In Canada and the United States, it is most often eaten with pancakes, waffles, french toast, cornbread or ice cream.
It is sometimes used as an ingredient in baking, the making of candy (confection), preparing desserts, or as a sugar source and flavouring agent in making beer.
Maple syrup and it's artificial imitations are the preferred toppings for pancakes, waffles, and French toast in North America.
Maple syrup can also be used for a variety of uses, including: biscuits, fresh donuts, fried dough, fritters, ice cream, hot cereal, and fresh fruit (especially grapefruit).
It is also used as sweetener for applesauce, baked beans, candied sweet potatoes, winter squash, cakes, pies, breads, fudge and other candy, milkshakes, tea, coffee, and hot toddies.
Once opened it needs to be stored in the refrigerator and used within three months, not that it will last that long.
Many "maple-flavoured syrups" are imitations (table syrups), which are less expensive than real maple syrup.
In these syrups the primary ingredient is most often high fructose corn syrup,flavoured with sotolon, with little (2-3 percent) or no real maple syrup content.
They are usually thickened, far beyond the viscosity of real maple syrup .
U.S. labeling laws prohibit these products from being labeled"maple syrup," many manufacturers simply call them imitation "syrup" or "pancake syrup."