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Brown sugar and butter simmer together and create a caramel toffee flavored homemade syrup like nothing you’ve ever tasted.
This sauce is no substitute for maple syrup, brown sugar and butter homemade syrup is awesome all by itself.

I drizzled this syrup over some Banana Nut Oatmeal last week and my boys liked it so much, they requested it on their oatmeal again the very next morning. I couldn’t resist making a batch of our favorite waffles for the last of the syrup.
This syrup is on par with our family’s beloved Waffle Sauce; it’s an entirely different kind of deliciousness and I already love it. If you enjoy homemade sauces and syrups as much as we do, you’ll want to try this awesome Buttermilk Syrup too, for another terrific homemade syrup option.
Creamy, rich, peanut butter syrup makes a fantastic topping for your favorite stack of homemade pancakes or waffles.
When my friend Rebecca told me about her recipe for Brown Sugar Butter Pancake and Waffle Syrup, I was immediately taken back to childhood when my mom used to make a simple sugar homemade syrup for our pancakes. This version, oh Mom forgive me, this version puts that one to shame times about 1000.
This is one instance where butter not only makes it better, but it transforms the recipe into something that will take your breath away with its deliciousness.
Your kitchen will smell amazing and you might even be left without words to describe it.

How To Make Homemade Syrup
- Combine the sugar and water in a medium-size saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Lower the heat to medium and allow the mixture to boil for 4 minutes.
- Add the butter and stir until the butter has dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the extract if desired.
- Let the syrup cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a pitcher or jar for storage. Serve immediately or store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to a month.


Homemade Syrup
This syrup will keep nicely in the fridge for at least a couple of weeks. (This is in theory though – as ours has honestly never lasted that long.) I typically make a double recipe and stash some at the back of the fridge to use next time we’re making pancakes or waffles.
To reheat, remove the lid and microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between until hot. Or place on a folded washcloth in a pan of water, bring to a simmer and using a hot pad, swirl the jar every so often until the syrup has warmed.

For over 20 years now, I’ve held fast to our family’s favorite pancake recipe. And, yes, I still think that recipe is truly the best ever classic pancake recipe, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty more awesome pancakes to enjoy.
Fluffy, slightly tangy, Buttermilk Pancakes are a great addition to your weekend brunch. This recipe reminds me of our favorite diner here in Columbus and I have been making these pancakes more often than any others this year.
Banana Pancakes filled with irresistible bits of sweet coconut and chewy pecans have been my middle son’s favorite for a while now. If your household is anything like mine, you’ll need to hide a few bananas from the rest of the family now to let them ripen for a pancake breakfast this weekend.
I know–light and fluffy aren’t two words you’d typically think of to describe Whole Wheat Pancakes, which have a reputation for being dense and chewy. Light and fluffy is, however, the perfect way to describe these Whole Wheat Pancakes.


Brown Sugar Butter Syrup
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup butter
- Optional: ¼ teaspoon vanilla or maple extract
Instructions
- Combine the sugar and water in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Lower the heat to medium and allow the mixture to boil for 4 minutes.
- Add the butter and stir until the butter has dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the extract if desired.
- Let the syrup cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a pitcher or jar for storage. Serve immediately or store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 1/18/14 – recipe notes and photos updated 11/24/22}














Can I use 2# of hard brown sugar and double the recipe?
This recipe doubles nicely.
Hi, so I was making the recipe and it hasn’t thickened like I had hoped. Would you have any tips?
If you’ve simmered it as directed, it should thicken even more as it cools.
I used this recipe and the pancakes wouldn’t even cook. Now I have to eat disgusting pancakes.
I’m sorry, what? This isn’t a pancake recipe, my friend. This is syrup for pancakes.
Ha!! Hahahahahahahaha!! Ha! Hahahaha!! Good one!!
this is DELICIOUS. makes me feel like I’m having a hot buttered rum on my pancake?! so easy to follow and turned out velvety and scrumptious
oooh! Love that description. I’m glad you’re enjoying the syrup.
This syrup is tastes amazing! Is there a way to get it thicker for the future?
Keeping in mind that it will thicken even more as it cools, you can simmer a bit longer for a thicker result.
Tried this easy recipe and the whole family loves it. ❤️ It’s delicious and buttery. So much better than the store bought,without all the additives. Served it over Banana Nut pancakes.Thanks for sharing. 🥞 😋❤️
I’m so glad you like the syrup!
I will be trying maple extract next time because I think it’ll be way better that way, but it was already really good!
And if you’re worried, it’s not thickening it’s probably because it is a little bit of time to cool down. I put mine on ice to cool down faster and as soon as it was thick, I served
I’m glad you like the syrup. It’s great with a tiny splash of maple extract too, but we prefer the brown sugar flavor ourselves.
i liked it .so I made it for few days . taste good .
thanks 😊
I’m glad the syrup is a win for you!
I realized we were out of maple syrup AFTER I had already made French toast 😒 I searched for syrup recipes and settled on this quick and easy one. My kids said it was the best French toast they had ever had, largely because of the syrup! My 5-yr old said it tasted beautiful at least 5 times. Definitely a winner!
Awe! I love this, Emily. I’m thrilled they liked the syrup so much.
Very tasty… added a splash of bourbon to it cooked another 2 min and wow! Thanks for the great recipe!
I bet that was delicious!
How do I contain it
Contain it? Like for storage? It will be fine in any covered container in the fridge. I typically just pour it into a jar.
I had Pumpkin Brioche bread I wanted to make french toast out of. Half way through making the french toast I realized I didn’t have any syrup. I remembered my mom making syrup out of brown sugar so I googled it. I found this recipe and picked it because it was simple and took literally 5 minutes. I followed the steps exactly and it was thick and yummy! The syrup was SO MUCH BETTER than store bought! I will probably never buy syrup again.
I’m so glad you love it! (and fun fact, we made a batch this weekend as well, to go with our pancakes!)
This is delicious syrup ! We always liked the buttery fake syrups lol this is so much better and I know exactly what’s in it ! Recipe worked out perfectly! I added the maple extract and I’ll tell you !!! It’s Delicious!! I won’t be buying the fake stuff anymore, I can make it at home and it’s sooo much better! Thank you
I’m thrilled it’s a hit!
I made it with my homemade brown sugar, that I use black strap molasses for. This was the best ever syrup!!!
I’m so glad you like it!
We love it! one question what can I do to make a little less sweet?
well, since it’s a syrup, I’ve never tried something like that. In theory you could reduce the sugar a bit, but I can’t speak to the resulting consistency. Maybe just use a bit less syrup? Sorry I’m not more helpful here.
This recipe was a life saver when ran out of syrup. Very creative. Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad you’re enjoying the syrup!
This is a wonderful syrup! This is was we made when I was a child, but we had white sugar, vanilla, and margarine. I found this recipe and made it exactly as written…WOW! thank you for bringing back memories of when times were simple and meals were simple, but homemade.
I’m so glad you like it!
This was honestly very good! No reason to buy store syrup ever again imo!! Everyone loved it!
I’m so glad you love it!
Very yummy. I ballparked this using the ratios and recipe as guidance as I only wanted enough syrup for one serving but it still turned out very good. Thank you! Our syrup is always expired before we finish, and this recipe might just replace buying new bottles.
I’m so glad you like the syrup!
Just made this, it was amazing. Thank you so much!
I’m so glad you like the syrup!