Liquid sweeteners besides agave nectar?

[momofboys2]

Help! I just read this http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...ood-fraud.aspx
today. I've been using agave nectar as a liquid sweeter. What do I use now?

I make my boys a batch of "breakfast bars" for breakfast which uses 1 1/2 cups of liquid sweeter, so it's not just one tsp, where I could easily switch to honey. Honey is too thick. Molasses is a totally different flavor. What can I possibly use instead of agave nectar? I want to toss the agave nectar I have since reading this article, but I don't have a replacement. Here I thought it was OK, and now it's worse that HFCS! GROAN.

Thanks for your thoughts on this.

[moss]

re honey: are you using creamed/whipped honey? it thins out if you heat it--when i need creamed honey to be the consistancy of liquid honey, i sit the container in a hot water bath and it doesnt take long to become nice and runny.

also, maple syrup might work for you

[calebsmommy25]

I would use maple syrup. I've made breakfast bars, but have used it for making granola and it is tasty!

[somegirl99]

Maple syrup or brown rice syrup (thinned with water if necessary).

[mamadelbosque]

I'd try maple syrup, myself. It'll add a slight maply flavor, but maple is GOOD!! Espcially first thing in the morning

[mamamoon89]

Maple syrup is great but expensive. You could use part brown rice syrup and part honey, or all honey...if it's too thick, put the honey in a greased glass jar and put the jar in a small pot of simmering water for a few minutes. This will make the honey a little runnier and more liquidy.

[Magelet]

I like part maple syrup and part brown rice syrup for granola, and I'm sure it would work for breakfast bars

[momofboys2]

Thanks so much everyone for your ideas. I'll give maple syrup a try. Hopefully my boys won't object at a different flavor, but it sounds like a good one to try. I'd love to thin it with water. That's a super idea which I hadn't thought of. I have wished I could get away with less sweetener, but I need the stickiness factor of the liquid sweetener. Watering it down would probably lessen that too much, but I don't know for sure. I need the stickiness to hold the "breakfast bar" ingredients together.

[Altair]

I make date syrup just by cutting up some fat juicy dates into tiny pieces and then putting in a pan with some water and vanilla and cardamon and smashing the dates into the water with the back of a spoon. If the dates are tough I may strain it but usually not.
This goes REALLY well with steel cut oats cooked in milk.

[dogmom327]

We use honey and maple syrup almost exclusively.

[tryatleast]

the best date syrup

you can make your own date syrup, but if you want a really consistent texture that isn't the least bit grainy, you should buy this date syrup - www.organicsareforeveryone.com - it is amazing. it is reasonably priced as well, considering there is a pound, to a pound and a half of organic medjool dates in every jar. they have a great recipe for granola online.