What is agave nectar?

Agave nectar is the nectar of the blue agave plant, which is a type of succulent similar to aloe vera. To make the agave nectar that people can purchase, sap is extracted from the core of the plant and filtered.

The sap is then heated at a low temperature to break down its carbohydrates and turn them into sugars. Because agave nectar is heated only to a low temperature, it is commonly considered a raw food product. There are both light and dark versions of agave nectar. The dark type contains more plant solids and has a stronger overall taste than the light type. The taste of light agave nectar is similar to that of honey, whereas the flavor of the dark nectar is comparable to that of maple syrup.