Over the years there is a sizable shift in consumers’ preference for a natural sweetener over white sugar. These are often promoted as healthier options that mimic the taste of white sugar. Agave nectar is one such popular natural option. In case your kitchen shelf runs dry of it, we guide you in informing you what makes suitable agave nectar substitutes.
Agave Nectar: Source, Nature, And Properties
There is a lot we hear about the health issues that crop up by indulging in table sugar consumption. From obesity to diabetes and other health-related issues today it is not wrong to address it as an unhealthy sweetener. Therefore, minimizing its intake and shifting to natural sweeteners is a far better route to take.
Thanks to online and offline media consumers today are driven to buy natural sweeteners that mimic the sweetness of sugar. Plus they are relatively healthier. So does agave nectar make an ideal and healthy alternative to table sugar? What is agave nectar?
An Introduction To Agave Nectar
This natural sweetener is derived from the agave nectar plant’s sap. It is a desert plant and resembles cactus. It is the same plant that is used in making tequila. Agave is a native to the South Western United States and different regions of Mexico.
Adding agave can make your recipes super relishing and sweet. Be it baking a cake, marinades, pastries, making cookies, and more.
Agave nectar has small traces of nutrients like Riboflavin, Vitamin K, and Vitamin B. According to health experts when compared with white sugar, agave has a low glycemic index. This means the rate of absorption of agave by the body is slow as compared with white sugar intake. Thus, there is no rapid spike of insulin in the body.
But does that label it as a healthy sweetener? Read ahead and learn about it.
Is Agave A Good Natural Sweetener?
Being a natural product doesn’t always qualify something to be healthy. A lot of people advocate agave as it is natural and vegan-friendly. Plus it has a low glycemic index. However, the other side of the story is that regular intake of agave can do more harm to you than benefit from it.
Agave has high fructose content in it. This lends it a sweet taste but a lot of calories too. Sweeteners that are high in fructose content have a sweet taste but can do more damage to your body than white sugar. These are not healthful additions to your everyday diet.
A high intake of fructose can be harmful to your liver as it puts too much pressure on it to digest. Being low in glucose and high in fructose makes it slow for the body to use agave the right way. This can lead to fat storage, slow metabolism, and insulin resistance.
Diabetic patients, therefore, should refrain from using agave nectar.
While others should use it in moderation or occasionally. It is high in calorie content and is in no way a suitable low-calorie substitute for white sugar. Regular intake may lead to health issues like diabetes and obesity.
But if you are hooked on agave’s taste and want it more than occasionally then using honey is a good idea.
Agave shares a close resemblance to honey in terms of taste and color. But it is a bit lighter than honey in consistency.
10 Most Popular Substitutes For Agave Nectar
1. Honey: Can You Substitute Agave For Honey?
The straight answer to this question is an absolute yes! If you are looking for a natural sweetener that makes a decent alternative to agave then choose honey. It is a wholesome natural sweetener that is a storehouse of nutrients. It is used in a lot of home remedies for cold ailments and sore throats. It is also low in fructose content.
Honey makes an incredible agave nectar substitute. It shares a lot in common with agave. In terms of taste, honey is much sweeter than agave. Both have a natural amber color. In terms of texture, honey is a little thicker than agave. Agave has a runny thin texture.
When substituting it for agave, I suggest for every cup of agave use half a cup of honey. As honey is much sweeter than agave.
2. Maple Syrup
Another natural substitute for agave is maple syrup. Like agave, It is the sap of the maple tree that is the ingredient used in the syrup. It appears as a thin golden syrup that is heated until a thick consistency is achieved.
Maple syrup is a storehouse of nutrients like calcium, potassium, and magnesium. It is high in antioxidants. Being low in glycemic index, it is a good substitute for white sugar as well. Add it to your pancakes, oatmeal, and beverages and indulge in relishing recipes.
Maple syrup is not as sweet as agave. But has an almost amber to golden color like agave. It is as thin in consistency as agave and dabbing it on your cuisines imparts a golden silky texture. Though it has a little more complex taste than agave still stands close.
When you use it as an agave nectar substitute, use double the amount of agave.
3. Simple Syrup
Here comes a simple and quick alternative to agave nectar, called simple syrup. It is a sugar and water mix that makes a handy sweetener for your cocktails and drinks.
You can make it at home all by yourself. It’s pretty simple.
Bring to boil an equal quantity of sugar and water in a pan on a stove. Keep stirring the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved in the water. Once it appears to be a uniform liquid, put it off the stove.
Like agave nectar, it is sweet and has a runny texture. Simple syrup is colorless and odorless.
You can empty it into a bottle and store it in the refrigerator.
When it comes to using it as an agave nectar substitute, use double the quantity of it. However, be watchful of using it moderately as it is high in calorie content. And is devoid of any nutritional element.
4. Molasses
When your recipe calls for the inclusion of agave and you look for a natural substitute, try using molasses. This sugarcane by-product is a popular sweetener in the United States. It is widely used in baking. And makes your bread and cookies taste great and smooth textured.
Molasses is derived during the sugar-making process. The syrup that is left after the boiling and crystallization of the sugarcane juice is molasses.
The color, sweetness, and nutritional content change with the three cycles of boiling. This results in light, dark and darkest variants of molasses.
Molasses come with versatility. And this makes it an incredible agave nectar substitute. If you look for a high sweet taste then use light molasses. If your recipe calls for a dark brown color use dark molasses. Avoid the darkest variant as it can turn your recipe bitter.
Molasses is high in viscosity. But that’s not a problem. Add hot water to it according to the quantity and stir it until it becomes a smooth liquid.
Use the same quantity of agave when substituting it with molasses.
5. Golden Syrup
This is another close agave nectar substitute that is more popular in British baking than in the US. Its color closely resembles agave nectar. It has a very beautiful amber color and a texture that is closer to honey. But when you look for the texture specifically, add little water to bring down its thickness.
It reminds you of the deep caramelized taste of agave nectar. But it is not as sweet as agave. It is a simple syrup made by boiling three main ingredients: sugar or sugarcane juice, water, and lemon juice or citric acid.
You can make it all by yourself at home. The whole process takes little more than an hour. You don’t need to assemble a lot of items except a bowl of sugar, water, and lemon. The recipe is fairly simple.
Agave nectar is twice as sweet as golden syrup. Therefore, use double the amount of syrup in a substitution.
6. Coconut Nectar
An incredible all-natural sweetener, coconut nectar is made from the sap of coconuts. It is high in nutrient content, low in glycemic index, and in fructose content. This makes it a good natural sweetener. Talking about it in the context of an agave nectar substitute, it has a golden yellow color, which is quite close to agave. It is thinner in texture so using it less is recommended.
It tastes like caramel and a bit like maple syrup and is less sweet than agave. Coconut nectar is great to add to your pancakes, smoothies, and coffee.
For every cup of agave use twice the quantity of coconut nectar.
7. Fruit Syrup
Another natural and healthy agave nectar substitute is fruit syrup. This is a concoction of many fruit juices that are used as a natural sweetener in beverages and recipes. Fruit syrups come in very bright colors and have a thick texture.
The sweetness is very fruity and makes a great choice with any cuisine that uses more fruits in the list.
You can also add a little bit of water in case you want a thin consistency. If you are not that particular about the color and fine with fruity bright colors then fruit syrup makes a healthy agave nectar substitute.
8. Stevia
For all those who look for a healthy sugar-free agave nectar substitute, stevia is one of the most chosen alternatives. Stevia today is very popular as a calorie-free alternative to white sugar.
Stevia is a natural sweetener that is extracted from the leaves of the plant stevia rebaudiana. It is native to South America and Asia. The leaves are dried and crushed to get the powder form. You also find it in a liquid form in supermarkets.
Liquid stevia tastes ten times sweeter than white sugar. But being a completely natural sweetener, using it in moderation is a healthy choice. If you are fine with its white appearance then it makes a suitable agave nectar substitute.
When it comes to using it, it calls for the same quantity as you intend for agave.
9. Brown Rice Syrup
From the perspective of health, brown rice is often the top choice over white rice. It is a whole grain that offers many nutritional benefits and is high in fiber content. And as a healthy alternative to agave too.
Brown rice syrup is derived from brown rice. The rice starch is steeped with enzymes that break down the starch. The liquid is heated until the correct consistency is achieved.
Talking of its sweetness, it is very low compared to agave.
Therefore, you have to increase the quantity while using it as a substitute for agave. If you are health savvy, then it makes a nutritious agave substitute.
10. Corn Syrup
Like brown rice syrup, this syrup too uses enzymes to break down the cornstarch, which is a corn product. You readily get them at supermarkets either as light corn syrup or dark ones. These differ considerably. Light corn syrup is more neutral in flavor and is used more in baked goods and jellies.
On the other hand, dark corn syrup is made by adding molasses to the corn syrup. This adds the caramel-like taste and sweetness of molasses to the syrup.
Corn syrup makes a good substitute for agave nectar and is versatile. Use dark corn syrup when you want to impart a dark tint to your recipe.
When using it in a recipe, take the quantity as you intend for agave nectar.
Choose Agave Nectar Substitutes That Go Best With Your Requirements
There is no dearth of useful agave nectar substitutes. All you’ve got to do is just have a good idea of which substitute complements your recipe best. Consider the flavor and texture of your cuisine.
Honey, maple syrup, and simple syrup work well with almost all cuisines. Use fruit syrup if you are making a recipe that has a lot to do with fruits. If you want to give a rich brown color to your recipe use molasses.
Last but not least It’s all about playing with the appropriate substitutes and their ratio to agave. We listed the top chosen agave nectar substitutes but you can go ahead and discover more substitutes.