Agave syrup, or nectar, is a sweetener that has been gaining popularity in recent years due to its versatility and perceived health benefits. People often proclaim its lower glycemic index than traditional sweeteners such as sugar and honey and its “natural” image. In this article, we will take an in-depth look at the uses, components, and production of agave syrup and compare it to other sweeteners on the market. Despite its “natural” image, most agave syrup actually has levels of processing similar to high fructose corn syrup. But some varieties use a simpler process: sap is collected from living agaves and concentrated into syrup.
Table of Contents
What is agave syrup?
Agave syrup is a sweetener made from the extracted juices from the core of a mature agave plant. Agaves are a succulent native to Mexico, but also found in India, parts of Africa and Central America. Agave syrup, also known as agave nectar, is used in baking or in beverages including cocktails such as the Tommy’s Margarita, and as a sugar or honey substitute.
The syrup is made from several species of agave, most commonly agave tequilana, or blue Weber agave which is the same variety used for making tequila.
It is a popular vegan alternative to honey. Its low glycemic index is often marketed to people with diabetes; the diet section below explains what that does and does not tell you.
What kinds of agave syrups are there?
Agave syrups can differ depending on the type of agave plant used for the production, whether the plants are cultivated or wild, and the method of processing.
Types of agave syrup
| Light | Amber | Dark | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taste | Mild, neutral flavor | Medium, caramel flavor | Stronger, caramel, molasses |
| Uses | Smoothies, tea, cocktails, baking, salad dressing | Desserts, sauces, savory food | Marinades, sauces, coffee, BBQ sauce, pancakes, French toast |
Agave syrups are often marketed in either standard or raw varieties. Apart from that there are dark, amber and light varieties. Each have comparable sweetness and sugar content but vary on flavor and their suggested uses.
Dark agave syrup has a stronger caramel flavor, light agave syrup is almost neutral tasting and amber is somewhere in between the two. The different colors and flavor profiles are achieved by different levels of filtration. Heating also affects color: high temperatures can darken syrup through caramelization. Color alone does not tell you how hot a syrup was processed.
Raw agave syrup is generally more neutral tasting and is preferred by some in the “raw food” movement, or is considered less processed.
Types of agave used to make agave syrup.
The most common species of agave used to make agave syrup is the blue Weber agave, or agave tequilana. This is the same species of agave used to make tequila. This species is most common in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Agave salmiana and agave americana are two other commonly used species for syrup production.
These agave species are used because of their high carbohydrate content and relatively short time to maturity. The high carbohydrate content means that there are a lot of nutrients in the plant that can be converted into sugars. This means you can get more agave syrup from these types of agave than most other species. Time to maturity for these plants is around six or seven years. While this may seem like a long time, other species of agave can take more than 20 years to reach maturity.
Wild versus cultivated agave syrup
Most agave syrup sold is produced from cultivated agave. Blue Weber agave in particular is mostly farmed, especially in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Agave syrup from other species has more chance of being from wild agave, such as agave salmiana, although this species is also cultivated.
How is agave syrup made? The standard approach
The key steps to create agave syrup are harvesting the agave, milling, extraction, hydrolysis (breakdown into sugars), filtration and reduction.
1. Harvesting the agave
Agave plants are ready for harvest when they reach maturity, which can be after six or seven years. Agave plants only flower once, at the end of their lifetime. Just before they shoot up a tall stalk from the center of the plant, most of the carbohydrates will be concentrated in the core. This makes it the perfect time to harvest.
The spikey leaves of the agave plants are chopped off, leaving just the carbohydrate rich piña. The core is called piña (Spanish for pineapple) due to its resemblance to the fruit. The piña contains water, fiber and stored carbohydrates, including fructans.
Mature piñas of the type used for syrup can weigh between 25 kg and 75 kg depending on the species of agave and its growing conditions. It takes around 4.7 kg of piña to make 1 liter of syrup. So each plant can produce between 5.3 and 16 liters of agave syrup.
2. Milling and extraction of the agave
The piñas are taken to the factory where they are fed through a roller mill, which crushes them into juicy fibers. The fibers then enter a machine called a diffuser. They are rinsed at high pressure with hot water, sometimes with sulfuric acid to release its juices. This method releases up to 98%-99% of the sugars. The juice is then filtered and the fibers are typically discarded.
3. Hydrolysis of the agave juices
The extracted juices contain fructans that must be broken down into simple sugars, chiefly fructose. This conversion is called hydrolysis. Producers can use heat, acid or enzymes, depending on their process.
Processing temperatures vary. Products marketed as “raw” commonly emphasize low-temperature processing, often below about 120 °F (49 °C). That is not a temperature limit for all agave syrup: one patented acid-and-heat process specifies 110–145 °C (230–293 °F) for hydrolysis.
Added enzymes can help break down fructans at lower temperatures. Other producers use thermal hydrolysis without added enzymes; Yoxitl describes this route. “Raw” and standard syrups should therefore be checked against the producer’s own process description.
Fructans are carbohydrates built mainly from linked fructose units. Inulin is one type of fructan, defined by its structure rather than simply a long chain length. Research on blue agave found mixed, branched fructans rather than inulin alone. Hydrolysis breaks these structures into individual sugars.
4. Filtration and polishing
The juices are passed through a number of filters of decreasing size. These steps remove any cloudiness to achieve a clear liquid. More filtration means a lighter colored and flavored syrup.
5. Reduction into syrup
The filtered juices are concentrated by evaporating excess water. Industrial processes commonly use vacuum evaporation, which allows water to boil at a lower temperature. The operating temperature depends on the equipment and vacuum level; 208 °F (98 °C) is not a standard temperature for every syrup. Low-temperature processes can require longer evaporation.
6. Bottling
The finished product is kept in motion in a large tank in order to homogenize the syrup, or make sure it keeps a similar consistency. From there it is either bottled on site, or packed in bulk for bottling elsewhere.
How is agave syrup made? The less processed approach
Another way that some agave syrup is made uses far less processing but is more labor intensive. Products marketed as aguamiel and some agave nectars use this method. For the less processed approach, a tlachiquero takes sap from the still living plant and applies heat to concentrate it. This process is similar to that used to make maple syrup.
Mature agaves sprout flower stalks that can grow up to 30 feet tall. As they are sprouting they resemble an asparagus shoot. For sap production, the plant is prepared before flowering: a cavity is made in its center, where sap collects. This is shown in a 2018 study of agave-syrup production. Over the following weeks this sap is harvested twice daily, scraping each time to promote more sap production. The liquid is sucked out into a vessel, traditionally a gourd but nowadays a plastic bottle is more common.
The sap is known as aguamiel (honey water). Aguamiel can be consumed straight from the plant and has a pleasant sweet taste. If left exposed to air the aguamiel will naturally ferment from wild yeasts to become pulque. Pulque has a translucent milky appearance and has been consumed by indigenous Mexicans for thousands of years, bearing a special spiritual significance in pre-Hispanic ceremonies.
The aguamiel can also be concentrated to become a syrup, sometimes called agave nectar, aguamiel concentrate, miel de agave, miel de maguey or just aguamiel. Agave sweetener produced in this way is different to standard agave syrup because the plant is not harvested.
Agave syrup versus agave nectar
Many products sold as agave nectar are exactly the same as agave syrup. They are made using the same ingredients with the same process. The names are more used as marketing choices. However, some products sold as agave nectar use a different production method with less processing. Sometimes these sweeteners are also sold as aguamiel. You need to read the labels to figure this out.
Nectar may sound more natural and desirable. In fact the word comes from the Greek nektar, which was the name for the drink of the gods which gave immortality. Today the term nectar refers to the sweet liquid produced by flowers which is collected by bees to make honey. Agave nectar does not come from the nectar of agave flowers so the name is somewhat misleading. A more accurate name might be “concentrated agave sap”, but this doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.
Agave syrup vs sugar, honey and other sweeteners
Nutritional profile and calories
| Sweetener | Fructose | Glucose | Sucrose | Kcal per 100g |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agave syrup | 82% | 18% | – | 310 kcal |
| Table sugar | – | – | 100% | 387 kcal |
| Honey | 50% | 44% | 1% | 304 kcal |
| Maple syrup | 1% | 1% | 98% | 270 kcal |
| High fructose corn syrup | 55% | 45% | – | 281 kcal |
Compared to most other sweeteners agave syrup is higher in fructose. Fructose is also known as fruit sugar due to higher levels being found in fruits.
In the agave reference above, about 82% of the sugars are fructose and 18% are glucose. Actual products vary. Table sugar is almost entirely sucrose; sucrose accounts for about 98% of the sugars in the Canadian maple-syrup reference. The honey example is about 50% fructose and 44% glucose. Common HFCS formulations contain 42% or 55% fructose on a dry basis; FDA describes the remainder as glucose and water. The agave example has a higher proportion of fructose than either.
Fructose and glucose are categorized as monosaccharides and sucrose is a disaccharide, made up of 50/50 fructose and glucose. Sucrose is broken back down into fructose and glucose during digestion.
Fructose, glucose and sucrose each provide about 4 calories per gram. Water lowers a syrup’s calories per gram, but that does not mean it has fewer calories per tablespoon. For example, Yoxitl’s 2024 agave specification lists 60 calories per tablespoon (21 g). Domino’s granulated sugar label lists 30 calories per two teaspoons (8 g), equivalent to about 45 calories per tablespoon. These are product examples; use the label for your bottle or bag.
Sweetness level
Different sugar types have different levels of sweetness. Fructose is the sweetest, then sucrose then glucose. Due to its very high fructose content agave syrup is sweeter than other sweeteners, and you need to use less to get the desired level of sweetness.
For baking, follow the syrup maker’s substitution guidance: Madhava recommends ⅔ cup of agave for 1 cup of sugar, with other recipe liquids reduced by ¼ cup. Sweetness and baking results vary with the product and recipe. When making cocktails that call for simple syrup, start with half to ¾ the amount of agave syrup and adjust to taste; a rich simple syrup will need a different comparison from a 1:1 syrup.
Glycemic Index
| Sweetener | GI: selected tests |
|---|---|
| Agave syrup | 10–28 (selected tests) |
| Table sugar | 64–66 |
| Honey | 35–74 |
| Maple syrup | 54 |
| High fructose corn syrup | 56 |
| Glucose | 100 |
| Sucrose | 64–66 |
| Fructose | 23–25 |
Fructose produces a relatively small blood-glucose response and has a low GI. Agave syrup’s high fructose content helps explain its low GI.
The glycemic index compares the blood-glucose response over two hours after eating equal amounts of available carbohydrate. Glucose is the reference, with a GI of 100. A GI of 50 means roughly half the measured response area of glucose; it does not mean absorption takes twice as long.
Selected agave syrups have tested at GI values from 10 to 28. These are results for particular products, not a guaranteed range for every bottle. A GI of 55 or below is “low”, 56–69 is “medium”, and 70 or above is “high”. Selected table-sugar tests are 64–66, in the medium category. Honey examples span 35–74; the maple and HFCS examples are 54 and 56. Table sugar and sucrose refer to the same sugar. These agave examples have a lower GI than the other sweeteners compared here, apart from fructose itself.
Taste
Agave syrup has a generally neutral taste, especially lighter colored varieties. Amber and dark varieties have a more caramel flavor although it is still less distinctive than the taste of honey or maple syrup. Agave syrup does not have the same bitter after taste as artificial sweeteners.
Cost
| Example product | Package | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Wholesome Organic Blue Agave | 44 oz by weight | $11.88 |
| H-E-B Pure Cane Granulated Sugar | 4 lb (64 oz by weight) | $3.54 |
| Hill Country Fare Clover Honey | 12 oz by weight | $3.54 |
| Coombs Pure Grade A Maple Syrup | 12 fl oz | $7.98 |
| Stirrings Simple Syrup | 12 fl oz | $5.98 |
Agave costs considerably more than granulated sugar in these examples: about 27 cents versus 5.5 cents per ounce by weight. The honey example is about 29.5 cents per ounce by weight. Maple and simple syrup here are sold by fluid volume, so their per-ounce prices cannot be compared directly with weight ounces. Compare the cost of the amount your recipe needs, allowing for different sweetness levels. Homemade simple syrup made with sugar and water is much cheaper than the bottled example.
Processing
Despite its positioning as a “natural product” most agave syrups are highly processed. Of the common sweeteners honey is typically the least processed, and in some cases it’s as it comes straight from the beehive. Granulated sugar is arguably the most processed.
Honey
Honey is made by bees, which convert nectar they collect from flowers into honey using enzymes in their stomachs. Almost all commercially available honey comes from cultivated bee hives. The honey is collected by the bee keepers and in its simplest form is packaged without any processing. Some honey is heated and filtered to make it flow easier and to enhance shelf life. Variations in honey tend to come from the variety of flowers the bees visit as well as any processing from humans.
Maple syrup
Maple syrup is made by collecting the sap from sugar maples, then boiling this down to concentrate it into a syrup. It generally takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup although this can vary between trees and across the season. This process involves very little processing.
Agave syrup
Most agave syrup is made by crushing the piñas of mature agave plants, then spraying the fibers with hot water to extract the juices, hydrolyzing the juices to convert the complex carbohydrates into fructose, then further concentrating the liquid by boiling it. There are also various phases of filtration through this process and special enzymes may be added to help with the hydrolysis. This method is similar to that used to make high fructose corn syrup.
Another method of making agave syrup involves collecting the sap of still living agaves then concentrating it through heating. This method has much in common with the process used to make maple syrup.
High fructose corn syrup
To make high fructose corn syrup the starting ingredient is corn. The corn is separated into corn starch using a process involving sulfurous acid, washing, drying, crushing and spinning. The corn starch then goes through acid hydrolysis using hydrochloric acid, heat and pressure to become corn syrup. The corn syrup then further goes through enzyme conversion to become HFCS. The enzyme conversion increases the proportion of fructose to produce a sweeter product.
Granulated sugar
About 80% of sugar comes from sugar cane, with the rest from sugar beets. The sugar cane or beets are washed then crushed, with hot water used to separate the sugars from the plant matter. This liquid is then purified using sulfur dioxide, and calcium carbonate or calcium sulfite, calcium hydroxide. The purified juice is then boiled in a series of vacuum evaporators to become a sugar syrup. Fine sugar crystals are added as seeds, which grow in the concentrated syrup. Some seeding methods use alcohol and glycerine to carry and disperse those crystals. The mixture then passes through a centrifuge (high speed spinning machine) to separate out the sugar from the molasses. The sugar crystals are then dried and separated into different sizes for packaging.
Uses
Agave syrup, sugar, honey, maple syrup are widely substitutable in baking or to sweeten drinks. However anything other than sugar and light agave syrup will also add more distinctive flavor to the final product.
Agave syrup along with other sugar syrups is sometimes used as an additive in tequila production.
Some other things to keep in mind:
- Agave syrup is sweeter than sugar so less is needed to get the same sweetness.
- Agave can brown faster in baking. Volcanic’s recipe guidance suggests lowering the oven temperature by 25 °F (about 14 °C). Check for doneness using your recipe’s cues; there is no fixed percentage by which every baking time should increase.
- Agave adds moisture when it replaces dry sugar. Madhava’s starting rule is to reduce other liquids by ¼ cup for each cup of sugar replaced with ⅔ cup of agave. Recipes with little adjustable liquid may need a recipe developed for liquid sweeteners.
- Agave syrup will dissolve easily in drinks, even cold ones, so may be better than using straight sugar.
- Dark agave syrup is a better substitute for brown sugar than lighter syrup.
Agave syrup for specific diets
Paleo
Agave syrup is not considered true paleo due to the level of processing; specifically heating, filtration and adding enzymes. Although some authorities consider it “paleo friendly”. Aguamiel is more often considered to be paleo.
Ketogenic
Agave syrup is high in sugar and is a poor fit for a ketogenic diet. Count the carbohydrate in the amount you use toward your daily limit.
Diabetic
Agave syrup produces a smaller blood-glucose response than table sugar in GI tests, but that does not make it a free pass for diabetes. It still supplies carbohydrate, so the amount you use matters. However agave syrup is high fructose, and in large amounts may cause damage to the liver which can hurt blood glucose control.
Vegetarian
Agave syrup is suitable for vegetarian diets. No meat or fish products are used in its production.
Vegan
Agave syrup is suitable for vegan diets as it is fully plant based, and in particular is a good replacement for honey which is not vegan.
Low FODMAP
Agave syrup is high in excess fructose—fructose in greater amounts than glucose—so it is generally a poor choice for a low-FODMAP diet. Serving size matters. FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols. When poorly absorbed, these carbohydrates can trigger symptoms in people with IBS.
Gluten free
Agave syrup is gluten free and is safe for people with celiac disease. Tequila is also gluten free, even mixtos.
Kosher
There is nothing in the ingredients or production process that would prevent agave syrup from being kosher. Many brands of agave syrup are certified kosher.
Halal
There is nothing in the ingredients or standard production process that would prevent agave syrup from being halal. Many brands of agave syrup are certified halal.