Add This Syrup To Sausage Biscuits For A Sweet Bite (No, It's Not Maple)

When it comes to a morning meal, there's nothing quite like Southern sausage biscuits. A slightly spicy patty or links are nestled between the halves of a perfectly baked biscuit — bonus points if you add cheese or egg. But the finishing touch, according to Lana Stuart, Southern food expert, cookbook author, and founder of Lana's Cooking, is a simple staple in the South: cane syrup.

Stuart, who was raised in South Georgia, is the granddaughter of a farmer who grew sugar cane and made the syrup himself. "I still remember the old mill with the mule walking in circles, cane juice flowing, and steam rising as the syrup boiled down," she said. "The resulting syrup was a deep amber color with a rich, complex flavor." Now she makes her own old-fashioned buttermilk biscuits and spicy breakfast sausage and dresses them up with the syrup. "I like to split warm biscuits, tuck in a sausage patty, and set out a small pitcher of cane syrup on the side[,] so everyone can drizzle or dip as they please. It's simple, homespun, and about as Southern as breakfast gets."

According to Stuart, the hearty yet rustic cane syrup switches up the sausage biscuit's flavor profile by providing more complexity and boldness than maple syrup while adding rich notes of molasses and caramel. Plus, it helps to balance out the breakfast sandwich by contrasting with the classic smokiness and spiciness of the sausage while bringing out the goodness of the biscuits.

Whether you make your own simple yet fluffy biscuits, dress up store-bought canned ones, or kick it up a notch with a bacon-cheddar version, they'll all be upgraded with a touch of cane sugar, whether or not you add the sausage. For a little extra decadence, you can also add butter before the syrup. Or double down on the sweetness and infuse some fruity flavor by spreading on jam or apple butter, another Southern favorite. 

In addition to using it on biscuits, Lana Stuart suggested swapping out your maple syrup for cane in other morning dishes. "We also top pancakes and waffles with a generous pour of cane syrup," she said. But you don't need to reserve it for just breakfast. Use it in doughs and batters to sweeten baked goods or substitute it in any recipes that call for corn syrup or maple syrup. It can also amp up a barbecue sauce for a sweet and smoky addition to grilled meats. Similarly, tossing potatoes or veggies with it before roasting them will help them caramelize.

Finally, don't sleep on sweetening drinks with cane syrup. It can add nuanced flavor to your smoothies and milkshakes as well as coffee and tea. And whether you're shaking or stirring up daiquiris, high balls, or old fashioneds, cane syrup can jazz up your cocktails, too.