Maple syrup + Nutmeg
A good pairing. Cooks put them together in 306 recipes, and they share 14 flavor molecules: the top 23% of all ingredient pairs.
Do maple syrup and nutmeg go together?
Yes. 306 recipes in our collection combine them, and they share 14 flavor molecules. That places them in the top 23% of every ingredient pair we score.
Why they work
More than half of maple syrup's flavor molecules (14 of 28) also occur in nutmeg. Among the shared key aromas are linalool (floral, citrus) and maltol (caramel, sweet). Most of what they share is background chemistry many foods carry, so the overlap does little for the smell.
What each one brings
maple syrup
The caramel side. Caramel notes make up 29% of its labelled aroma molecules, against 2% for nutmeg. It carries 14 molecules nutmeg doesn't have.
nutmeg
The herbal side. Herbal notes make up 14% of its labelled aroma molecules, against 0% for maple syrup. It carries 287 molecules maple syrup doesn't have.
Add a third ingredient
- Cinnamon: the best fit for both, top 16% of pairs with maple syrup, top 1% with nutmeg.
- Butternut squash: top 12% of pairs with maple syrup, top 1% with nutmeg.
- Sweet potato: top 10% of pairs with maple syrup, top 4% with nutmeg.
- Clove: top 24% of pairs with maple syrup, top 1% with nutmeg.
Ranked by the average of its two pairing scores. Only foods used in at least 100 recipes are suggested.
Recipes with maple syrup and nutmeg
Mostly desserts: 24 of the 35 recipes with a course label are desserts.
Can you swap one for the other?
Not really. Each has a lot the other lacks: maple syrup has 14 molecules nutmeg doesn't, and nutmeg has 287 that maple syrup doesn't. Treat them as partners, not stand-ins. This compares flavor only; texture, moisture and the job each does in a dish matter too.
All 14 shared molecules
See every shared molecule grouped by chemical class, with key aromas marked, plus the 14 only in maple syrup and the 287 only in nutmeg.
Maple syrup and nutmeg questions
Do maple syrup and nutmeg go together?
A good pairing. Cooks put them together in 306 recipes, and they share 14 flavor molecules: the top 23% of all ingredient pairs.
Why do maple syrup and nutmeg taste good together?
More than half of maple syrup's flavor molecules (14 of 28) also occur in nutmeg. Among the shared key aromas are linalool (floral, citrus) and maltol (caramel, sweet). Most of what they share is background chemistry many foods carry, so the overlap does little for the smell.
What goes with maple syrup and nutmeg?
Cinnamon is the best third ingredient: top 16% of pairs with maple syrup and top 1% with nutmeg. Butternut squash and sweet potato also fit both.
What can you make with maple syrup and nutmeg?
Mostly desserts: 24 of the 35 recipes with a course label are desserts. Common dishes include Banana-Maple Smoothie, Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake, Maple Rice Pudding with Apple and Pecans, Maple Sugar Cakes.
Can I use nutmeg instead of maple syrup?
Not really. Each has a lot the other lacks: maple syrup has 14 molecules nutmeg doesn't, and nutmeg has 287 that maple syrup doesn't. Treat them as partners, not stand-ins. This compares flavor only; texture, moisture and the job each does in a dish matter too.
Compare other ingredients
Ranks compare this pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. Molecule counts are what the studies and databases we aggregate have reported for each ingredient: a measure of coverage, not a full census. How we score pairs
Cite this analysis
Compound Kitchen (2026). Compound similarity analysis: Maple Syrup vs Nutmeg. https://compkitchen.com/compare/maple-syrup-vs-nutmeg. Accessed 2026-11-04.
@misc{compkitchen_compare_compound_similarity_analysis_maple_syrup_vs_nutmeg_2026,
title = {Compound similarity analysis: Maple Syrup vs Nutmeg},
author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://compkitchen.com/compare/maple-syrup-vs-nutmeg},
note = {Accessed: 2026-11-04}
}
Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719459 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.