sponge stays soft for days instead of drying out overnight.
Honey thinned with hot waterRan out
1 part honey + 1 part hot water
Stays tacky on the surface and browns fast if the cake goes back into the oven.
Fruit juice reduced by halfPlant-based
1 cup juice simmered down to 1/2 cup
Less sweet and more acidic, and the crumb takes on the colour of the fruit.
Rich simple syrup cut with the same volume of waterRan out
1 part 2:1 syrup + 1 part water
Identical to 1:1 syrup. Worth knowing if the jar in your fridge is the thick one.
What doesn't work: Corn syrup on its own. It holds moisture and it is far more viscous than sugar syrup, so it sits on the surface instead of soaking in; the top of the cake goes sticky while the crumb underneath stays dry.
A 1:1 syrup keeps about a month refrigerated and a 2:1 keeps several months. The extra sugar is what stops it fermenting.