i live in a small town with no health food stores, is there anything else that could easily replace it?

raw honey or dates (if making in recipes)

agave is rarely raw anyway. date syrup (you can make it yourself, as i learned on this site with a little water and a pinch of sea salt). also, as summer approaches you might be able to buy stevia in bunches at the farmer’s market. that stuff is SUPER sweet!

also, a lot of recipes that call for agave on this site (not the desserts obviously) don’t really need it in my opinion. i tend not to sweeten savory things.

I agree – agave is rarely raw, and it’s not really necessary in most desserts. They tend to be sweet enough. Keep dates around – they’re an excellent substitute for agave. They’ll sweeten anything. Yum! Soak em for 30 minutes before blending them, so they get soft.

I personally like to use figs. It’s not as sugary as dates, but it gives a nice fruity sweetness. Raisins work as well. :)

you can buy stevia online which is sweet, and that mesquite stuff, and lucama. They’re pricey superfoods though, I’d stick with bananas, raisins, figs and dates.