Toasted Hazelnut-Maple Syrup (Clean-Ingredient)

This is the syrup behind our Clean-Ingredient Hazelnut Latte — real toasted hazelnuts, steeped into real maple syrup instead of dissolving sugar and reaching for a bottle of extract alone. It’s a genuine whole-food technique, and we’re upfront below about exactly how much work the extract is still doing.

Why the Real Hazelnuts Still Need a Little Extract

We want to be straight about this one, the same way we are about our Clean-Ingredient Caramel recipe: steeping toasted hazelnuts in warm maple syrup for 15 minutes gives you real hazelnut flavor and aroma, but it’s a subtle effect — nowhere near strong enough on its own to read as “hazelnut” once it’s diluted into a latte’s worth of espresso and steamed milk. So this recipe still calls for 1 tsp of real hazelnut extract, stirred in after straining, to carry the flavor the rest of the way. What you’re getting for the extra effort is real toasted hazelnuts doing genuine flavor work (and a use for the strained nuts afterward) plus real maple syrup instead of dissolved cane sugar — not a syrup that’s somehow extract-free, because an honestly extract-free version of this flavor doesn’t taste much like hazelnut.

The Syrup

Toast 1/4 cup raw hazelnuts in a dry skillet (or a 350°F oven) for 8-10 minutes until fragrant and the skins start to crack, then let them cool slightly and chop roughly. Warm 3/4 cup maple syrup gently in a small saucepan — just warm, don’t let it simmer — then stir in the chopped hazelnuts, take it off the heat, cover, and let it steep for 15 minutes. Strain out the hazelnut solids through a fine-mesh sieve (they’re good on oatmeal afterward, not wasted), then stir 1 tsp real hazelnut extract into the warm, strained syrup. Let it cool completely before bottling.

Makes about 8 drinks’ worth at 2 tbsp per serving.

This batch (8 servings)$5.45 total

Per 2 tbsp serving~$0.68

Assumptions: real maple syrup at typical grocery pricing ($8-9 for a 12oz bottle, $0.35/tbsp, the same figure our other maple-based syrups use), raw hazelnuts at typical grocery/bulk-bin pricing ($8-9/lb, so about $0.65 for the 1/4 cup used here), and hazelnut extract at typical specialty-extract pricing — unlike vanilla, hazelnut extract isn’t sold in Costco-size bulk bottles, so a standard 2 fl oz grocery bottle ($7) is the more realistic per-tsp source, working out to about $0.60/tsp.

Storage & Shelf Life

• Keeps about 2 weeks in a sealed jar in the fridge, same as our other cooked/steeped syrups.
• Give it a shake before using — a little hazelnut oil can separate out and rise to the top; that’s normal.
• Double the batch if you go through hazelnut lattes quickly — everything scales evenly (1/2 cup hazelnuts, 1 1/2 cups maple syrup, 2 tsp extract).

Swaps & Notes

• No fine-mesh sieve? A clean coffee filter or cheesecloth over a jar works just as well, just slower.
• Skip the toasting step if you’re in a hurry — raw hazelnuts steeped without toasting still add some flavor, but toasting is what gets you the deeper, roasted-hazelnut character worth the extra 10 minutes.
• This isn’t a lower-calorie or lower-sugar swap. Maple syrup runs about the same sugar content as cane sugar per tablespoon — the point of this tier is real, traceable ingredients, not fewer calories. If that’s your priority, see the Sugar-Free Hazelnut Syrup instead.

What to Make With This

2 tbsp of this syrup, stirred into hot espresso before adding steamed milk, is the Clean-Ingredient Hazelnut Latte — our top-recommended hazelnut tier. If cost matters more than ingredient sourcing, the Hazelnut Syrup (Standard) uses the same extract with cane sugar instead of maple; if minimizing sugar is the priority, see the Sugar-Free Hazelnut Syrup.

Recipe Card Summary

Toasted Hazelnut-Maple Syrup (Clean-Ingredient)

• 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts steeped in 3/4 cup maple syrup, strained, plus 1 tsp real hazelnut extract
• Makes ~8 servings (2 tbsp each) · Prep: 5 min · Total: 25 min (mostly toasting + steeping + cooling)
• Cost: ~$5.45/batch, ~$0.68/serving

FAQ

Is this actually a “clean” hazelnut syrup if it still uses extract?

Mostly, with one honest caveat: the extract is doing real work here, not just backing up the hazelnuts. Steeped hazelnuts alone are too subtle to read as “hazelnut” in a latte, so we use both rather than pretend the extract is optional. What you get in exchange for the extra step is real toasted hazelnuts and real maple syrup standing in for dissolved cane sugar.

Why strain the hazelnuts out instead of leaving them in?

A syrup with nut solids in it won’t pour or measure consistently, and it’s harder to stir smoothly into hot espresso. Straining keeps the syrup pourable while still capturing the toasted-hazelnut flavor and aroma that steeped into the maple syrup.

Do I need to make this every time I want a latte?

No — one batch covers about 8 drinks over two weeks. The Clean-Ingredient Hazelnut Latte recipe assumes you already have a jar on hand.