Agave nectar is a commercially produced sweetener produced in Mexico. It is used to sweeten drinks or even as syrup for pancakes, crepes, waffles, and even hot cereals such as cream of wheat and oatmeal. Although many use as a condiment, utilizing it in a recipe brings forth its true purpose.

Agave nectar comes in a few different varieties, with the most common being light and amber. Light nectar is neutral and works well in baking. Amber nectar, with its caramel flavor, is best used as syrup. As with any type of sweetener, this nectar when substituted for sugar or honey, will modify the flavor of a recipe.

When substituting agave nectar in a recipe, decrease liquids by one-third and use 25 percent less sugar. If baking, the oven needs to be set 25 degrees lower than the recipe states to avoid burning the baked item.

Agave nectar has many positive attributes. If raw foods are an aspect of your life, this nectar is produced raw, which means it will not reach 118 degrees in the production process. It is also an excellent tool to wean children and family members off sugar with no experience of sugar highs or lows.