McDonald's fable about the creation of the McGriddle is interesting.
Seems the McDonald chef wanted to create a pancake with the maple syrup already inside but adding maple syrup to the pancake batter did not work out.
One day his colleague came in with maple syrup crystals. That did the trick.
They also add the maple syrup crystals to their oatmeal and serve it with dried cranberries.
I'm lucky, I use maple syrup from my own Michigan maple tree. After preparation, I freeze it (it won't actually freeze) for year round cooking. And they say it's better for you then white sugar.