Cooking Keto With Kristie

Using Alternative Sweeteners

When it comes to low carb baking and sweeteners, there are two main questions to keep in mind. First, is this a “safe” sweetener, as in is it likely to affect my blood sugar or not? Second, is a specific sweetener a good choice for a specific recipe?

In general, erythritol and erythritol blends with monkfruit and stevia generally work well for baking. Erythritol doesn’t brown like sugar, so your baked goods may be done before they reach the same color as traditional baked goods that use sugar. Allulose does not generally bake well especially for cookies and muffins, but it does work well for sauces and ice cream since it does not become gritty when cooled. 

 I hesitate to mention specific brands because manufacturers can change ingredients without notice and each brand can have several product lines; some may be a good option and some are best avoided. Always check ingredients. Reliable brands that I tend to use are Lakanto erythritol blends (not the syrups, chocolate, or baking mixes) and Truvia blends without chicory root fiber in the ingredients. Avoid Truvia brown sugar sub because it contains molasses. Pyure granulated has a slight vanilla taste, and I really enjoy it in my coffee. The package says it is twice as sweet as sugar, so it may not be a great option for baking since you need the bulk called for in the recipe.

Caveats before we get started:

• Different people can react differently to the same sweetener so if you have diabetes or need to keep an eye on blood sugar, you should probably test blood glucose when you introduce a new sweetener. 
• Some people may experience stomach upset after eating foods with certain sweeteners, especially if over consumed. You can use this guide to identify other options that may work well for you.
• Cooling sensation – some people get a menthol-like cooling sensation from certain sweeteners, especially erythritol. Not everyone experiences this. You can minimize the chance of this happening by using a blend of sweeteners, mixing different sweeteners, or using recipes that have sweetener as a lower percentage of the dry ingredient volume (cookies for example tend to have more sweetener while cakes or muffins have less). 

Commercial products often include sweeteners that are inexpensive and often raise blood glucose as much as sugar. If you have any metabolic dysfunction, you may be more sensitive to these sweeteners, many of which are forms of starch (sugar). Even if blood glucose isn’t impacted, these sweeteners can keep fasting insulin levels high which also negatively impacts metabolic health. 

Sweeteners to Avoid:

• Dextrose
• Aspartame
• Saccharin
• Acesulfame Potassium (also known as Ace K)
• Maltodextrin
• Maltitol or Sorbitol
• Inulin/Chicory Root Fiber/fructo-oligosaccharides
• Oligosaccharides
• Isomalto-oligosaccharide (IMO)
• Dextrin
• Sucralose – this is a relatively recent change as I used to use it.
  • Non-FB link to the study
  • Facebook Link

Generally Safe:

• Erythritol
  • In 2023, there were reports linking erythritol to cardiovascular events. You can read more about the report and different experts’ opinions on the validity of the report at these links. I still use erythritol in my baked goods but this will help you make a more informed decision.
  • The study/report
  • Excellent summary positions from the medical community with an emphasis on prominent low carb and nutrition experts.
• Monk Fruit
  • Monk fruit in its pure form is very concentrated. Read ingredients lists carefully as it’s most often sold blended with other sweeteners such as erythritol. 
• Stevia
  • If you don’t use stevia that is 90% steviosides, you may have an unpleasant aftertaste.
  • Too much stevia may be bitter, especially if it isn’t mostly steviosides.
  • People with ragweed allergies may also be affected by stevia as the plants are in the same Asteraceae/Compositae plant family.
• Xylitol (toxic to dogs)
  • BochaSweet, the sweetener, is a variant of xylitol. It is not safe for dogs.
  • Some people, especially those with diabetes, may find that xylitol may affect their blood sugar. Some people recommend counting half of the carbohydrates in xylitol.
• Allulose
  • Unlike the sweeteners included above, allulose is not a natural sweetener. It is generally considered safe. 
• Tagatose

Use in recipes:

• The sweeteners I use have a sweetness measurement 1:1 with cane sugar. Whatever brand of sweetener you use, check to see if it measures the same. Some brands are 2x as sweet as sugar, so you would only use half…but that may affect the outcome of baked goods because sweetener contributes to the total volume of dry ingredients.
• Most commercial blends that are a good option are a mix of erythritol/stevia/monk fruit. Always make sure to read ingredient labels because it is very common for these ingredients to be blended with other sweeteners that can be problematic, such as dextrose, maltodextrin or inulin/chicory root fiber. Maltodextrin actually has a higher glycemic index than cane sugar.
• Ice Creams
  • Erythritol, stevia, and monk fruit sweeteners will allow the ice cream to freeze rock solid and can take some time to thaw enough to scoop.
  • Allulose, xylitol, and BochaSweet allow ice cream to remain scoopably soft, though some brands of allulose tend to keep ice cream more like soft serve consistency.
  • Blending sweeteners for the best results…Our favorite ice cream consistency is best achieved by using a combination of sweeteners. Here are some I’ve used successfully:
    • Allulose and xylitol in equal amounts
    • Allulose and erythritol in equal amounts
    • Bochasweet and erythritol blends in equal amounts
    • Bochasweet and xylitol in equal amounts
    • My personal preference is the combination of Bochasweet and erythritol or xylitol
• Sauces & Syrups
  • Erythritol tends to be gritty when cooled and doesn’t brown well, so it isn’t my first choice for sauces or syrups.
  • BochaSweet browns beautifully and makes a thick, sticky sauce when needed. It doesn’t become gritty when cooled. It’s also excellent for baking because it browns so nicely. 
  • Allulose and xylitol also caramelize a bit and make a thick, rich syrup. I’ve tried several different brands of allulose and xylitol and haven’t noticed a difference among brands, so I typically buy what’s least expensive.
    • When purchasing xylitol, I tend to look for brands made from birch rather than corn. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and does have a slightly higher glycemic index than Allulose or monkfruit. Because xylitol can be toxic to pets, take great care if you use it. It measures cup for cup like sugar.
  • Allulose is less sweet ounce for ounce than other sweeteners, so you may need to adjust the amount of sweetener you use or pair it with a liquid sweetener.
• Baked Goods
  • Allulose tends to not set up well, which is good for sauces and ice cream, but not good for baked goods or cheesecakes or anything else you need to have some structure. Using a small amount can help baked goods to brown, but do not use it exclusively for muffins, cakes, cookies, etc. 
  • Stevia/erythritol/monk fruit blends that measure 1:1 with sugar tend to be the best options for baking.
  • Blends with allulose can vary in how well they work based on how much allulose they have.