Sweetener substitution

[Yogini]

Does anybody know how I should go about substituting a liquid sweetener for sugar in a cookie recipe?

[Marrers]

Could you use maple syrup?

[Yogini]

Actually, I'm trying to figure out by how much I should reduce other wet ingredients or increase dry ingredients. I wanted to use agave - is agave sweeter than sugar, meaning I need to use less than the recipe calls for? I guess it's really complicated, because I've never gotten a decent answer from anyone, not even vegan cookbook authors.

But thank you.

[Mahk]

I have three different containers of blue agave in my frig. (although I hardly ever use them). Two of them read "1.25 times sweeter than sugar" and the other doesn't say. I would take that to mean if a recipie called for 1 cup of sugar I'd use (1/1.25) .8 cups and use slightly less of the liquidy other ingredients to compensate for the moisture added by the agave. I'm no expert though.

Also, the brand of sugar called "Florida crystals" is vegan, if that helps.

[Tigerlily]

I find agave nectar sweeter than sugar but it tastes different than sugar. It's a different kind of sweetness. White sugar is simply pure sweetness but agave has a soft flavour.

[Yogini]

Also, the brand of sugar called "Florida crystals" is vegan, if that helps.

Thank you. Actually, there are a variety of vegan granulated sugars. I just don't have any of them in my kitchen at present and the night I started this thread I was too lazy/broke to drive the 20 miles into town to get some.

I ended up using a measure-by-measure replacement with agave and reducing the amount of milk. The dough still turned out to be more of a batter, so I gradually added more flour until I figured it was thick enough to proceed. The resulting cookies were quite tasty, but very moist. Several fell apart in their journey from the plate to my mouth.

[Yogini]

I find agave nectar sweeter than sugar but it tastes different than sugar. It's a different kind of sweetness. White sugar is simply pure sweetness but agave has a soft flavour.

I think agave tastes a bit like corn syrup. But it's way less bad for you than corn syrup.

[RachelJune]

I use agave syrup in place of sugar in most things. Never tried baking with it though.

[Yogini]

Never tried baking with it though.

I've floated this question in multiple forums, even cooking ones. And no one really knows how to go about replacing a dry sweetener with a liquid one. It's quite frustrating because you'd think someone would have worked out an equation by no. I'm not talented enough to do it myself.

[cookey]

How about a flapjack type thing? They can have syrup instead of sugar. I've certainly seen flapjack recipes that use golden syrup so you could directly substitute agave.
I did a recipe off that fat free website and used agave instead of sugar in a chocolate cookie recipe. They turned out much more like brownies so next time I did them as brownies instead - the result was I found a great fat free brownie recipe!

[Poison Ivy]

In Vegan Cupcakes take over the World there's a recipe for simple vanilla and agave nectar cupcakes and/or chocolate agave cupcakes.

The ratio seems to be equal volumes of agave nectar and soy milk (both 2/3 cup each) to 1 and 1/3 cup of flour and then 1/3 cup of oil plus the flavourings. If anyone hasn't got the book and would like the full recipe send me a PM

[Yogini]

I have done pancakes with maple syrup as the sweetener. But when I posted this, I had a specific cookie recipe in mind and had no idea had to go about substituting.

[Yogini]

The ratio seems to be equal volumes of agave nectar and soy milk (both 2/3 cup each) to 1 and 1/3 cup of flour and then 1/3 cup of oil plus the flavourings.

THIS is what I wanted! An equation! I'm not smart enough to look at a recipe and figure it out myself - I needed someone whose brain can handle that much complexity. Thank you!!!!!

[Poison Ivy]

Lol thank you, but it's not really my equation - just the recipe from the book - glad to have helped in some way though!

[RachelJune]

Well, I just baked a carrot cake using agave syrup, as I've run out of sugar and the shops are all closed at this time I've experimented and used a third of a cup of agave syrup where the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of caster sugar. I've really got no idea how it will work out - I'll let you know when it comes out of the oven!

It was thanks to this thread that I even thought of using the agave syrup when I noticed the lack of the sugar in my cupboard

I also just came across this on the internet: "Use in any recipe. To substitute use ¾ cup agave nectar per 1 cup other sweetener."

[RachelJune]

I've experimented and used a third of a cup of agave syrup where the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of caster sugar. I've really got no idea how it will work out - I'll let you know when it comes out of the oven!

Well, it was a hit with the omnis! No complaints there, so I guess it didn't work out too badly