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Maple syrup vs honey is a comparison of two single-ingredient sweeteners with different sources: one is boiled-down tree sap and the other is made by bees from nectar. This page sets them side by side using USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy values for the same household serving, a tablespoon, and quotes how FDA defines and labels each one. It does not rank them; the numbers and the agency wording are the whole comparison. For each sweetener on its own, see our guides to maple syrup and types of honey.
Peptide Labs does not sell foods. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- In USDA data, a tablespoon of the maple entry lists 52 calories and 12.1 grams of sugars, and a tablespoon of honey lists 64 calories and 17.2 grams.
- FDA counts the sugars in both as added sugars, and packages of each show the percent Daily Value for added sugars.
- Per 100 grams in USDA data, the maple entry is mostly sucrose, while honey is mostly fructose and glucose.
- CDC says: "Do not give honey or products made with it, including honey pacifiers, to infants."
Maple syrup vs honey per tablespoon
The table shows the two USDA SR Legacy entries at the tablespoon weight USDA gives for each, with the percent Daily Value (%DV) against the FDA Daily Value of 50 grams for added sugars.
| Sweetener (USDA FDC ID) | Serving | Calories | Carbohydrate | Total sugars (% DV added sugars) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maple syrup (169661) | 1 tbsp (20 g) | 52 | 13.4 g | 12.1 g (24%) |
| Honey (169640) | 1 tbsp (21 g) | 64 | 17.3 g | 17.2 g (34%) |
In USDA data, the tablespoon of honey weighs 21 grams and the maple tablespoon 20 grams, so part of the gap comes from weight. Per 100 grams, USDA lists 304 calories for honey and 260 for the maple entry, and 17.1 grams of water in honey against 32.4 grams in the maple entry. USDA lists 17.2 grams of sugars for the honey tablespoon, 34% of the FDA Daily Value for added sugars, and 12.1 grams for the maple tablespoon, or 24%.
USDA sugar profile per 100 grams
USDA SR Legacy reports the individual sugars for both entries. The table lists the USDA values per 100 grams.
| Sweetener (USDA FDC ID) | Amount | Water | Calories | Sucrose | Glucose | Fructose | Total sugars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maple syrup (169661) | 100 g | 32.4 g | 260 | 58.3 g | 1.6 g | 0.5 g | 60.5 g |
| Honey (169640) | 100 g | 17.1 g | 304 | 0.9 g | 35.8 g | 40.9 g | 82.1 g |
In USDA data, the maple entry lists 58.3 grams of sucrose, the same sugar molecule as table sugar, with 1.6 grams of glucose and 0.5 gram of fructose per 100 grams. Honey shows the opposite pattern in USDA data: 40.9 grams of fructose and 35.8 grams of glucose, with 0.9 gram of sucrose. FDA’s labeling rule, 21 CFR 101.9, counts all of these as total sugars, defined as the sum of free mono- and disaccharides, so the label line does not separate them.
Minerals and riboflavin per tablespoon
The table shows the minerals and riboflavin USDA lists for each tablespoon, with the percent Daily Value against the FDA Daily Values in 21 CFR 101.9.
| Sweetener (USDA FDC ID) | Serving | Potassium (% DV) | Calcium (% DV) | Magnesium (% DV) | Zinc (% DV) | Manganese (% DV) | Riboflavin (% DV) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maple syrup (169661) | 1 tbsp (20 g) | 42 mg (1%) | 20 mg (2%) | 4.2 mg (1%) | 0.29 mg (3%) | 0.58 mg (25%) | 0.25 mg (20%) |
| Honey (169640) | 1 tbsp (21 g) | 11 mg (0%) | 1 mg (0%) | 0.4 mg (0%) | 0.05 mg (0%) | 0.02 mg (1%) | 0.01 mg (1%) |
In USDA data, the maple tablespoon lists 0.58 milligram of manganese, 25% of the FDA Daily Value of 2.3 milligrams, and 0.25 milligram of riboflavin, 20% of the FDA Daily Value of 1.3 milligrams. The honey tablespoon lists 1% or less of the FDA Daily Value for each of these. Per tablespoon in USDA data, the maple entry lists 42 milligrams of potassium and 20 milligrams of calcium, against 11 and 1 milligrams for honey. USDA SR Legacy values are averages, and the Nutrition Facts label on a bottle or jar is the figure for that product.
How FDA defines each sweetener
FDA has a standard of identity for the maple product. Under 21 CFR 168.140, maple sirup is a liquid food made by concentrating and heating “the sap of the maple tree” and contains “not less than 66 percent by weight of soluble solids derived solely from such sap.” FDA’s rule adds that the word sirup may be spelled syrup; 21 CFR 168.140 names no grades, which our guide to maple syrup grades covers.
For honey, FDA’s 2018 guidance for industry, Proper Labeling of Honey and Honey Products, which is nonbinding, describes honey as “a thick, sweet, syrupy substance that bees make as food from the nectar of plants or secretions of living parts of plants and store in honeycombs.” FDA also writes: “You do not have to declare the floral source of honey on the label.” Floral-source names and USDA color designations are covered in our guide to types of honey.
Honey vs maple syrup on the FDA food label
Under 21 CFR 101.9, added sugars include “sugars from syrups and honey,” so FDA counts the sugars in both as added sugars. FDA’s consumer page on added sugars names table sugar, the maple product and honey among single-ingredient sugars and syrups whose labels “list the percent Daily Value for added sugars.” FDA explains that this is done “so that it does not look like more sugars have been added to the product.”
In practice, this means a jar of honey and a bottle of the maple product both carry the FDA added-sugars %DV on the label, even though nothing has been added to either. The FDA Daily Value for added sugars is 50 grams, the same reference used in the tables above. Our honey vs sugar page and the guide to types of sugar show both beside table sugar and other syrups in USDA data.
Honey, maple and infants
CDC says: “Honey can contain the bacteria that cause botulism.” CDC also says: “Do not give honey or products made with it, including honey pacifiers, to infants.” The CDC wording names honey.
Related sweeteners
- Other syrups: our guides to agave and molasses cover two more single-ingredient syrups with USDA values.
- Foods with sugars: the foods high in sugar list ranks foods by USDA sugar values.
- Sweeteners that are not sugars: the sibling comparison erythritol vs stevia covers two sweeteners FDA classes differently from sugars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which has more sugar per tablespoon, honey or the maple sweetener?
In USDA SR Legacy data, a tablespoon of honey lists 17.2 grams of sugars and a tablespoon of the maple entry lists 12.1 grams; the honey tablespoon also weighs 1 gram more.
Are honey and maple sirup both added sugars?
Yes. Under 21 CFR 101.9, added sugars include sugars from syrups and honey, and FDA says packages of single-ingredient syrups and honey show the percent Daily Value for added sugars.
What sugars are in each one?
Per 100 grams in USDA data, the maple entry lists 58.3 grams of sucrose, and honey lists 40.9 grams of fructose and 35.8 grams of glucose.
How does FDA define maple sirup?
FDA’s rule, 21 CFR 168.140, describes a liquid food made by concentrating and heating the sap of the maple tree, with not less than 66 percent soluble solids by weight.
Can babies have honey?
CDC says not to give honey or products made with it, including honey pacifiers, to infants, because honey can contain the bacteria that cause botulism.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a health condition. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: Erythritol vs Stevia: FDA Status, Labels and USDA Data, Maple Syrup: Nutrition, Grades and Is Maple Syrup Healthy?, Types of Honey: Floral Sources, USDA Colors and Labels, Types of Sugar: What the FDA Label and USDA Data Show.