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There are lots of ideas for substituting honey for other sugars in recipes. This is because honey is viewed as a health food and many people think that it is just chock full of extra nutrients, and even healing powers. Well, this is not the kind of blog where I debate those kinds of issues but let’s just say the press on honey is a wee bit exaggerated. What do you substitute for honey in a recipe?
Now, honey is a liquid, so you may find a recipe that calls for honey and know that you can’t just substitute granulated sugar for it. Well, this is not exactly true.
The Basic Sugar Substitute for Honey
Actually, you can substitute plain table sugar for honey. You just need to add water. The standard conversion is 1 and 1/4 cups of sugar added to 1 cup of water. Mix until the sugar largely dissolves and use the resulting syrup in place of honey in your recipe.
This will not impart the flavor that honey would have given, but it will replace the sweetness. Most of the other substitutes will give a different flavor and this is just fine for many recipes…it’s all a matter of taste. Beware that all sugars have varying degrees of sweetness.
Brown Rice Syrup Honey Substitute
If you just don’t like honey but would like a liquid “sugar substitute” like honey, brown rice syrup is a good choice. It can be used in coffee and tea without giving such a strong taste as honey gives, as it is much milder. The syrup is stickier than honey, usually, but it can be used to replace honey cup for cup.
- SUBSTITUTE SWEETENER: Sweet Dreams Organic Brown Rice Syrup can be used in place of sugar, honey, corn syrup, maple syrup, molasses or other sweeteners. It’s great in just about anything & it’s gluten-free!
- THOUGHTFULLY CRAFTED: Bake with it, pour it over ice cream or pancakes, or stir it into your coffee or tea. Use it to make energy bars, muffins, cookies, fruit salads, & smoothies. This brown rice syrup is as versatile as it is delicious!
- GOOD FROM THE GRAIN UP: This product is Non-GMO Project Verified, USDA Certified Organic, certified gluten-free, vegan, & Kosher. At Lundberg Family Farms, we strive to make every bite of our grains as healthful as they are delicious.
- LEAVE THE LAND BETTER THAN YOU FOUND IT: There’s more to food than flavor. Our focus on organic, non-GMO & diverse grains helps create a food system that doesnt drain our earth’s resources, & that puts meals on your table of the highest quality.
- CULTIVATING A FAMILY TRADITION: For over four generations, the Lundberg family has produced high-quality organic rice products. Our mission is to honor our family farming legacy by nourishing, conserving, & innovating for a healthier world.
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Maple Syrup
For something completely different, maple syrup can be used. You’ll need 100% pure maple syrup for the best results. Maple syrup tastes nothing like honey. I actually do not like maple syrup on pancakes and such, but I prefer it over honey in recipes.
Be aware that most of the maple syrup you find in the grocery store is not genuine. Real maple syrup is quite expensive compared to syrups made from sugar cane or corn syrup. Pancake syrups that say ‘maple flavored’ may use artificial maple flavor of just put in 2% or so of maple. To be sure, read the label.
- FLAVOR PROFILE: Our Grade A Amber Color Rich Taste syrup provides a naturally sweet, rich and smooth taste. A pronounced maple flavor makes Amber Rich maple syrup a favorite for table and all around use.
- SUSTAINABLY SOURCED: At Butternut Mountain Farm we are committed to giving you 100% pure Vermont maple syrup. The farmers with whom we work with understand maple and share our commitment to maintaining the health and sustainability of our forests.
- QUALITY STORY: Our pure maple syrup is carefully selected to ensure the product you receive is of the highest quality. With our strict quality standards, we can trace every drop of syrup from farm to table.
- PACKAGING BENEFITS: Easy-open, easy-pour, jugs are tamper-evident with an inner seal. They ship well, so they make excellent gifts. Syrup stored in BPA-free plastic jugs retains its natural flavor better than in traditional tin containers.
- OTHER USES: Use in coffee/tea, cocktails or over cereal, fruit, yogurt or pudding. Add to baked beans, apple pies, pickles and stir fries. Makes a delicious marinade or sauce. Great as a gift.
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Agave Nectar
Agave nectar is said to be a great substitute for honey as well, although I’ve never personally tried it as honey substitute. Agave nectar is made from the same cactus plant as Agave tequila is made from.
It is very sweet and viscous and will brown faster than sugar in baked goods so beware that your baked products may appear to be more cooked through than they are due to this browning effect.
If you like Margaritas, put a touch of agave nector in them! This reinforces the agave flavor of a good tequila and to me, makes a good Margarita a great one!
- ORGANIC BLUE AGAVE SYRUP - Natural, low glycemic, multipurpose sweetener harvested from the core of the Blue Agave plant
- WONDERFUL ALTERNATIVE - Agave does not spike blood sugar like white sugar and corn syrup, so it makes a perfect substitute for granulated sugar or syrup. Try it in coffee, tea, oatmeal, yogurt, cereal or baked goods
- CLEAN, SIMPLE PRODUCTION - Agave is made by crushing and cooking the core of the agave plant and filtering out the plant fibers to make a deliciously sweet syrup. No chemicals are used to make this organic syrup
- USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, Fair Trade Certified, Kosher certified, naturally Gluten Free, and Vegan
- PACK OF 2 - Comes in Pack of 2 at 44 ounces a bottle
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Agave is available in light and dark forms. Use the light version to replace honey cup for cup. The dark version is more like molasses.
Agave nectar can also replace granulated sugar, much like honey. Use about 75% of the sugar called for in the recipe and reduce the liquid in the recipe by 25 to 30%.
Also, like honey, it may be best to reduce the cooking temperature by 25 degrees and cook longer. It will not crystallize like sugar so it may not work great for cookies or other baked goods where crystallization helps create the desired texture.
You can’t get agave nectar, you say? Chances are, you can. Your large chain grocery store may carry one or two of the several brands that are now available. The stuff is becoming quite popular. Look in the syrup section.
Some brands available are Wholesome Sweeteners, Madhava, and Ohgave! No, I wasn’t yelling at you, the exclamation point is part of Ohgave’s name.
