That Agave is a scam?

[DimidDavilby]

Wanting to do some baking for winter but without loading sugar into myself or DS I looked at some low sugar cake recipes. Loads of them have Agave instead so I ordered some in the last shop.

It has almost exactly the same calories and sugar content as honey i.e. Is completely loaded with sugar.

What's the point in that then? Surely it isn't healthier than sugar at all?

Am I missing something? Does anyone have any decent healthish cake recipes?

It’s a useful honey substitute for vegans. It’s also a lot sweeter than sugar, so you can use less to get the same sweetness. But it doesn’t really have any specific health benefits, and it’s not lower in calories (in fact I think it has more calories than sugar, though obviously you should use less because of the added sweetness).

Another fad.
This is interesting:

www.healthline.com/nutrition/agave-nectar-is-even-worse-than-sugar

You could use halfspoon for baking. It has half the calories of sugar but is twice as sweet. Before I started low carbing I used to use it in banana cake and it was fine.

I think a lot of those products marketed as sugar replacement are a crock of shit. They still have exactly the same affect on your body as bog standard sugar.

Without agave, we wouldn't have tequila... has its uses.

Try xylitol. It's low in calories, tooth friendly and works well in cakes.

It’s worse than sugar due to the break down of fructose mechanism, but makes people think it’s good as it’s natural (as opposed to sugar cane/beet?!)

Yes it is just as bad, if not worse than sugar. As a PP says try xylitol or the brand Sukrin (which is made from erythritol)

All the sugar replacements taste horrible. I like honey but I’ve tried xylitol and it’s bogging. Just use sugar for baking and don’t bake daily.

Xylitol is deadly for dogs so near that in mind.

I'd personally just bake a normal full sugar cake and serve with fresh cream and strawberries instead of icing.

Bollocks. It was bloody expensive as well! I think xylitol is poisonous to dogs so that's out really. Not that I give her cake but ds is a terrible crumb dropper.

I wonder what would happen if I just halved the sugar annount in my normal recipes.

Yeah fair one @DonaldTrumpsChopper I do bloody love tequila.

Mashed over ripe banana is a good natural sweetener in cakes.

I use it to make hot lemon and agave when unwell.

It's also nice on toast with butter.

I use xylitol, erithrytol and or stevia

I would bake savoury or less sweet stuff instead. Cheese scones, fruit muffins, soda bread etc. I'm never convinced any of the sugar substitutes are healthier.

It's actually pure fructose so has a higher glycemic index than regular sugar. It will spike your blood sugar faster so it isn't great for you. It really annoys me that it's considered a health product.

Splenda is good in baking.

Look for recipes with stevia. Low calorie and natural.

@CommanderBurnham

Mashed over ripe banana is a good natural sweetener in cakes.

See I think it is, but my son disagrees. He checks now when I make cake that its "real cake" and not "healthy". (There were a couple of episodes of extreme dissapointment for him that he has not forgotten). But he liked it as a toddler so it depends on the OPs daughter I suppose.

This is interesting - would this be the same with things like date syrup (yummy on porridge) and the Sweet Freedom choc shots/golden syrup products?

I’m wanting to cut down on sugar but have a terrible sweet tooth...