My favorite alternative sweeteners:

Sucanat – (stands for sugar cane natural) is available in bulk sections of health food stores, it’s dehydrated sugar cane that has then been ground into granules. I use it especially for baking.

Honey – Buy local honey if you can. Anecdotal accounts show that it may help with allergies and may have other immune boosting properties.

Agave – A sweetener available at any health food store. It’s slightly processed from a type of cactus-like plant grown in Central America.

Maple Syrup – Siphoned from a tree and boiled to a thick syrup, maple syrup has trace minerals and is a delightful sweetener.

Here’s a recipe for a really delicious ice cream sauce or spread using maple syrup. It tastes like caramel to me:

Maple Sauce
1/4 C coconut oil
1/2 C maple syrup

Blend in a food processor or blender until “whipped.” Serve immediately over ice cream or as a spread on toast or other bread.