Rice malt syrup, otherwise known as brown rice malt is a thick and viscous fluid primarily used as a sweetener in the culinary arts. Rice malt syrup is, much like its namesake, produced by the cooking of rice starch before subsequent processing so as to distill the remaining sugars found therein.

Rice malt syrup has a variety of uses, whether for the purposes of baking or in cases of cooking wherein it may be used as a topping or replacement for certain types of sweetening agents.

The best all purpose rice malt syrup substitutes are powdered brown sugar, glucose syrup, and Japanese Kuromitsu syrup. The best baking substitutes for rice malt syrup are molasses and corn syrup. The best topping substitutes for rice malt syrup are maple syrup and agave syrup. Healthy alternatives for rice malt syrup include artificial sweeteners, honey, and barley malt extract.

Is Rice Malt Syrup Difficult to Find?
Though rice malt syrup has undergone research and development focus in order to create production lines capable of producing the sweetener in large volumes, it may still be difficult to find in certain grocery stores located in specific geographical areas.

This may be due to the fact that the product could be relatively unpopular with consumers of that area, a lack of available ingredients of which to make the rice malt syrup from, or simply a lack of stocks from overdemand by consumers.

Fortunately, a large variety of alternative food products and ingredients may act as substitutes for rice malt syrup, whether the primary reason for doing so is indeed due to a lack of availability or for any other reason that may necessitate a specific characteristic be found in a potential substitute.

Should Rice Malt Syrup be Replaced for Health Reasons?
Considering the fact that brown rice malt or rice malt syrup is the tri- and mono- saccharides primarily making up the starches of cooked rice, it is by no stretch of imagination that rice malt syrup is mostly composed of pure sugar.

This makes rice malt syrup a somewhat unhealthy ingredient to use for individuals with poor blood sugar control or other dietary intake requirements that necessitate a lower level of sugar be consumed in their daily diet.

In terms of nutritional and mineral requirements, rice malt syrup imparts very little benefit in the way of supplementation or intake, being practically entirely devoid of nutrition and minerals as these compounds are filtered and cooked out during the syrup making process.

Are there Organic Substitutes to Rice Malt Syrup?
A benefit to the use of rice malt syrup in a meal or recipe is the fact that it is nearly entirely organically sourced, only occasionally incorporating such artificial ingredients like flavoring compounds or preservatives in order to improve their function as a sweetening agent.

However, in instances where a substitution must be found, certain individuals may desire to retain this particular characteristic of rice malt syrup, whether for ethical or health reasons.

Certain substitutions of rice malt syrup are indeed partially or entirely produced from organic products, some of which are entirely composed of organic and natural chemical compounds, perhaps being considered even more organic than rice malt syrup itself.

All Purpose Substitutes for Rice Malt Syrup
Rice malt syrup is considered an extremely versatile sweetener with a variety of purposes not only constrained to that of baking, with other uses for rice malt syrup being such things like its addition to drinks, as a crystallizing sugar in desserts or even as a thickening agent.

Several of the listed rice malt syrup substitutes below are capable of recreating this versatile effect, all of which are capable of functioning in much the same way as the brown rice malt syrup.

Powdered Brown Sugar
The simplest and most easily found ingredient meant to act as a substitute to rice malt syrup, powdered brown sugar can be used in practically any way that rice malt syrup could be, with the only drawback being its solid and powdery physical form.

This may be remedied by simply incorporating the brown sugar into a fluid of some sort – of which may be facilitated through the addition of physical agitation and heat, allowing the sugar crystals to melt into the fluid it is immersed in.

Glucose Syrup
Oftentimes sourced directly from organic ingredients such as maize or potato, glucose syrup is a sugary and viscous fluid produced in much the same way rice malt syrup itself is produced, with the starches and various sugar compounds in a vegetable or fruit being extracted through physical or chemical means.

Glucose syrup is extremely versatile, being able to recreate any use normally performed by rice malt syrup itself, occasionally doing so even better in certain cases.

A benefit to substituting rice malt syrup with glucose syrup is the widespread availability, both of the syrup and any information relating to its use, as glucose syrup is extremely commonly used in large scale food production and manufacturing.