Out of Honey, one case
Can you substitute agave for honey?
4 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Light agave nectar
¾ cup for every cup of honey
Yes: use ¾ cup agave nectar for each cup of honey, or 2 ¼ teaspoons per tablespoon, because agave is sweeter. Lower the oven 25°F when you bake with it, because it browns even faster than honey does. Agave is thinner and nearly flavorless, so the result is sweet without the floral taste of honey.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Use ¾ cup per cup of honey and lower the oven 25°F.
- Best for —
- vegan baking that should not taste of maple
One casethe full honey card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 cup honey | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Light agave nectarvegan baking that should not taste of maple | ¾ cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Amber or dark agave nectardrizzling on yogurt, porridge and pancakes | ¾ cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Maple syrupcakes, muffins, loaves and granola | 1 cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Golden syrupflapjacks and granola bars that have to hold together | 1 cupTweak it | Tweak it |
Light agave nectar
clean and simply sweet; the floral note of honey is gone
Boiled-down agave sap: thinner and sweeter than honey, mildly acidic as honey is, and almost flavorless. The light bottle is the most neutral.
- Best for
- vegan baking that should not taste of maple, cold drinks, cocktails and iced tea, dressings and marinades, batters leavened with baking soda
- Prep
- Use ¾ cup per cup of honey and lower the oven 25°F.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Candy cooked to a temperature, honey ferments such as mead, tested canning recipes, which should keep the sweetener they name, and dishes where honey is the flavor, such as baklava or honey cake.
If a batter looks stiffer than the recipe describes, add 1 tbsp water: you have put in less syrup than the recipe expected.
Amber or dark agave nectar
mild caramel in place of floral
The same syrup, less filtered, with a caramel flavor that sits closer to honey than the light bottle does. It measures and bakes the same way.
- Best for
- drizzling on yogurt, porridge and pancakes, glazes for carrots, salmon and ham, granola and spice cakes
- Prep
- Use ¾ cup per cup of honey and lower the oven 25°F.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Under a broiler it scorches quickly; brush a glaze on in the last 3 minutes. In a pale sponge or a white icing the color shows.
Maple syrup
clearly maple in place of floral, and slightly less sweet
The other bee-free syrup, for when a flavorless sweetener is not what the recipe wants. It pours like honey and brings its own woody, caramel taste.
- Best for
- cakes, muffins, loaves and granola, drizzling on yogurt, porridge and pancakes, when maple is a flavor you want
- Prep
- Cut another liquid in the recipe by 2 to 3 tbsp per cup and lower the oven 25°F.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- A batter raised by baking soda with no baking powder: maple syrup is close to neutral, so add ¼ tsp lemon juice per ½ tsp of soda.
Golden syrup
butterscotch and caramel in place of floral
The closest match to honey for thickness and stickiness, which is where agave falls short. It tastes of butterscotch.
- Best for
- flapjacks and granola bars that have to hold together, steamed puddings, when you want honey's cling and gloss
- Prep
- Add ¼ tsp lemon juice per ½ tsp baking soda if the recipe uses soda without baking powder.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Anywhere you wanted a sweetener with no flavor of its own; stay with light agave there.
Tips for substituting honey
4 tips- Baking: ¾ cup agave per cup of honey, oven 25°F lower, and start checking 5 minutes early. Agave is mostly fructose and colors the top before the middle is done.
- Drinks and dressings: agave dissolves in cold liquid, which honey does not do easily. Use 2 ¼ tsp per tablespoon of honey and taste.
- Glazes: brush agave on in the last 3 minutes under a broiler, not the last 10, or it scorches.
- Bars and granola that count on honey to bind: agave is thinner and you are using less of it, so they hold together less firmly. Golden syrup is the better swap there.
Questions
5 questionsIs agave a 1:1 substitute for honey?
Not quite. Use ¾ cup agave per cup of honey, or 2 ¼ teaspoons per tablespoon. Agave is sweeter, and a cup-for-cup swap makes most recipes cloying. For a small drizzle the difference is minor, so start a little under and taste.
Do I need to change anything else when baking with agave?
Lower the oven 25°F and check 5 minutes early, because agave browns even faster than honey. You do not need to adjust the baking soda: agave is mildly acidic, as honey is. If the batter looks stiffer than the recipe describes, add 1 tablespoon of water.
Does agave taste like honey?
No. Light agave is close to flavorless, so you keep the sweetness and lose the floral taste. Amber or dark agave has a mild caramel flavor that sits closer. Where honey is the point of the dish, such as baklava, honey cake or a hot toddy, no syrup tastes the same.
Can I use agave in place of honey in food for a baby under one?
Honey must not be given to a child under 12 months, even baked into food, because it can carry botulism spores that cooking does not reliably destroy. For that portion, leave the honey out or use agave, maple syrup or plain sugar. That warning is about honey specifically; for anything else about feeding an infant, ask your pediatrician.
Is agave vegan?
Yes. Agave nectar is made from the sap of the agave plant, which is why it is a common stand-in for honey in vegan recipes. Maple syrup, golden syrup and date syrup are also plant-based.