How to Bake with Sugar Substitutes

With the holidays coming up fast, it can be hard to resist your favorite sugary sweet treats. Though sugary desserts, drinks and snacks can be delicious, if consumed too much it can start to have a negative impact on our overall health. With more than 100 million Americans living with diabetes today, it’s important for us to monitor our sugar intake and minimize the risks associated with sugar consumption. These healthy sugar alternatives can help curb your sweet tooth and maintain healthy blood sugar levels: 

1. Monk Fruit  

Monk fruit sweetener is an extract pulled from monk fruit, also known as luo han guo, a Native fruit in southern China. Not only is monk fruit sweetener a great sugar alternative, it’s also zero calories. 

2. Stevia

Stevia is a plant-based extract pulled from the leaves of the South American plant stevia rebaudiana. It’s 200 times more sweeter than regular table sugar, making it a great sugar substitute that you only need a dash of. 

3. Xylitol 

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that comes from corn and is found in many fruits and vegetables. It has a very similar sweetness to sugar and is great for baking. It’s important to note that when baking, xylitol absorbs moisture quicker than regular sugar, meaning it may dry out your baked goods faster than anticipated. To avoid this, plan to pull your treats out of the oven a little earlier. 

4. Erythritol 

Erythritol is also a sugar alcohol most commonly found in watermelons, mushrooms and grapes. Like xylitol, erythritol absorbs moisture quickly when used for cooking and baking. So, plan ahead and make sure you keep an eye on baking times when using this sweetener. 

5. Whole Fruit

Sugar is naturally found in whole fruits, and when unprocessed with no added sugar, blended fruits make the perfect sweetener. Fruits are also filled with plenty of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, making it a great choice for a sweet treat. High fiber fruits like strawberries, blackberries, apples and cantaloupes are best. 

If you’re trying to watch your sugar intake, these natural sugar substitutes are great alternatives to table sugar that can help you resist the urge to indulge in high-sugar foods and desserts. To make baking easy, Everlywell created these helpful sugar substitute recipe cards and printable conversion charts to help ensure you’re making your favorite treats with the correct measurements. 

Download the printables here: 

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.