You Can Control Your Ingredients:
- You might prefer organic stevia, or stevia extracted without solvents
- If GMOs are a concern for you, you can choose erythritol from non-GMO corn.
- Many brands add flavors to their sweetener blends, and although natural flavors are often mentioned, there is really no way of knowing exactly what they are or in which quantity theyre added.
- No bulking ingredients, like cornstarch, or extra chemicals added. Companies do sensory evaluation tests and add all sorts of unnecessary chemicals to improve texture, smell and visual acceptance by the consumers.
What Is A Good Substitute For Sugar
Stevia is probably the healthiest option, followed by xylitol, erythritol, and yacon syrup. Natural sugars like maple syrup, molasses, and honey are less harmful than regular sugar and even have health benefits. Yet, they should still be used sparingly. As with most things in nutrition, moderation is key.
How Much Should You Use
If you use a commercially-prepared product that measures one-for-one to the amount of sugar in a recipe, then you simply need to substitute one for the other and include the bulking agent.
If you use a powdered or liquid extract, refer to this handy conversion chart for amount of stevia in cookies and be sure to add the bulking agent also.
Sugar |
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Is There A Brown Sugar Substitute
The good news is that there is a sugar free brown sugar substitute availableand you can make it at home in minutes!
By using the sugar free sugar alternatives you already have on hand and some blackstrap molasses, you can have a brown sugar substitute perfect for low carb baking, THM sauces, or any other recipe youve been wanting to make.
Can I Use Stevia Instead Of Caster Sugar

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. People also ask, can you substitute stevia for sugar in baking?
Stevia-based sweeteners are 200 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia-based sweeteners are suitable for baking however, they can‘t replace sugar cup for cup in recipes. It’s best to leave at least 1/4 cup of sugar in the recipe to help with browning and provide texture.
Also, what is the best substitute for sugar in baking? 6 Sweet Sugar Substitutes for Baking
Similarly, how much stevia do I use instead of sugar?
For our stevia packets and powder, the sugar to stevia ratio is 8 to 1, so 1 teaspoon of sugar equals ? teaspoon of stevia powder. Conversion is just as easy if you’re substituting sugar for SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia Sweet Drops. A recipe using 1 tablespoon of sugar would use 15 drops of Sweet Drops.
Does Stevia measure like sugar?
Stevia is a calorie-free, carbohydrate-free natural sweetener that, in its highly purified form, can be more than 200 times sweeter than a similar amount of sugar. Measure out approximately 1 teaspoon of powdered or liquid stevia extract as a substitute for every cup of sugar called for in a recipe.
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Baking And Cooking With Sugar Substitutes
Chances are, youve tried one or more sugar substitutes in an effort to cut calories or control your carbohydrate intake. Maybe you use a sweetener such as sucralose in your morning coffee, or you might reach for a can of diet soda that contains aspartame to help quench your thirst. But you might be wondering about using sugar substitutes when you cook or bake. Can you use them, and, if so, what works best?
Substituting Sweeteners: Sugar Alcohols
One of my personal favorite classes of sweeteners are sugar alcohols: xylitol and erythritol. While these sweeteners sound like something created in the lab, theyre actually derived from corn husks and/or the bark of birch trees.
That said, they must be highly processed to become the pretty crystal sugar-like substance that lands in your pantry. So, calling them a natural sweeteners is a bit far-fetched. . That said, the benefits of occasionally using them outweighs their drawbacks for my particular situation.
Unlike many sugar substitutes, xylitol and erythritol dont have a funky aftertaste. That said, they both can cause a cooling sensationthe feeling in your mouth you get when eating a peppermint. Youll find that erythritol presents a stronger cooling sensation than xylitol. Ill give you a tip for reducing or eliminating of this cooling sensation.
Both of these sugar substitutes melt in high heat and dont caramelize. For this reason your baked goods often dont have a nice chewy quality unless you balance them with the other ingredients appropriately.
Both xylitol and erythritol also have a tendency to absorb moisture and thus your recipes will dry out more quickly. This means 2 things:
Youll need to remove your food from the oven a bit early in order to maintain softness.
You should be sure to eat your treats soon after making them.
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How Do You Bake With Stevia Leaves
Make Stevia Into Syrup
Use dry stevia leaves to make a syrup for sweetening beverages, sauces or other syrups. Add one cup of warm water to one-quarter cup of fresh, finely crushed stevia leaves. Put the mixture in an airtight container and allow it to set for 24 hours before straining the leaves from the mixture.
Do Artificial Sweeteners Raise Insulin Levels
The effect of artificial sweeteners on insulin levels seems to be variable, depending on the type of sweetener. Bottom Line: Sucralose and saccharin may raise insulin levels in humans, but the results are mixed and some studies find no effects. Acesulfame-K raises insulin in rats, but no human studies are available.
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Erythritols Grainy Crystals Why Powdered Erythritol Is Better
You can buy erythritol in granulated or powder form, called confectioners erythritol. The granulated form is by far the easiest to find, and it generally costs less, too.
When used in most recipes that are baked or cooked, mixed with other flours and powders, you wont even notice erythritols crystals. But it is really hard to ignore it if added to recipes in which erythritol is the only solid ingredient in an otherwise smooth textured recipe: creams and custards, homemade chocolate, frostings.
Xylitol is another sugar alcohol that performs much better if you want a creamy smooth result, as it dissolves completely. But xylitol doesnt come for free in your macro count as erythritol does , and you have to be really careful if you have pets in the house as xylitol is extremely toxic to them.
For these reasons, I will still use erythritol in most of my cream recipes. I just powder the erythritol granules first, and it gets thin enough that I cant perceive the texture. But powdering it wont work if the recipe has not enough liquid content to dissolve the erythritol, such as homemade chocolate. In this case, you are better off with xylitol or allulose, as erythritol does not dissolve in fat and is going to be very noticeable, even if powdered.
Having this problem solved, as well as nature allows us, we come to another one that needs addressing:
How Do I Convert Sugar To Liquid Monk Fruit Sweetener
If you are looking to convert sugar to our SweetLeaf® Liquid Monk Fruit Drops, youre in luck. A swap for these drops looks something like this: a recipe using 1 tablespoon of sugar would use 15 drops of liquid monk fruit sweetener. Our liquid monk fruit sweeteners also come in a variety of fun flavors like Strawberry Guava and Cremé Brulee so you can kick your cooking game up a notch.
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Natural Substitutes For Sugar
Added sugar is one of the most controversial ingredients in the modern diet.
It has been associated with many serious diseases, including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.
One contributing factor is that most people consume way too much sugar without even realizing it.
Fortunately, there are many ways to sweeten foods without adding sugar to them.
This article explores 9 alternatives to refined sugar.
1 ).
Sugar can interfere with hormones in your body that regulate hunger and satiety, leading to increased calorie intake and weight gain .
Excessive sugar consumption can also harm your metabolism, which can lead to increased insulin and fat storage .
A high sugar intake is associated with poor oral health and some of the most deadly diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers .
In addition to causing health problems, sugar has some addictive properties. It causes dopamine to be released in the reward center of the brain, which is the same response activated by addictive drugs. Nevertheless, sugar should not be compared to drugs.
These properties lead to cravings and can drive overeating, especially among stressed individuals (
How Do I Substitute Stevia For Sugar In A Recipe

For our stevia packets and powder, the sugar to stevia ratio is 8 to 1, so 1 teaspoon of sugar equals teaspoon of stevia powder. Conversion is just as easy if youre substituting sugar for SweetLeaf® Liquid Stevia Sweet Drops®. A recipe using 1 tablespoon of sugar would use 15 drops of Sweet Drops®.
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Stevia Sugar Substitute Guide
– This post may contain affiliate links. See Disclosure
This guide will tell you everything you need to know about the popular stevia sugar substitute! This post includes what stevia is made of, health benefits, and recipes to make with it.
One of the more popular keto-friendly sugar substitutes is stevia. If you do any kind of low-carb baking, chances are you will come across a recipe that uses stevia.
This sweetener is actually derived from a plant, so its one of the more natural substitutes that you can use.
I recently put together a comprehensive guide on all of the low-carb sweeteners and substitutes that are best to consume while on the keto diet. So, I wanted to dig a little deeper into some of those sweetener options and started out with monk fruit extract. Now, Im looking at stevia sweeteners!
In this guide, Ill share everything you need to know before you use this sweetener in your everyday meal plan.
Replacing Table Sugar With Coconut Sugar
Coconut sugar is made from the sap collected from the flower buds of the coconut palm. Dont worry: it doesnt taste like coconut at all because it doesnt come from the coconut itself, but the flower. It does, however, have a subtle brown-sugar-ish taste to it.
This natural sugar has a low glycemic index , which means its not going to do the crazy things to your blood sugar level that table sugar will. It also contains B vitamins and several minerals.
Coconut sugar can be substituted in a 1:1 ratio with sugar, so just use 1 cup of coconut sugar in place of 1 cup of table sugar.
Youll want to note that coconut sugar is coarser and has a softer texture than sugar, so it doesnt cream quite as well. This might result in more dense and dry baked goods. Add a little extra fat to your recipe in order to help compensate for this.
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How To Use Liquid Sweetener
Take care to fully read the chart because there are tips below the measurements about adjusting the liquid used in the recipe if you choose to use the liquid sugars like agave, honey or maple syrup. Likewise if you use stevia, you will also need to make adjustments to make up the weight of the sugar left out.
Making Up The Necessary Volume
Sugar plays a role in the physical structure of your baked goods, so you’ll need to replace the lost bulk of the sugar. For each 1 cup of sugar substituted, use 1/3 cup of a bulking agent. Potential healthy bulking agents include: egg whites, apple sauce, fruit puree or yogurt. Fruit juice or water may also be used in some cases. If one of these bulking agents is already being used — such as a banana in a banana nut cake — simply increase the amount of that ingredient in the recipe. The batter should flow smoothly and be neither too liquid nor too chunky. Sugar helps make cakes lighter, so your finished cake will be denser and potentially doughy. You can counter this by adding a bit more baking powder than the recipe calls for.
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Using Stevia In Beverages
The most obvious use for stevia is for sweetening coffee and tea, especially with the convenience of single serve packets. In many countries, over 50% of the adult population drinks either coffee or tea daily. The majority of people add a sweetener, milk or cream, or both, resulting in an average daily caloric increase of 69 calories.1 Over the course of a day, many heavy coffee and tea drinkers use their entire recommended daily allotment of no more than 5-10% of total calories from added sugars .2 This is especially true for those who frequent coffees shops where blended coffee drinks can contain more than 25 teaspoons of added sugar.
Stevia presents an attractive alternative for replacing sugar in both coffee and tea. It has a sugar-like taste, and easily dissolves into both hot and cold beverages. Stevia is also a great addition to smoothies, refreshing non-alcoholic beverages and alcoholic cocktails.
Here are some beverage recipes you may want to try:
- This black and white spiced coffee tastes like its from your favorite gourmet coffee shop without all the sugar
- Here is a low sugar version of a fantastic strawberry banana breakfast smoothie
Can I Substitute Stevia For Sugar In Baking
If youre following a sugar-free diet plan or have a condition like diabetes, stevia is a healthy substitute for sugar when youre baking. Stevia is an all-natural sweetener and with no calories or carbs, it adds a sweet flavor to baked goods without any of the negative effects of refined sugar.
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Does Stevia Measure The Same As Sugar
Stevia is a calorie-free, carbohydrate-free natural sweetener that, in its highly purified form, can be more than 200 times sweeter than a similar amount of sugar. Measure out approximately 1 teaspoon of powdered or liquid stevia extract as a substitute for every cup of sugar called for in a recipe.
What Is The Healthiest Sweetener For Baking

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Why Was Stevia Banned
Though widely available throughout the world, in 1991 stevia was banned in the U.S. due to early studies that suggested the sweetener may cause cancer. In December 2008, the FDA accepted this argument, declared stevia GRAS, and allowed its use in mainstream U.S. food production.
How Does Stevia Affect Baking
Stevia is an all-natural sweetener and with no calories or carbs, it adds a sweet flavor to baked goods without any of the negative effects of refined sugar. Since its naturally much sweeter, a little stevia goes a long way when baking.
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Benefits Of Using Stevia Instead Of Sugar And Sugar Substitutes
Many people have stopped using sugar and have switched to stevia because its healthier, and not chemically processed like artificial sweeteners.
Stevia is an herb that comes from the same family as lettuce and marigolds and is native to the rain forests in Paraguay although now it is grown all over the world. Stevia has been used for over 1500 years by the native Indians of Paraguay.
Stevias sweetness is very concentrated, so a little goes a long way a half teaspoon has the same sweetness as one cup of sugar! It provides the sweetness you want with the calories you dont need. There are blends of stevia that allow you to use the same amount, as you would sugar.
There are a few different forms out there that you can use: powder, leaves, and liquid. Here are some of my favorite brands:
- Truvia – I use this powdered stevia in my coffee every day.
- Sweetleaf Sweet Drops – They also come in flavors like Toffee and Vanilla, which are great for coffee or shakes!
- Stevia in the Raw – I like these little packets for on-the-go!
Stevia is great because it has no carbohydrates, calories, and a zero glycemic index. It is believed to have anti-bacterial, antiseptic, antimicrobial, antioxidant properties.
It is credited for lowering blood sugar levels, aiding in digestion, weight loss, and can help with skin and teeth. Stevia also helps those with diabetes by regulating blood sugar levels. There are no known side effects of stevia.
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