Log Cabin Syrup
An American table-syrup brand best known for pancake and waffle syrup.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Log Cabin is an American brand of pre-packaged table syrup used primarily with pancakes, waffles and other breakfast foods. The brand dates to 1887, when grocer Patrick J. Towle developed a syrup as a way to use surplus corn syrup. Towle named the product Log Cabin in reference to Abraham Lincoln, a childhood hero whom popular culture associated with humble log-cabin origins. The brand became part of the expanding packaged-food industry rather than remaining a local grocery product. General Foods acquired Log Cabin in 1927, after which it remained among that company's established consumer brands for much of the twentieth century. General Foods later merged with Kraft in 1990. Kraft General Foods subsequently sold Log Cabin to Aurora Foods in 1997, transferring the brand into a company whose portfolio focused heavily on packaged grocery products. During Aurora Foods' ownership, Log Cabin participated in a partnership with the National Park Service connected with the restoration of historic log cabins. The association reinforced the brand's name and heritage-oriented identity, linking its imagery with American history and traditional domestic settings. Aurora Foods later entered bankruptcy, and Pinnacle Foods acquired the relevant business in March 2004. Conagra Brands acquired Pinnacle Foods in June 2018, making Conagra the current owner of Log Cabin. Log Cabin's marketing has included television advertising and celebrity endorsement. In the 1970s, singer Eddy Arnold endorsed the product in television commercials. The brand has also made product-formulation changes in response to changing consumer expectations about sweeteners and ingredient labels. A newer version eliminated high-fructose corn syrup while continuing to use corn syrup. The brand has described this change as making it the first American syrup brand to remove high-fructose corn syrup, although the product is not free of corn-derived sweeteners. Its All Natural table syrup variety is based on brown rice syrup rather than the corn-syrup base used in other formulations. Today, Log Cabin occupies the traditional table-syrup segment of the United States grocery market. Its identity combines a long-established American brand name, familiar breakfast usage, and packaging and marketing associations with log cabins and national history. The brand's publicly documented portfolio centers on pancake syrup and related table-syrup varieties. It is owned and marketed within Conagra Brands' broader packaged-food business.
History
Log Cabin syrup originated in 1887 through the work of Patrick J. Towle, an American grocer who formulated the product partly to make use of leftover corn syrup. The name was chosen in honor of Abraham Lincoln, whom Towle regarded as a childhood hero and whose public image was strongly connected with the story of growing up in a log cabin. From the outset, the brand therefore combined a practical food-production origin with an explicitly American historical reference. The product entered the packaged table-syrup market at a time when branded grocery goods were becoming increasingly important to American consumers. In 1927, General Foods acquired Log Cabin. Under General Foods, the syrup became a long-running component of a large national packaged-food portfolio. General Foods and Kraft merged in 1990, creating Kraft General Foods and placing Log Cabin within one of the largest food companies in the United States. Kraft General Foods sold Log Cabin to Aurora Foods in 1997. The change moved the brand from a major diversified food conglomerate to a packaged-food company with a more focused portfolio. During Aurora's ownership, Log Cabin worked with the National Park Service on restoration efforts involving historic log cabins. This initiative complemented the brand's name and visual heritage by connecting its marketing identity with the preservation of tangible American landmarks. Aurora Foods later went bankrupt. Pinnacle Foods acquired Aurora's business in March 2004, bringing Log Cabin into another major packaged-food portfolio. Pinnacle continued to own the brand until Conagra Brands acquired Pinnacle Foods in June 2018. Since that transaction, Log Cabin has been part of Conagra's branded food business. Marketing has helped sustain the brand's traditional positioning. In the 1970s, country and pop singer Eddy Arnold appeared in television advertising endorsing Log Cabin syrup. The brand's name and imagery have consistently supported associations with American tradition, home breakfast occasions and rustic domestic life. Product formulation has changed alongside consumer interest in sweetener composition. A newer version of Log Cabin syrup removed high-fructose corn syrup, while still retaining corn syrup as an ingredient. The brand has characterized this as the first instance of an American syrup brand eliminating high-fructose corn syrup. Separately, the All Natural table syrup variety uses brown rice syrup as its base. These changes broadened the brand's offering beyond a single traditional formulation while preserving its role as a pourable table syrup for pancakes and waffles. Log Cabin remains an active American grocery brand under Conagra Brands. Publicly documented information identifies its core business as pre-packaged table syrup, with products intended mainly for breakfast foods. Its historical significance rests less on corporate independence than on its long continuity: a product introduced in the late nineteenth century that passed through several major food-company ownership structures while retaining its name, category and American heritage positioning.
- 2018
Conagra Brands acquires Pinnacle Foods
[1]Conagra Brands acquires Pinnacle Foods in June, bringing Log Cabin into Conagra's branded-food portfolio.
- 2004
Pinnacle Foods acquires the brand
[1]Following Aurora Foods' bankruptcy, Pinnacle Foods acquires Aurora's business, including Log Cabin, in March.
- 1997
Sale to Aurora Foods
[1]Kraft General Foods sells Log Cabin to Aurora Foods.
- 1990
General Foods merges with Kraft
[1]The General Foods–Kraft merger places Log Cabin within Kraft General Foods.
- 1927
Acquisition by General Foods
[1]General Foods acquires the Log Cabin brand, beginning a long period under a major national packaged-food company.
- 1887
Log Cabin syrup is introduced
[1]Grocer Patrick J. Towle introduces the syrup after developing a use for surplus corn syrup. He names it after the log-cabin image associated with Abraham Lincoln.
Products and positioning
A traditional American breakfast syrup brand positioned around familiar pancake-and-waffle usage, heritage associations and accessible packaged-grocery convenience. Its formulation history also gives it a more contemporary ingredient-label dimension through the removal of high-fructose corn syrup from newer versions.
Pancake syrup
Log Cabin Pancake Syrup
The brand's core table-syrup product, intended for pouring over pancakes, waffles and similar breakfast foods. Traditional Log Cabin formulations are based on corn syrup. A newer formulation removed high-fructose corn syrup while continuing to contain corn syrup, reflecting an ingredient-positioning change within the established pancake-syrup category.
Table syrup
Log Cabin All Natural Table Syrup
An alternative table-syrup variety within the Log Cabin range. Unlike the brand's corn-syrup-based products, this variety is described as using brown rice syrup as its base. It is intended for the same broad breakfast and table-syrup occasions while offering a distinct formulation for consumers seeking a different ingredient profile.
Marketing campaigns
- 1970Eddy Arnold television endorsement
United States
Country and pop singer Eddy Arnold endorsed Log Cabin syrup in television commercials during the 1970s, supporting the brand's mainstream American breakfast positioning.
Outcome. The available reference identifies the endorsement but does not provide campaign performance figures.
- National Park Service historic log-cabin restoration partnership
United States
During Aurora Foods' ownership, Log Cabin partnered with the National Park Service on efforts to restore historic log cabins. The initiative connected the brand's name and heritage imagery with preservation of American historical sites.
Outcome. The partnership is documented as a brand heritage and preservation initiative; specific restoration sites, campaign dates and measured commercial results are not identified in the available reference material.
Brand decisions
2018
Conagra Brands acquires Pinnacle FoodsM&ABackground
Pinnacle Foods owned Log Cabin as part of its packaged-food portfolio.
Action taken
Conagra Brands acquired Pinnacle Foods in June 2018.
Aftermath
Log Cabin became a Conagra Brands product brand.
2004
Pinnacle Foods acquires Aurora Foods' businessM&ABackground
Aurora Foods entered bankruptcy after owning Log Cabin.
Action taken
Pinnacle Foods acquired Aurora Foods' business, including Log Cabin, in March 2004.
Aftermath
Log Cabin continued under Pinnacle Foods until Conagra Brands acquired Pinnacle in 2018.
1997
Kraft General Foods sells Log Cabin to Aurora FoodsM&ABackground
After the 1990 General Foods–Kraft merger, Log Cabin was part of Kraft General Foods' packaged-food portfolio.
Action taken
Kraft General Foods sold the brand to Aurora Foods.
Aftermath
The brand operated under Aurora Foods until that company's bankruptcy and the subsequent Pinnacle Foods acquisition.
1927
General Foods acquires Log CabinM&ABackground
Log Cabin had become an established packaged table-syrup brand.
Action taken
General Foods acquired the brand and incorporated it into its national food portfolio.
Aftermath
Log Cabin remained a major General Foods brand for decades.
- Removal of high-fructose corn syrup from a newer formulationProduct launch
Background
Consumer and public discussion increasingly focused on the composition of sweeteners and the possible health implications of high-fructose corn syrup.
Action taken
Log Cabin introduced a newer syrup version that eliminated high-fructose corn syrup while retaining corn syrup.
Aftermath
The change gave the brand an ingredient-based point of differentiation. The reference material does not specify the launch date or sales impact.
Sources2 sources
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