How to use Agave Nectar?

[Kathy B]

I have been interested in trying agave nectar and finally bought some. For those of you who use it, how exactly do I sub it for sugar in a recipe? Are there certain kinds of recipes that work well and other kinds that don't? Any pointers or tips? If you wanted to share a recipe that you use it in successfully, that would be appreciated as well.

[foodfiend]

I love baking with agave nectar! It's great for cakes and muffins. I use about half the called for amount of sugar and then decrease liquids by a third. I have a book called Baking with Agave Nectar by Ana Catalano. I tried a few recipes and wasn't crazy about it, but other people seem to really like this book.
I haven't tried cookies, but apparently they turn out cake-y, which doesn't surprise me considering there is no extra liquid to eliminate. I've read that you're supposed to reduce baking time as well, but I found that never made a difference.

[Angelina]

Which one did you get, Kathy? There is a gold colored one and a darker one, more like a maple syrup color... :)

[golden1225]

I buy the dark agave nectar and use it in my coffee every morning! Have used it when I need to sweeten sauces, but that's it so far. ;)

[oceanjasper]

I bought some agave nectar after subscribing to Clean Eating magazine. A lot of their recipes call for agave nectar, so I picked some up at the health food store. I actually haven't tried it yet!

I browsed through some of the more recent issues and found the following recipes with agave nectar. Let me know if you would like me to post any of the recipes.

No-bake Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ginger Lime Tilapia with Banana Ketchup and Curried Quinoa
Candy Apple Pork Tenderloin
Walnut Blueberry Banana Bread
Balsamic Glazed Halibut
Sweet Potato and Cinnamon Brownies
Mango Parfaits
Cheesecake with Mango-Pineapple Coulis
Grape Tartlets
Simple Vinaigrette
Mint-Infused Hot Chocolate
Frozen Berry-Granola Squares
Orange-infused Chocolate-Almond Cake

[foodfiend]

oceanjasper -- how do you find the recipes from Clean Eating magazine? They seem like the kind of dishes I'm looking for.

[KristiB]

I use it to sweeten my unsweetened kefir.

[nylucy4]

Here is a good website for determining how much agave to substitute for other sweeteners:

http://www.allaboutagave.com/substituting-agave-nectar-for-other-sugars.php

[dneilson]

Libra20 started this thread (last year I believe). There's some good responses including mine (too lazy to retype my response ;).

http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=108364&highlight=natural+sweeteners

I use agave, maple syrup and honey all the time. I tried xylitol but my stomach killed (sugar alcohol). Erthryitol (sugar alcohol) doesn't cause me any stomach distress but it returns to it's grainy structure after baked goods cool - rendering structures coarse. DH uses it for his coffee - 0 glycemic response.

Agave is trickier to use for baking. The result is a more "muffiny" texture....though for some who need to monitor glycemic profiles of foods, it's a minor complaint. Batter should be somewhat thick as it easily sinks to bottoms of cake/muffin/cupcake batters. (Syrups weigh more than milk or water - 11-1/4 ounces per cup). I'd rather blend agave and brown rice syrup (brs less sweet).



Dolores

[oceanjasper]

oceanjasper -- how do you find the recipes from Clean Eating magazine? They seem like the kind of dishes I'm looking for.

They only have a few recipes on their website, but you might find some posted on community bulletin boards or blogs, like the Clean-Eat Diet, Clean Eating Club, or Clean Eating Works. I don't mind posting some recipes for you, but I might not get a chance to do it until late tonight or tomorrow.

By the way - Happy (belated) Birthday!

[foodfiend]

Thanks! My birthday went smoothly, but it will take a while before I get used to being out of my 30s.
I actually meant, do you like the recipes from Clean Eating? Are they tasty? If so, I might get the magazine.

[Kathy B]

Thanks for your replies! I got the light, although I just picked one off the shelf....didn't know any difference.

I tried making some Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips after reading your tips. I used 1/2 c. of the nectar to replace 1 cup of sugar, and then I reduced the milk from 1 cup to 2/3 cup. It turned out very well, and I was pleased with the result. I might increase the nectar just a bit next time, but the peanut butter, banana and chocolate chip help sweeten it enough that my family will still enjoy this batch.

Thanks for the links nylucy4 and dneilson! I have saved them both to my favorites for future reference.

It is rather pricey, so I'll have to decide exactly how I want to incorporate it into my cooking, but I am glad to have tried it and have some idea of the possibilities.

Thanks again for your help everyone! :)

[foodfiend]

Hi Kathy,
Glad the banana bread turned out well. I tend to like things less sweet than regular recipes, so that might account for the taste difference. As well, the dark agave nectar is recommended for baking. I don't know if it is sweeter, but it has a heavier, molasses taste while the light one resembles honey.
Yes, it is pricey. I've learned to stock up on large bottles when it's on sale. As well, you can get it at a good price on Amazon in the United States (unfortunately we can't get the same deal in Canada).

[dneilson]

I used 1/2 c. of the nectar to replace 1 cup of sugar, and then I reduced the milk from 1 cup to 2/3 cup. It turned out very well, and I was pleased with the result. I might increase the nectar just a bit next time, but the peanut butter, banana and chocolate chip help sweeten it enough that my family will still enjoy this batch.



Kathy,

I sub syrups (brown rice, agave, maple syrup and honey) by weight.

Ex: For 1 cup sugar replacement (7 oz) - I add 7 oz of syrup. This is a generous half cup by volume. Syrups weigh 11.25 oz per cup. If the recipe calls for 1/2 cup sugar (3-1/2 oz), I sub 3-1/2 oz syrup (a scant 1/3 cup).

If I desire a lesser sweet result, I use brown rice syrup - for sweeter, agave. If the syrup makes your baked goods too "wet", I reduce the amount and use a couple squirts of Stevia (liquid). Stevia's mild aftertaste is not discernable when blended with other sweeteners.

When the recipe's success depends on structure building, such as butter or white cakes, syrups are not appropriate. In traditional cake baking, sugar's crystalline structure helps whip air into butter. This emulsion is necessary to build structure...syrups cannot do this, so subbing is not appropriate here.

What one can do successfully, and this is only with oil based cakes, is combine the syrups, oil, eggs and other liquid ingredients in the recipe in a bowl, and refrigerate until chilled. Meanwhile, sift dry ingredients together and set aside. Whip chilled ingredients at high speed until emulsified. Now you have evenly distributed air bubbles for leavenings to create gas creating an even structure. Fold in dry without overstimulating gluten. If I think there's too much milk, enought to lower viscosity to the point I can't create emulsion, I simply hold some of it back and add it at the end when I fold in the dry.

I've not heard or read of this method for oil based cakes by anyone else so perhaps it's not humble of me to think I've created this technique....but after much experimenting, it works for me, enough so I depend on it - achieving light airy cakes made with oil. This is when I do use syrups. Their thick viscosity actually helps.

HOpe I didn't deviate from your question too much. Baking with syrups is trickier but have found ways of working with it.

Dolores

[Kathy B]

Thank you both for the additional tips. I will have to check out the Amazon prices.

dneilson, I will give your chilling method a try. I do have a couple of oil based cake recipes that I use that would lend themselves to that method. It may be a while, but I'll try to remember to report back.

[oceanjasper]

I actually meant, do you like the recipes from Clean Eating? Are they tasty? If so, I might get the magazine.

Oh, sorry! I totally misread that. When I first got the magazine, I followed the eating plan and made quite a few recipes. I would say that the recipes are good, but pretty simple. It wouldn't hurt to pick up the latest issue and give it a shot!