Baking with Agave Nectar
Hi, guys! My name is Tina, and I blog over at Carrots ‘N’ Cake. Kath’s blog actually inspired me to start my own, so it is a real pleasure for me to share a post on KERF today!
I am a huge fan of agave nectar– mostly because I have a major sweet tooth, but I don’t want to go overboard with sugar or artificial sweeteners in my diet. Finding out about agave nectar was sort of a life-changing experience for me, and now I’d like to share my love for it with you!
Agave nectar is a natural sweetener that comes from the Mexican agave plant. (It’s actually the same plant from which tequila is made!) Agave is comparable to honey or maple syrup, but less sticky, pours easily, and dissolves quickly in both hot and cold foods and drinks. It’s delicious mixed into your morning bowl of oatmeal, coffee or tea, drizzled on pancakes or waffles, and especially wonderful in baked goods. Agave nectar contains close to the same amount of calories as sugar, but because it is so much sweeter, you can use 1/4 to 1/3 cup of agave for every cup of sugar, which naturally reduces the calories in your recipes. (Agave nectar burns more easily than sugar, so be sure to decrease your oven temperature by about 25 degrees.)
One of my favorite agave nectar recipes is for Banana Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Agave contains small amounts of calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium, so when combined with an All-Star cast of ingredients, these cookies end up being equally nutritious as they are delicious!
Feel free to experiment with agave nectar in your existing recipes. You’ll find that it doesn’t take long to figure out the right amount of agave to add to produce a delicious end result!
[email protected] Starts says
You’ve inspired me to try agave! I have a sweet tooth too. Hopefully I can find it at Whole foods!
spicygranola says
I love agave in oatmeal and similar applications but I have never baked with it. I will have to give it a try.
Sarah (Running to Slow Things Down) says
Yay! Great post, Tina! 😀 I’m a regular reader of your blog and was happy to see you posting here on KERF.
I’ve never baked with agave, but I’m going to have to give it a whirl sometime. 🙂
Sarah says
I love agave nectar- I use it alot! I’m always on the lookout for new recipes to try it out in. Thanks for the cookie recipe!
Oh She Glows says
I love agave, but I must say it doesn’t work in all of my recipes. Sometimes it gives off that ‘agave’ noticable taste in certain baked goods. Sometimes I prefer to use raw sugar and it tastes better. It totally depends on the recipe! Your cookies look delicious!
Karin says
ah they look amazing! i have to make these cookies tonight. thanks for the recipe!!
Jenn )) j3nn.net (( says
Ya know, I’ve had a full bottle of agave nectar sitting in my pantry for over a year and I have yet to open it. I should definitely start with a batch of cookies! Looks great 🙂
Jenn
Amanda4Sensei says
Those look awesome. Love carrot cake, these must be delish!!!
Lauren B. says
Agave is almost all fructose. There are many studies showing the negative effects on excess fructose consumption. Agave is like supercharged High Fructose Corn Syrup. I’m still not sure how the plant sap, which is highly refined before become a sugary fructose-laden syrup, could be considered a natural sweetener.
mbtdiscount123 says
may encounter. The first thing is to make clear what the style of clothes and show what part of your body. For example, the opportunity to buy