Out of Corn syrup, one case
Can you substitute agave for corn syrup?
5 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Light agave nectar
1 cup for every cup of corn syrup
Yes, in baking, pie fillings, sauces and glazes: use 1 cup of light agave nectar for each cup of light corn syrup. Agave is sweeter and thinner and it browns faster, so lower the oven 25°F. Do not use it for hard candy, lollipops or brittle: it darkens and can scorch well before the syrup reaches 300°F, and the candy stays sticky.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Lower the oven 25°F. Agave is sweeter than corn syrup, so if the recipe also has sugar, you can hold back 2 tbsp of it per cup of agave.
- Best for —
- pecan pie and other baked fillings
One casethe full corn syrup card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 cup corn syrup | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Light agave nectarpecan pie and other baked fillings | 1 cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Amber or dark agave nectarpecan pie made with dark corn syrup | 1 cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Golden syruphard candy, caramels, marshmallows and brittle | 1 cupWorks | Works |
| 4 | Honeybaking and pie fillings | 1 cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Sugar + waterbaked goods where the corn syrup is a minor ingredient | 1 cup sugar + ¼ cup waterYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
Light agave nectar
clean and neutral; the result is sweeter
A pourable syrup that is mostly fructose. It keeps baked goods moist and adds gloss the way corn syrup does, but it is sweeter and thinner and has almost no flavor.
- Best for
- pecan pie and other baked fillings, cookies, bars and granola, sauces, glazes and barbecue sauce, a spoonful for shine in frosting or ganache
- Prep
- Lower the oven 25°F. Agave is sweeter than corn syrup, so if the recipe also has sugar, you can hold back 2 tbsp of it per cup of agave.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Hard candy, lollipops, brittle and toffee. Caramels and marshmallows cooked to a set temperature are less predictable than with corn syrup; golden syrup is the safer swap there.
Amber or dark agave nectar
mild caramel, without the molasses note of dark corn syrup
The less filtered bottle, with a mild caramel flavor. Reach for it when the recipe calls for dark corn syrup.
- Best for
- pecan pie made with dark corn syrup, gingerbread and spice cookies, glazes for ham and ribs
- Prep
- Lower the oven 25°F.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- The same limits as light agave: not for hard candy, and it scorches quickly under a broiler.
Golden syrup
light butterscotch
A thick invert sugar syrup, sold in a tin or squeeze bottle. It blocks sugar crystals the way corn syrup does, which makes it the dependable swap for candy.
- Best for
- hard candy, caramels, marshmallows and brittle, pecan pie, any recipe where the syrup is cooked to a temperature
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Pure white icing or marshmallow, where its amber color shows.
Honey
clearly honey
Thicker than agave and closer to corn syrup in body. It brings its own flavor and it also browns fast.
- Best for
- baking and pie fillings, soft caramels and marshmallows, glazes and sauces
- Prep
- Lower the oven 25°F and use a mild honey such as clover.
- Where it fails
- Hard candy, where it darkens before the syrup reaches 300°F. Not vegan.
Never for a child under 12 months, even cooked.
Sugar + water
plain sweetness
A heavy sugar syrup made on the stove. It supplies the sweetness and the liquid, and nothing else that corn syrup does.
- Best for
- baked goods where the corn syrup is a minor ingredient, sauces
- Prep
- Heat the sugar and water gently, stirring, until the sugar has fully dissolved, then cool.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Candy, caramel and fudge: it is the same sugar as the rest of the pot, so it does nothing to stop crystals and can turn the batch grainy.
Tips for substituting corn syrup
4 tips- Baking: 1 cup agave per cup of corn syrup, oven 25°F lower, and start checking 5 minutes early. Agave colors the top before the middle is done.
- Pecan pie: swap cup for cup. Bake until the edges are set and the center still jiggles slightly, cover the crust with foil if it darkens early, and cool at least 2 hours so the filling sets.
- Candy: agave is workable only in low-temperature cooking such as a caramel sauce, over medium heat with close attention. For anything cooked to hard crack, 300°F to 310°F, use golden syrup or glucose syrup.
- Small amounts: when a recipe uses 1 to 2 tbsp of corn syrup for shine or softness, in ganache, frosting or a glaze, use the same amount of agave with no other change.
Questions
4 questionsIs agave a 1:1 substitute for corn syrup?
By volume, yes: 1 cup of agave for 1 cup of corn syrup, and 1 tablespoon for 1 tablespoon. It is not identical. Agave is sweeter, thinner and quicker to brown, so the result is a little sweeter and the oven should run 25°F lower.
Can I use agave instead of corn syrup in pecan pie?
Yes, cup for cup. Use amber agave if the recipe calls for dark corn syrup. The filling is slightly sweeter and can set a touch softer, so cool the pie completely, at least 2 hours, before slicing. Cover the crust edge with foil if it browns early.
Can I use agave instead of corn syrup for hard candy or caramel?
Not for hard candy. Agave is mostly fructose, which browns at a much lower temperature than table sugar, so the syrup darkens and can scorch before it reaches 300°F, and the finished candy pulls moisture from the air and turns sticky. A caramel sauce is possible over medium heat. For hard candy and wrapped caramels, golden syrup is the better swap.
Is blue agave syrup different from agave nectar?
No. Blue agave is the plant most agave syrup is made from, and agave syrup and agave nectar are the same product. Choose by color: light agave in place of light corn syrup, amber or dark agave in place of dark corn syrup.