Maple syrup + Cinnamon
A good pairing. Cooks put them together in 649 recipes, and they share 15 flavor molecules: the top 16% of all ingredient pairs.
Do maple syrup and cinnamon go together?
Yes. 649 recipes in our collection combine them, and they share 15 flavor molecules. That places them in the top 16% of every ingredient pair we score.
Why they work
More than half of maple syrup's flavor molecules (15 of 28) also occur in cinnamon. Among the shared key aromas are guaiacol (smoky, sweet) and linalool (floral, citrus). 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 1% for cinnamon. It carries 13 molecules cinnamon doesn't have.
cinnamon
The herbal side. Herbal notes make up 12% of its labelled aroma molecules, against 0% for maple syrup. It carries 309 molecules maple syrup doesn't have.
Add a third ingredient
- Nutmeg: the best fit for both, top 23% of pairs with maple syrup, top 1% with cinnamon.
- Pumpkin: top 6% of pairs with maple syrup, top 4% with cinnamon.
- Clove: top 24% of pairs with maple syrup, top 1% with cinnamon.
- Sweet potato: top 10% of pairs with maple syrup, top 2% with cinnamon.
Ranked by the average of its two pairing scores. Only foods used in at least 100 recipes are suggested.
Recipes with maple syrup and cinnamon
Mostly desserts: 42 of the 69 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 13 molecules cinnamon doesn't, and cinnamon has 309 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 15 shared molecules
See every shared molecule grouped by chemical class, with key aromas marked, plus the 13 only in maple syrup and the 309 only in cinnamon.
Maple syrup and cinnamon questions
Do maple syrup and cinnamon go together?
A good pairing. Cooks put them together in 649 recipes, and they share 15 flavor molecules: the top 16% of all ingredient pairs.
Why do maple syrup and cinnamon taste good together?
More than half of maple syrup's flavor molecules (15 of 28) also occur in cinnamon. Among the shared key aromas are guaiacol (smoky, sweet) and linalool (floral, citrus). 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 cinnamon?
Nutmeg is the best third ingredient: top 23% of pairs with maple syrup and top 1% with cinnamon. Pumpkin and clove also fit both.
What can you make with maple syrup and cinnamon?
Mostly desserts: 42 of the 69 recipes with a course label are desserts. Common dishes include Banana-Maple Smoothie, Buckwheat Waffles with Cranberry-Maple Syrup, Chocolate-Maple Tofu Pudding, Cinnamon Apple Pancakes.
Can I use cinnamon instead of maple syrup?
Not really. Each has a lot the other lacks: maple syrup has 13 molecules cinnamon doesn't, and cinnamon has 309 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 Cinnamon. https://compkitchen.com/compare/maple-syrup-vs-cinnamon. Accessed 2026-11-04.
@misc{compkitchen_compare_compound_similarity_analysis_maple_syrup_vs_cinnamon_2026,
title = {Compound similarity analysis: Maple Syrup vs Cinnamon},
author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://compkitchen.com/compare/maple-syrup-vs-cinnamon},
note = {Accessed: 2026-11-04}
}
Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719459 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.