7 Great Sugar Substitutes for Baking
Baked goods are good for the soul, but they are often not as good for the rest of the body, thanks to copious amounts of granulated sugar.
Since baked goods are loaded with sugar, they can spike your blood sugar and leave you feeling less than ideal. On the bright side, there are plenty of ways to substitute sugar in your baked goods and reduce thenegative impacts of the sweets you enjoy.
AtSweetkick, we are all about making the healthier choice whenever possible, which is why we want to help share ways to bake without loading your recipes with sugar. Explore some of the best natural sugar substitutes to see how you can take your baked goods to the next level.
What Are the Best Sugar Substitutes for Baking?
Baked goods do not have to be loaded with white sugar or brown sugar to be sweet. By choosing alternatives to sugar, you can enjoy your baked goods with a lower glycemic index and even gain some additional health benefits along the way. Some of the best sugar alternatives in baking include the following.
1. Honey
Naturally sweet, honey is full of enzymes, making it one of the healthiest sugar substitutes. Honey is also rich in trace vitamins and minerals.
To substitute honey for sugar without harming the final product, use ¾ cup of honey for every cup of sugar recommended by the recipe. You should also consider lowering the oven temperature by about 25 degrees.
2. Maple Syrup
Maple syrup is a great natural source of sweetness while also providing antioxidants and a lower glycemic index than regular sugar. The natural syrup is a great addition to baked goods like brownies, cookies, and cakes.
Keep in mind that maple syrup can affect the taste and color of your dish, so if you are hoping to hide the fact that you are substituting sugar, you may want to choose another substitute.
To substitute maple syrup in your baking, follow the same procedures as you do for honey, using a ¾ cup amount for every cup of sugar and slightly lowering the baking temperature. Because maple syrup
3. Apple Sauce
The sweetness of apple sauce can provide a very subtle substitution for sugar as the taste is not very recognizable. Apple sauce also contains fiber, vitamin C, and potassium, allowing you to add a few additional health benefits to your favorite recipes.
Apple sauce softens a recipe, making it the best substitute for softer baked goods like cake, muffins, and brownies. Therefore, you should avoid using it in cookies since it may make them too soggy. Apple sauce works as a direct substitute for sugar, using a 1:1 ratio, but you should slightly reduce the wet ingredients to prevent the end result from being too soft.
4. Bananas
Pureed or mashed bananas are an excellent way to sweeten your baked goods, especially quick breads. Bananas are also great for adding a bit of fiber and potassium to your recipe. They make an excellent addition to baked dishes that incorporate fruits or those that do not require much sugar.
When using bananas as a table sugar substitute, the riper banana, the better. You can use abouttwo tablespoons of mashed bananas for every tablespoon of sugar.
It is important to use caution when adding bananas to a recipe since they have a very distinctive taste. Too many bananas can start to change the taste of your recipe, but if you enjoy the taste of bananas, then worry not.
When looking for a good sugar substitute, you may also consider other fruits like pumpkins or figs when looking for a good sugar substitute.
5. Agave
Agave, also called agave nectar, is a syrup derived from the blue agave plant. This syrup is very sweet, making it a very appropriate substitute for sugar. Another benefit of agave is that it will not significantly change the flavor or color of your baked goods, unlike honey or maple syrup.
When adding agave to a recipe, you should use about 2/3 cups for every 1 cup of sugar. Because agave will add significantly to the liquid ingredients in your recipe, you should reduce all of the other liquid by about three tablespoons for every cup of agave added.
6. Monk Fruit Extract
Monk fruit is a melon-like fruit found in China that is much sweeter than sugar —without calories. You can find Monk fruit sweeteners in either liquid or powdered form.
When using it as a sugar substitute in baking, it is easier to use the powdered form. Keep in mind that because monk fruit is so powerfully sweet, you may want to use slightly less than the recipe’s recommended amount of sugar.
7. Dates
Dates are a hidden gem in the baking world. Not only are dates sweet, but they are rich in antioxidants and rather versatile. Dates can be processed and used as a refined sugar replacement in crusts or crumbles, while date syrup can provide a direct substitute for sugar in a recipe. You can also find date sugar to stand in directly for regular sugar.
You should add date syrup to a recipe following the same recommendations as honey or maple syrup, a ¾ cup for every cup of sugar.
What Are Tasty Alternatives to Baked Goods?
Baked goods are not the only way to add something tasty to your day. You may want to avoid excessively sweet foods whenever possible to avoid spiking your blood sugar.
If you are looking for a tasty way to satisfy your cravings for something sweet, you have several options.
Sweetkick Clusters are a delicious mix of nuts, seeds, and superfoods that offer a great form of nutrition. This snack provides an excellent source of plant-based protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Available in two great flavors, Cashew macadamia or dark chocolate, our Clusters will help you forget that you even wanted sugar.
For a snack packed with even more nutrition, try theSweetkick Macro Shake. The Macro Shake is available in the flavors of Chocolate Goodness and Vanilla Milkshake and provides a wide range of nutrients, including proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, prebiotics, and essential fats.
Not only is this delicious shake packed with nutrients, but it can also help you kick your sugar cravings, improve your gut health, and maintain healthy glucose levels.
Choosing these snacks helps you enjoy an afternoon energy boost instead of an afternoon crash.
Start Reducing Your Sugar Intake
Sugar may seem hard to avoid, but it is not impossible. The number of ways you can replace sugar in your baked goods is just one example of how you can start to kick sugar from your diet. By finding the right alternatives in your day-to-day meals, you can start the path to reducing sugar.
Although removing sugar from your diet can seem daunting, Sweetkick is here to help. Our collection of Sugar Control tablets, herbal teas, prebiotics, and more can help you take charge of your sugar cravings before they set in. If you feel ready to tackle your cravings and reap the benefits of living sugar-free, then try theSweetkick Sugar Reset.
The Sugar Reset is a combination of clinically proven products to support healthy blood sugar, reduce sugar cravings, and improve energy levels. Experience the difference today.
Sources:
Maple Syrup vs. Sugar: What's Healthier? | Cleveland Clinic
Eating Better: Healthy Baking Recipe Swaps | Northshore
Diabetes foods: Can I substitute honey for sugar? | Mayo Clinic
Honey - A Novel Antidiabetic Agent | PMC
Bioactive compounds in banana and their associated health benefits | A review.
