Sweetener Substitution Calculator
Swap sugar for honey, maple syrup or agave: 1 cup of sugar is 1/2 to 2/3 cup of honey (Missouri Extension), plus honey's liquid, baking soda and oven changes. How it works
Use the Sweetener Substitution Calculator
About the Sweetener Substitution Calculator
For each cup of sugar, use 1/2 to 2/3 cup of honey (8 to 10.7 tablespoons), then for each cup of honey reduce the other liquid by 1/4 cup, add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and lower the oven by 25°F (University of Missouri Extension). Maple syrup is 3/4 to 1 cup per cup of sugar (CSU Extension). Agave at 2/3 cup is a rule of thumb, not from a published table.
Honey, maple syrup and agave for common amounts of sugar
| Sugar | Honey | Maple syrup | Agave nectar |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 0.13 to 0.17 cup | 0.19 to 0.25 cup | 0.17 cup |
| 1/2 cup | 0.25 to 0.33 cup | 0.38 to 0.5 cup | 0.33 cup |
| 3/4 cup | 0.38 to 0.5 cup | 0.56 to 0.75 cup | 0.5 cup |
| 1 cup | 0.5 to 0.67 cup | 0.75 to 1 cup | 0.67 cup |
| 1 1/2 cups | 0.75 to 1 cup | 1.13 to 1.5 cups | 1 cup |
| 2 cups | 1 to 1.33 cups | 1.5 to 2 cups | 1.33 cups |
US cups rounded to two decimals, as the calculator shows them. Honey: University of Missouri Extension. Maple syrup: CSU Extension. Agave: rule of thumb.
Honey adjustments (University of Missouri Extension)
| Sugar | Honey | Reduce other liquid | Add baking soda | Oven |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 cup | 0.25 to 0.33 cup | 0.06 to 0.08 cup | 0.06 to 0.08 tsp | 25°F lower |
| 1 cup | 0.5 to 0.67 cup | 0.13 to 0.17 cup | 0.13 to 0.17 tsp | 25°F lower |
| 1 1/2 cups | 0.75 to 1 cup | 0.19 to 0.25 cup | 0.19 to 0.25 tsp | 25°F lower |
| 2 cups | 1 to 1.33 cups | 0.25 to 0.33 cup | 0.25 to 0.33 tsp | 25°F lower |
Per cup of honey used: 1/4 cup less of the other liquid and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda.
Frequently asked questions
- How much honey replaces 1 cup of sugar?
- 1/2 to 2/3 cup, according to University of Missouri Extension, the source the calculator uses: 8 to 10.7 tablespoons. Other extension tables differ; CSU Extension gives 13/16 cup (1 cup less 3 tablespoons) with 3 tablespoons less liquid per cup of honey.
- How do I adjust a recipe when I use honey instead of sugar?
- Per cup of honey used: reduce the other liquids by 1/4 cup, add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, and lower the oven by 25°F, because baked goods made with honey burn more readily. For 1 cup of sugar replaced by 1/2 to 2/3 cup of honey, that is 0.13 to 0.17 cup less liquid and 0.13 to 0.17 tsp of baking soda.
- How much maple syrup replaces sugar?
- 3/4 to 1 cup per cup of sugar, with 3 tablespoons less of the other liquid, from the CSU Extension substitution table. For 1/2 cup of sugar the calculator gives 0.38 to 0.5 cup of maple syrup (6 to 8 tablespoons). CSU gives no baking soda or oven change.
- Can I use agave nectar instead of sugar?
- Yes, at 2/3 cup of agave per cup of sugar, a common rule of thumb that does not come from a published substitution table. Because of that the calculator gives no liquid, baking soda or oven change for agave, so bake a small test batch and watch the browning.
- How much sugar replaces 1 cup of honey?
- 1.5 to 2 cups, from the same Missouri ratio run backwards (1 cup of honey ÷ 2/3 to 1/2). Add back the 1/4 cup of other liquid the honey rule removed, and leave out its extra baking soda and 25°F oven drop. Pick Sweetener to sugar in the calculator; by weight that is 297 to 396 g of sugar for 336 g of honey (King Arthur Baking weight chart).
- Can I give baked goods made with honey to a baby?
- No. Missouri Extension says honey and products made with honey must not be fed to infants younger than one year, because of infant botulism, and that regular cooking or baking does not destroy the spores in honey.
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