Instead of agave you can use maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or sorghum syrup. However, if you are not vegan you can substitute honey for the agave.

Flax seed, ground is the same as ground flax seeds or flax meal. Plain flaxseeds will not work unless you grind them up in a coffee grinder or blender. 

What ratio do you substitute agave nectar for sugar when baking?

When baking, replace 1 cup sugar with 3/4 cup of Agave Nectar.
Reduce recipe liquids 1/3 and oven temperature 25°F.

Use this, not that: Cut the fat, calories, and bad stuff with these swaps

Use this: 1/2 c sugar + 1/2 c fruit-juice reduction (boil down an unsweetened fruit juice concentrate until syrupy) or 1/2 c agave syrup
Not that: 1 c sugar

Use this: 1 c whole-wheat flour
Not that: 1 c white flour

Use this: 1 c canola oil or 1 c grapeseed oil or 1/2 c oil + 1/2 c apple juice
Not that: 1 c butter or 1 c vegetable oil

Use this: 1/2 c mini chocolate chips
Not that: 1 c chocolate chips

When replacing refined sugar with honey in a recipe, there's no need to adjust the amount; honey has a 1-to-1 ratio with sugar. You will need to reduce the liquids in a baking recipe by 1/4 cup for every 1 cup of honey used, however, and lower the baking temperature by 25 degrees. (Batters enriched with honey tend to crisp and brown faster than those without.)

Agave nectar is sweeter but less gooey than honey. It's also about 11/4 times as sweet as refined sugar. When using it as a replacement for sugar, always reduce the required amount by one-fourth and also cut back on the liquids in the recipe.

Available in light, amber, dark and raw, agave nectar melts and, like honey, it blends well in iced drinks, cocktails and smoothies. It also sweetens baked goods and replaces maple syrup as a topping for pancakes, waffles and French toast. Just remember that when baking with agave nectar, you must reduce your oven temperature by 25 degrees to prevent burning.

Raw sugar comes in several varieties, specifically turbinado, demerara and muscovado.

Raw sugar is the residue left over from refining sugar cane

Sometimes referred to as "sugar in the raw," turbinado is unrefined sugar that has been steam-cleaned. Buy a packet of turbinado and inside you'll find tan, coarse crystals with a slightly honeyed taste.

Because it's moister and lower in calories than refined sugar, turbinado works well in cookies, muffins and quick breads. It makes a good topping for creme caramel, as it caramelizes easily. It is also an excellent sweetener for hot and cold drinks.

Originating in the Demerara region of Guyana, the dry, coarse textured demerara resembles turbinado in appearance but not in taste. It possesses a delicate, molasseslike flavor.

Demerara's large, unrefined crystals dissolve slowly and remain crunchy after cooking. Its crunchiness makes it ideal for decorating scones, cookies, muffins and pastries.

With its high molasses content and unevenly sized crystals, the dusky muscovado is the moistest and stickiest of the three. Also known as Barbados sugar, muscovado also has the boldest flavor.

Because of its strong taste, muscovado rarely appears as a flavoring for drinks or as a substitute in recipes, though it does enhance rich baked goods such as fruitcakes and gingersnaps.

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