Baking with agave nectar

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, Tina Haupert

Agave nectar is great for people who have a sweet tooth, but don’t want to go overboard with sugar or artificial sweeteners in their diets. Agave nectar has a surprisingly low glycemic index, so it keeps your blood sugar more stable and allows you to enjoy the occasional treat without worrying about the spike and crash associated with eating most sweets.

Agave nectar is a natural sweetener that comes from the Mexican agave plant. (It’s actually the same plant from which tequila is made!) Agave is comparable to honey or maple syrup, but less sticky, pours easily, and dissolves quickly in both hot and cold foods and drinks. It’s delicious mixed into your morning bowl of oatmeal, coffee or tea, drizzled on pancakes or waffles, and especially wonderful in baked goods.

Agave nectar contains close to the same amount of calories as sugar, but because it is so much sweeter, you can use 1/4 to 1/3 cup of agave for every cup of sugar, which naturally reduces the calories in your recipes. Agave nectar burns more easily than sugar, so be sure to decrease your oven temperature by about 25 degrees.

This recipe for Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies is quite a crowd-pleaser. Agave contains small amounts of calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium, so when combined with an all-star cast of ingredients, these cookies end up being equally nutritious as they are delicious!