In 2024, we called salted maple the official flavor of fall. The flavor appeared in everything from cocktails to coffee. And we continued our trend reporting into 2025, with our pick for banana-infused cocktails. In late 2024, Google searches for “banana cocktails” rose 33% in the United States. We’re combining the two trends into a homemade banana bread drink syrup that’s a delicious addition to your morning latte. Did we mention it’s also fantastic drizzled over ice cream, poured into oatmeal, or stirred into chia pudding?

Tips for Making Salted Maple Banana Syrup

Keep these helpful tips in mind when making this homemade syrup for drinks, desserts, and more.

• This drink syrup recipe is a great way to use overripe bananas. When testing the recipe, we tried it with both ripe and really ripe bananas. Our tasters unanimously preferred the syrup that used the most ripe bananas. It was sweeter with a more pronounced banana flavor.
• This is the place to use real maple syrup for the best flavor. We don’t recommend using pancake syrup, which is made with corn syrup.
• If you prefer a bit more savory flavor, try adding another pinch of salt. Add it just a little at a time. You can always add more, but it’s hard to adjust if the syrup gets too salty.
• Don’t have vanilla bean paste on hand? There’s no need to buy a bottle just for this recipe. It’s also delicious with vanilla extract. You’ll use the same amount of each.