While you might be used to drizzling maple syrup over your pancakes, did you know it’s just as good for elevating your favourite festive dishes and drinks?
When it comes to choosing the right bottle for your cupboard, Buckwud’s 100% pure, organic Canadian maple syrup, drawn from maple trees, is perfect for adding a natural sweetness to any recipe. Not only is it the UK’s number one bestselling maple syrup*, but its rich amber colour and distinctive flavour, with buttery caramel and mild smoky notes, have also earned it a Great Taste award.
If you want to experiment with Buckwud in your Christmas cooking, here are just a few ways you can use it to bring something new and delicious to the table – plus a crowd-pleasing chicken recipe to help you get started.
Terrific trimmings
Roasted veggie sides are an essential part of any Christmas Day spread, and Buckwud Maple Syrup offers an easy way to enhance their natural flavour.
Melt it down with butter and herbs, then drizzle over carrots and parsnips before roasting for a beautifully caramelised sweetness. Or combine it with balsamic vinegar to create a tangy, sticky glaze for Brussels sprouts that might even tempt the sprout sceptics.
Gorgeous glazes
Want a showstopping centrepiece for the big day? With Buckwud Maple Syrup, you can create the most mouthwatering sweet and savoury glazes for your meats.
Try mixing it with wholegrain mustard, then brushing it over roast ham – or even pigs in blankets – to balance out the saltiness. Alternatively, if you’re cooking a classic turkey, you could pair it with herbs and butter to baste the skin, giving it a lovely golden colour.
Brilliant bakes
Whether you’re making homemade gifts or preparing a festive dessert, Buckwud Maple Syrup works well in all sorts of cakes and bakes.
Its caramelly flavour pairs perfectly with warming spices, such as cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, making it ideal for gingerbread biscuits and fruit cakes. You could also use it to glaze a batch of seasonal sausage rolls or sweeten the filling of freshly baked mince pies.
Creative cocktails
Buckwud Maple Syrup makes a wonderful alternative to granulated sugar or syrup in cocktails, with its rich toffee and vanilla notes pairing particularly well with whisky and rum.
Stir it into a classic old fashioned with a dash of orange bitters or use it to whip up a festive maple margarita. It’s also great for adding some extra sweetness to a steaming cup of mulled wine or cider.
Mustard maple chicken with creamy greens
SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 40 mins EASY
160ml Buckwud Organic Maple Syrup
4 tbsp Dijon mustard
30g apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
3-4 sprigs thyme
For the greens
40g butter
2 leeks, finely sliced
6 Savoy cabbage leaves, stems removed and finely sliced
1 tbsp plain flour
200ml chicken stock
1 tsp Dijon mustard
120ml double cream
1 Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Add the maple syrup, mustard, vinegar, soy sauce and some seasoning to a large ovenproof dish, then whisk well to combine.
2 Pat the chicken thighs dry and place them into the baking dish, turning to coat in the sauce. Tuck the thyme sprigs around the chicken and roast for 30-40 mins, until the chicken is deeply golden and slightly charred, and the sauce is bubbling and slightly thickened. Leave to rest for around 10 mins.
3 Meanwhile, to make the greens, melt the butter in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leeks and cabbage, then fry for 5-7 mins, stirring regularly until soft and well coated.
4 Mix in the flour, then add the stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the mustard and cream, season generously and bring to a gentle boil.
5 Serve the chicken with the sauce spooned over the top and the creamy greens on the side.
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*Source: Circana IRI, All UK Outlets, 52 w/e unit sales 3 Oct 2026.
BUCKWUD® is a registered trademark of Rowse Honey Limited.

