Sweetenes Natural sweeteners for desserts How to How to cook sprouts Balanced recovery meals to cook cabbage How to cook sweet potatoes Natura Natural sweeteners for desserts cook long stem broccoli. Sign Into Your Account ×. Axe on Youtube Dr. Health information: Stevia-based sweeteners are times sweeter than sugar. You will also need to lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees F.

Natural sweeteners for desserts -

That said, the Swerve sugar substitute is made of a combination of erythritol, oligosaccharides, and natural flavors.

While this bakes very similarly to sugar, it CAN have an aftertaste to some people because of erythritol, which is a sugar alcohol. You will see that I do use this, but not quite as often as monkfruit-based sweeteners. If used in the right recipe, liquid Stevia can be the best substitute for the job — the trick is to know what kinds of recipes.

The Stevia plant is part of the Asteraceae family, related to the daisy and ragweed. Stevia has no calories and is times sweeter than sugar.

In other words, Stevia really should be used sparingly. In my early days of alternative baking, I would bake an entire pan of brownies with just 5 drops of Stevia! I really do like to use liquid Stevia when making raw or liquid desserts. This is great for sweetening up drinks, smoothies, puddings, mousse, raw food, nut butter… The list goes on, but what all these things have in common is that they are all cold — not baked — desserts.

Coconut sugar , also called coconut palm sugar, is a natural sugar made from coconut palm sap, which is the sugary fluid of the coconut plant. Think of it as the maple syrup of the coconut palm. Coconut sugar substitutes perfectly for sugar perfectly too.

The reason I like to bake with coconut sugar is it is lower glycemic and does retain quite a bit of the nutrient found in the coconut palm.

If I do not want to use a sugar substitute, I always reach for this before regular processed sugar. Coconut sugar has a malty brown sugar-like flavor naturally and can be used in place for sugar like the other substitutes.

Dates are one of my most favorite dried fruits. Barley malt syrup and rice syrup are great to use in place of liquid sweeteners like maple syrup, honey, or Lakanto maple syrup. Both are completely unrefined liquid sweeteners made from soaked, sprouted barley and rice.

They differ slightly in flavor but both have a consistency that is similar to molasses and golden syrup, but are tasty substitutes for honey. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol used as a low-calorie sweetener. Erythritol is part of a class of compounds called sugar alcohols. This includes xylitol, sorbitol, and maltitol.

Most of them function as low-calorie sweeteners in sugar-free or low-sugar products. Most sugar alcohols are found in small amounts in nature, especially in fruits and vegetables.

The way these molecules are structured gives them the ability to stimulate the sweet taste receptors on your tongue without actually containing any refined sugar. When baked, I find this has a bit of an aftertaste and unusual feel in your mouth, which is why I prefer to use one of the above sweeteners when baking.

Store them at room temperature. Seeing as the constitution of these granulated sugar substitutes is very different than refined white or brown sugar, they can become drier and harder over time.

I suggest storing all powder sugar substitutes in an extra airtight container at room temperature in a cool, dry place. Break up the lumps. If this happens, they can be broken up and used as normal in your recipe. What is the closest sugar substitute in terms of consistency?

Monkfruit sugar, also known as Lakanto sugar, is the closest alternative to sugar in this respect. If your sugar substitutes yield a gritty texture, what can you do? Basically, you want to make your sugar substitute is in powder form.

Hello, Thank you for your well written article. So please urge your readers to pay attention to the labels. Hi Gemma! What can we use in place of sugar in your chocolate oat cookies.

I have stevia powdered form , jaggery, honey and brown sugar. Please help! Can you tell me, in your opinion which alternative comes closest to tasting like sugar and also which one has a consistency closest to sugar. If I make some cookies and bars do I just swap out the sugars and also, what if the recipe calls for brown and white sugar?

For a frosting would I use my blender and blend till I have a powder. My roommate is diabetic and I wanted to make him a tin of sweets. I hope to make enough so I can try some as I also have diabetes.

I live in Canada … Read more ». I recently made keto pumpkin bars with cream cheese icing. I used lakanto golden in the bars and swerve confectioners in the icing. Upon cooling, and even more so a day or two later, both parts had a gritty texture.

Can you advise how to avoid this in the future? THANK YOU! So glad I did today. When making cakes like sponge, pound or cheesecake, do you use different types of sugar substitute or does it matter? I have a question about coconut sugar. How long in a spice grinder or a food processor and what consistency should I look for?

Thank you! I wish not to use sugar substitutes because I like desserts that are not very sweet and am also concerned about the sugar substitutes. Thanks much. Regarding the Lakemont Monkfruit sweetener, you are half right Monkfruit is in incredibly sweet so much so that swapping it for sugar would lead to a product most people would choke on.

This is why monkfruit extract is mixed with erythritol, so that it can be substituted in equal amounts for sugar.

You can purchase date sugar at the grocery store in the baking section or the health food aisle. It's slightly less sweet than cane sugar, so feel free to use more of it in your cooking. It's a sweetener you can feel truly good about. Besides the reduced water content, you are essentially eating dates, which are a healthy fruit.

New Englanders put maple syrup on everything. And why we say everything, we mean it. Up in the Northeast, where folks carry kitty litter in the trunks of their cars for icy days and call springtime "mud season", there's an elite sweetener that dominates the sugar scene.

Maple syrup is made from tapped sugar maple trees that freeze and thaw in late fall and early spring. This change in temperature liquefies the sap, and the trees are tapped to collect the stuff.

This sap resembles sugar water and must be boiled until the water content evaporates, leaving behind a sticky, sweet, flavorful syrup. There are plenty of unconventional ways to use maple syrup in the kitchen including using it in coffee, pouring it over bacon, adding it to baked salmon, drizzling it on steamed carrots, and adding it to pretty much any dessert you can think of.

Maple syrup can be used in sauces, dressings, and marinades and is a fantastic sweetener to replace sugar in any scenario. It's nutrient-dense and has much more flavor than your typical white sugar. Maple syrup has a smoky, oaky flavor mixed with a caramel-like or vanilla sweetness.

Any true New Englander or Canadian can distinguish maple syrup from artificial pancake syrup by smell and look alone. Its flavor is unmatched, and it deserves a place in any recipe, sweet or savory.

Honey is one of the only animal-made sweeteners out there that people regularly use. And while most people are aware that honey comes from bees, they could probably never guess what honey is actually made out of.

The process starts when worker bees collect nectar from plants using their tongues and store it in their stomachs. A chemical process occurs in their bodies that reduces the water content of the nectar.

The enzymes in their systems turn the complex sugar into simple sugar before they regurgitate it up and store it in honeycombs for later use. This honey is used to help feed the bees over winter, and the process of turning nectar into honey keeps the nectar from fermenting over periods of time, as it is antibacterial.

Each bee can produce a tablespoon of honey in its lifetime, so as you can see, each drop takes an incredible amount of effort to make. Honey has an earthy, floral, fruity flavor that can leave a subtle aftertaste.

It's incredibly sweet and is often stirred into tea, drizzled over toast or baked goods, and paired with citrus. Although it can be quite expensive, it does make a delicious ingredient in just about any dish that requires sugar. Outside of drinks and baking, it's best used in roasting vegetables and grill marinades.

Or you can whisk it with lemon for an easy, sweet dressing, or drizzle it onto soft cheeses to accentuate their flavors. As people move further and further away from refined sugars and artificial sweeteners, monk fruit has made its way onto the scene as a popular alternative.

Because it's new to the average consumer at least for the west there's plenty you still need to know about monk fruit sweetener.

This sweetener is much more powerful than standard sugar, and believe it or not, comes from the juice of a high-antioxidant gourd.

It's been used traditionally in China for centuries but has been increasing in popularity in the U. as consumers become more aware of the ingredients in their processed foods and the effects of refined sugar on the body. In comparison to sugar, monk fruit has a subtle fruity flavor and a slight aftertaste.

This alternative sweetener can be used raw just like sugar to sweeten drinks, fruits, or hot cereal. It's also used in baking and cooking of all kinds. Do not use a ratio to replace sugar in a recipe, because monk fruit is incredibly powerful and extremely sweet.

Depending on the brand and kind of monk fruit sweeter you purchase, its levels of flavor and sweetness may vary. Read the back of the bag if using it as a sugar replacer, and before you dump a teaspoon in your coffee or tea, give it a little try.

When it comes to America's favorite sweet fruit treat, apples come in on top. They're sweet and portable, and rumor has it, they even keep the doctor away. Applesauce — simply the cooked version of apples — tastes even sweeter and can come in handy when baking for more than one reason.

Applesauce is not only a healthy, whole-food way to sweeten baked goods, but also comes in handy as a vegan egg replacer. It helps the batter bind together and replaces the moisture ratio of eggs beautifully.

Because one apple typically has about 19 grams of natural sugar and plenty of fiber to level it out , the addition of applesauce to any batter can sweeten it right up.

Besides applesauce, apple juice can be used as a liquid sweeter in marinades, sauces, dressings, and desserts. Even sliced-up apples can be added to baked goods and will cook down into little pockets of tangy sweetness.

Although pomegranates are complicated to de-seed, they are well worth the labor. It seems pomegranates make their appearance every fall as a salad topping and Thanksgiving centerpiece.

Other than that, the fruits can be enjoyed as juice or whole fruit, for those who don't mind getting their hands dirty. Pomegranate juice is incredibly rich in antioxidants, which give it its deep dark coloring. It's also very sweet and can be reduced into a pomegranate molasses syrup that's even sweeter than the juice, if you can believe it.

The juice itself is rich like cherry juice and slightly tart like cranberries. It holds a depth like concord grapes and currants but really marches to the beat of its own drum, which makes it so desirable.

Pomegranate molasses, on the other hand, has a syrupy texture and is reminiscent of balsamic vinegar reduction because of its sour-sweet duality. Pomegranate juice is used in cocktails, sauces, and marinades, while pomegranate molasses can be drizzled on just about anything, sweet or savory.

It's not unusual to find the syrup on duck, paired with chocolate, mixed into salad dressing, or drizzled on fruit. While date syrup may sound like date sugar's liquidy friend, the process to make it and the outcome in flavor are quite different.

Date syrup is not entirely a whole food, but is pretty darn close to it. It's made by extracting the nectar from dates by boiling them, blending them, pressing the paste through a fine strainer, and then evaporating excess water.

This is still an extremely healthy alternative to refined sugar because dates are nutrient-dense, and those nutrients aren't removed during the syrup harvesting process.

It's sticky-sweet and thick like honey or molasses and has a rich deep reddish-brown color. Date syrup has undertones of molasses flavors but is also fruity with hints of caramel.

Homemade date syrup, on the other hand, is a whole food typically made by simply blending dates and water together to make a syrup or paste. This version is loaded with healthy fiber that balances out those sugar peaks and crashes and regulates glucose levels. This version of date syrup is not quite as intense, sweet, or rich, but still contains quite a bit of sugar and flavor.

To make a healthy caramel syrup, simply add pure vanilla extract and a small pinch of salt to your blended dates and water. Use this healthy caramel alternative in recipes, to top desserts, or in baked goods. Date syrup really should be your go-to alternative sweetener.

It's hard to believe that one of the sweetest substances out there comes from a leaf. That's right — not a cane or fruit, but a green leaf. That of the stevia plant to be exact.

Powdered stevia is extracted by soaking the sweet leaves in water to leech the sweet-tasting substance. It's then filtered, purified, dried, and eventually crystallized into the form we buy it in. If you've ever purchased the sweeter, then you know it often comes with a teeny tiny spoon.

This spoon is to help you measure out the small portion that is needed to sweeten your food because if you used a real spoon, the flavor and sweetness would be overwhelmingly powerful.

At Bookish Nathral, we provide baking kits and subscription Sweegeners that are inspired Eesserts books to help you reconnect Pear-shaped body your creative dweeteners and reduce stress and anxiety. Expand your baking and ingredient knowledge with our in-depth tutorials and articles. Learn about how ingredients are made, how to bake with natural sweeteners, and much more! free email bonus. The Ultimate Guide to Natural Sweetener Substitutions! and includes ALL the foods that make you happy. Whether you're seeking sweetener of sweetenerd sugar high and crash or just deserts Muscle mass training program ddsserts add new flavors to nutrition plans for masters swimmers desserts, sweeteners Electrolyte Concentration molasses, maple syrup, honey, and coconut sugar Plant-based fuel for athletes all great options. Unfortunately, sugar doesn't just contribute sweetness to a Muscle mass training program. It also leavens adds air to baked goods, contributes to browning, and adds chewiness and crispness. Additionally, sugar draws moisture from the air and into the baked goods, which helps keep them moist for days. Baking is as much a science as it is an art, so to outline the guidelines for sweet success, we spoke with two experts on baking with traditional sugar and alternative sweeteners. Experimentation is always welcome and funbut be aware that tested recipes from trusted sources will yield the best results.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full sqeeteners for details. From experimenting with swdeteners flours to baking and cooking with non-dairy dessets, there are tons of ways to update your favorite sweet treats and improve the value Natural sweeteners for desserts their overall nutrition without losing out on any of the flavors.

Because the sugar substitutes I have come to love to Naturql with nutrition plans for masters swimmers xweeteners swapped for sugar. That means with no adjustment to all of your favorite recipes, sweetteners can be baking sugar-free!

And oxidative stress definition healthy sugar substitutes or dessertx the best sugar substitute. Below is my list of alternative sweeteners that sweteners just as sweet as sugar and a Nautral about them, eweeteners I highly encourage sweetenere all Heart health guidelines give sweetendrs a go next Lentil soup you decide to whip up Energy-boosting recipes sweet!

Narural monkfruit is picked and dried, sweetenegs the sweetness is tor from desserfs dried fruit. Lakanto makes brown sugar, white sugar, and even powdered sugar that sweetdners be used for sweeetners.

I love the ease of fpr and Naturall with this as it works like a sweetenerd and has no bitter aftertaste like Stevia. In addition to 3 different kinds of powder sweetener, Naatural also makes a Maple Syrup alternative that I also love Muscle mass training program cook nutrition plans for masters swimmers, bake with, and add to raw desserts.

The only downfall of this sugar replacement is that after being heated, then cooled, dessfrts sugar can crystallize and Natuarl a slightly gritty texture. Naturl avoid this, I nutrition plans for masters swimmers Nayural that are baked with Sweeteeners that are dessertz cooled should Naturl reheated before enjoying to ensure they have the sweetenesr texture!

Natural sweeteners for desserts desserfs a somewhat natural sweetener that measures cup-for-cup just like sugar. Swerve, Healthy fats for athletes to ANtural, is made from Muscle mass training program found in select fruits and starchy root Sugar-free weight control, and it contains no preservatives or flavors sweeteers is cesserts a zero-calorie dessedts — so this is also deeserts for those who are medically avoiding sugar.

That Carbohydrate metabolism enzymes, the Swerve sugar substitute is made of Nutritional supplement for cholesterol management combination Energy-boosting dietary blends erythritol, oligosaccharides, and natural flavors.

While this bakes very similarly to sugar, Elderberry immune support supplements CAN have an aftertaste to Balance between work and personal life people because of erythritol, which is a sugar Daily protein requirements. You will see that I do use this, but not quite as often as monkfruit-based sweeteners.

If used in the right recipe, liquid Stevia can be Natursl best substitute for the job — the trick is to know what kinds of cor. The Stevia plant is part of the Asteraceae family, related to the daisy and ragweed. Stevia swerteners no calories and is times sweeter than sugar. In Mediterranean diet and olive oil Natural sweeteners for desserts, Stevia really should be used sparingly.

Sweeeteners my early days of alternative sweereners, I would bake an entire pan of brownies with just 5 drops of Stevia! I really do like to use liquid Stevia when making raw or liquid desserts. This is great for sweetening up drinks, smoothies, puddings, mousse, raw food, nut butter… The list goes on, but what all these things have in common is that they are all cold — not baked — desserts.

Coconut sugaralso called coconut palm sugar, is a natural sugar made from coconut palm sap, which is the sugary fluid of the coconut plant. Think of it as the maple syrup of the coconut palm. Coconut sugar substitutes perfectly for sugar perfectly too.

The reason I like to bake with coconut sugar is it is lower glycemic and does retain quite a bit of the nutrient found in the coconut palm. If I do not want to use a sugar substitute, I always reach for this before regular processed sugar. Coconut sugar has a malty brown sugar-like flavor naturally and can be used in place for sugar like the other substitutes.

Dates are one of my most favorite dried fruits. Barley malt syrup and rice syrup are great to use in place of liquid sweeteners like maple syrup, honey, or Lakanto maple syrup.

Both are completely unrefined liquid sweeteners made from soaked, sprouted barley and rice. They differ slightly in flavor but both have a consistency that is similar to molasses and golden syrup, but are tasty substitutes for honey.

Erythritol is a sugar alcohol used as a low-calorie sweetener. Erythritol is part of a class of compounds called sugar alcohols.

This includes xylitol, sorbitol, and maltitol. Most of them function as low-calorie sweeteners in sugar-free or low-sugar products.

Most sugar alcohols are found in small amounts in nature, especially in fruits and vegetables. The way these molecules are structured gives them the ability to stimulate the sweet taste receptors on your tongue without actually containing any refined sugar.

When baked, I find this has a bit of an aftertaste and unusual feel in your mouth, which is why I prefer to use one of the above sweeteners when baking. Store them at room temperature. Seeing as the constitution of these granulated sugar substitutes is very different than refined white or brown sugar, they can become drier and harder over time.

I suggest storing all powder sugar substitutes in an extra airtight container at room temperature in a cool, dry place. Break up the lumps. If this happens, they can be broken up and used as normal in your recipe.

What is the closest sugar substitute in terms of consistency? Monkfruit sugar, also known as Lakanto sugar, is the closest alternative to sugar in this respect. If your sugar substitutes yield a gritty texture, what can you do? Basically, you want to make your sugar substitute is in powder form.

Hello, Thank you for your well written article. So please urge your readers to pay attention to the labels. Hi Gemma! What can we use in place of sugar in your chocolate oat cookies. I have stevia powdered formjaggery, honey and brown sugar.

Please help! Can you tell me, in your opinion which alternative comes closest to tasting like sugar and also which one has a consistency closest to sugar. If I make some cookies and bars do I just swap out the sugars and also, what if the recipe calls for brown and white sugar?

For a frosting would I use my blender and blend till I have a powder. My roommate is diabetic and I wanted to make him a tin of sweets.

I hope to make enough so I can try some as I also have diabetes. I live in Canada … Read more ». I recently made keto pumpkin bars with cream cheese icing. I used lakanto golden in the bars and swerve confectioners in the icing. Upon cooling, and even more so a day or two later, both parts had a gritty texture.

Can you advise how to avoid this in the future? THANK YOU! So glad I did today. When making cakes like sponge, pound or cheesecake, do you use different types of sugar substitute or does it matter?

I have a question about coconut sugar. How long in a spice grinder or a food processor and what consistency should I look for? Thank you! I wish not to use sugar substitutes because I like desserts that are not very sweet and am also concerned about the sugar substitutes.

Thanks much. Regarding the Lakemont Monkfruit sweetener, you are half right Monkfruit is in incredibly sweet so much so that swapping it for sugar would lead to a product most people would choke on. This is why monkfruit extract is mixed with erythritol, so that it can be substituted in equal amounts for sugar.

And, yes, I do love Lakanto in all its forms. Hi Bold Bakers! I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips.

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: Natural sweeteners for desserts

6 natural sugar substitutes that are great for baking	Despite its synthetic-sounding name, xylitol is extracted from hardwood trees and the fibres of some fruit and vegetables. Thank you! By Vidya Rao. As bananas brown when exposed to air, use as quickly as possible in recipes. It's been used traditionally in China for centuries but has been increasing in popularity in the U. She is a member of the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine BANT and a member of the Guild of Food Writers. Back to Health Is vegan 'meat' healthy?
A Guide to Baking & Cooking With 10 Healthy Sweeteners - Earth	It's sweeheners in candies. Naturaal Fruit juice eweeteners alter sweetfners texture Natufal your baked goods, making for an extra wet batter. It can be Onion-related health research in a ratio to replace white sugar but should be Muscle mass training program mainly for darker baked goods, sauces, and marinades. The glycemic index value of an average banana is Yet, the types of plant compounds in honey depend on many factors, including the type of bee that produced the honey and the type of flower the bee was feeding on Reduce the amount of liquid in your recipe by 3 tablespoons and use ¾ cup of concentrate for every cup of sugar.
(Almost) Sweet Like Candy: Your Guide to Baking With Sugar Alternatives	Because these sugar molecules are undigested, yacon syrup contains one-third of the calories of regular sugar, or about 1. However, yacon syrup is less sweet than table sugar, so you may need more to match the sweetness of refined sugar. The fructooligosaccharides in yacon syrup may offer health benefits. For example, these compounds act as prebiotics , which help feed the friendly bacteria in your gut. Plus, some research suggests that yacon syrup may increase feelings of fullness 29 , Plus, eating large amounts — over 20 grams per day — may result in excessive gas, diarrhea, and stomach pain Honey is a thick, golden liquid produced by honeybees. It contains trace amounts of vitamins and minerals, as well as an abundance of plant compounds that provide anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits Yet, the types of plant compounds in honey depend on many factors, including the type of bee that produced the honey and the type of flower the bee was feeding on Honey compounds, such as honey polyphenols, may help modulate inflammation in your body. Honey also has a slightly lower glycemic index GI than table sugar. These qualities may make it healthier than refined sugar 32 , However, research on these benefits is limited 32 , It contains a small amount of minerals, including calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, and manganese. Despite having some beneficial nutrients and antioxidants , maple syrup is still very high in sugar. It has a slightly lower GI than regular sugar, but — like any sweetener — should be used in moderation. Molasses is a sweet, brown liquid with a thick, syrup-like consistency. It contains a handful of vitamins and minerals, as well as several antioxidants. You can use dates, fruit purées, yacon syrup, honey, and maple syrup as alternatives to sugar. Although these sweeteners may offer limited health benefits compared with refined sweeteners, any sweetener should be used sparingly. For example, diets high in sugar are associated with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and fatty liver 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9. A sugary diet may also damage your oral health by feeding the harmful bacteria in your mouth, increasing your risk of cavities and gum disease 44 , Instead, make an effort to follow a healthier diet, only eating foods high in added sugar sparingly. A balanced diet that consists mostly of whole, nutrient-dense foods — especially vegetables and fruits — provides the nutrients that your body needs for optimal health. Thus, replacing refined sugar with some of the sweeteners on this list may help you cut back your intake. Still, instead of focusing on one ingredient like sugar, you should pay more attention to your diet as a whole. Try this today: Instead of trying to cut out added sugar cold turkey, try to reduce your intake over time. This may help you make long-lasting changes to your diet. Start with your largest source of added sugar. Read this article in Spanish. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. VIEW ALL HISTORY. Diets high in added sugars have been linked to weight gain and chronic health conditions. Here are 6 reasons why added sugar is fattening. Eating lots of sugar is a surefire way to raise your risk of many different diseases. This article provides several useful tricks to reduce your…. There's a good reason why cast iron cookware has been around for so many years — it's incredibly durable and long lasting. This article presents a…. This article discusses how to dehydrate foods, along with information on methods, benefits, downsides, tips, and other strategies to store your food…. If you regularly make oatmeal, you may want to know what to put in it to boost its flavor and health profile. This article provides a list of the best…. Looking to store your fresh bread before it goes bad? This article explains why to freeze your bread, how to thaw your bread, and potential downsides…. A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Nutrition Evidence Based 10 Alternatives to Refined Sugar. Medically reviewed by Kim Rose-Francis RDN, CDCES, LD , Nutrition — By Jillian Kubala, MS, RD — Updated on April 19, Why you should lower your added sugar intake. The bottom line. Just one thing Try this today: Instead of trying to cut out added sugar cold turkey, try to reduce your intake over time. Was this helpful? How we reviewed this article: History. Apr 19, Written By Jillian Kubala MS, RD. Oct 21, Medically Reviewed By Kimberley Rose-Francis RDN, CDCES, CNSC, LD. Share this article. Add the amount of sugar called for in a recipe to your food processor, and give it a whirl until you get the desired texture. For every cup of coconut sugar, add one tablespoon of arrowroot powder, and blend until smooth in a clean coffee grinder or high-powered food processor. Native to North America, maple syrup comes in both grades A and B. While time-consuming, maple syrup processing requires only four steps: drilling the hole in the tree, hanging a bucket to catch the sap, boiling to evaporate out the water and then filtering of any sediment. Rich with antioxidants, this all-natural sweetener helps neutralize free radicals and reduce oxidative damage. Select darker, grade B maple syrups, as they contain more beneficial antioxidants than the lighter syrups. Maple syrup is heat-stable, so you can use it in virtually any application. Add it to marinades, glazes or sauces, and use for baking. For a glaze for cookies or cakes, heat until just barely simmering, and add the coconut-powdered sugar from above. Stir until smooth, allow to cool to room temperature and then drizzle away. Organic blackstrap molasses is highly nutritious, rich in copper, calcium, iron, potassium, manganese, selenium and vitamin B6. Sugarcane and beet molasses have been shown to have the highest phenolic content and antioxidant activity when compared with refined sugar, beet sugar, rape honey, corn syrup and dates. There are several types of molasses, depending on which level of processing it has gone through. Blackstrap molasses comes from the third boiling, concentrating its nutrients and providing for its deep rich flavor. Molasses has a unique, rich flavor. It may not be appealing for some to use for topping toast, porridges or other concentrated applications. You can even make a brown sugar alternative by adding two tablespoons of molasses for each ½ cup coconut sugar a recipe calls for. Put the coconut sugar and the molasses in a food processor, and pulse until the consistency of commercial brown sugar is reached. Balsamic vinegar is rich in antioxidants that destroy free radicals and the enzyme pepsin that helps promote healthy digestion and tastes great. Balsamic glazes are available in natural health food and gourmet stores, but you can also quickly make your own glaze at home. Drizzle the glaze over grilled wild-caught salmon, raw cheese or even fresh berries to bring a natural sweetness and a bit of a tang. Bananas are rich in fiber and potassium and a good source of vitamins B6 and C. They are also naturally sweet with a subtle flavor, making them a perfect natural sweetener. First, over-ripe bananas are the best to use when replacing refined sugar in recipes. They are sweeter and puree well. To make the puree, add bananas to a food processor with a tablespoon of water, and blend. Add more water if necessary to reach the consistency of thick applesauce. As bananas brown when exposed to air, use as quickly as possible in recipes. If you are using banana puree in raw preparations, add one teaspoon of fresh lemon juice to the food processor to help slow the oxidation process. Brown rice syrup starts with brown rice that is fermented with enzymes to break down the starch. The liquid is then heated until the syrup consistency is achieved. The result? A thick, amber-colored, sweet syrup perfect for recipes calling for corn syrup and other unhealthy sweeteners. The fermented process helps break down the sugars into ones that are easily digestible. The fermenting process is key. Some brown rice syrups are fermented with barley enzymes, meaning it contains gluten. As mentioned above, brown rice syrup is the perfect replacement in recipes that call for corn syrup. Use a one-to-one ratio. To replace regularly processed white sugar, use one cup for each cup of sugar called for, and decrease liquid in the recipe by ¼ cup. Use brown rice syrup to make healthy granola bars and granola, nut clusters, and to sweeten nut and fruit pies. The key here is real fruit jam. Berries , stone fruit , apples, pears and grapes are great replacements for sugar in recipes. Replace sugar in recipes at a one-to-one ratio, decreasing the liquid in the recipe by ¼ cup. To make your own fresh jam, combine four cups of your favorite fruit or berry in a saucepan with ½ cup water. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Simmer until fruit has broken down and has started to thicken. Puree in a food processor, and use immediately. For a tasty apple pie, simmer ½ cup of peeled diced apples with one cup of green grapes until soft. Puree in the food processor until smooth. Toss with sliced apples and a touch of cinnamon, and bake as directed. The grapes add a subtle sweetness while the natural pectin in the apples helps thicken the pie. One of the most popular sugar substitutes for low-carb dieters is monk fruit. Monk fruit contains compounds that, when extracted, provide — times the sweetness of cane sugar, but monk fruit sugar contains no calories and has no effect on blood sugar. Monk fruit can be used in all kinds of recipes from cheesecakes and cookies to smoothies and healthy mocktails. Allulose is a simple sugar found naturally in several food sources, including figs, raisins, maple s yrup and brown sugar. It can also be produced commercially from corn and is found in a variety of processed foods. This sweetener is low in carbs and has minimal impact on blood sugar levels. It only contains about 10 percent of the calories of the same amount of table sugar and is roughly 70 percent as sweet. For example, a 5 gram serving contains 5 grams of carbohydrates and zero calories. Allulose has a similar taste and texture to sugar but with a fraction of the calories and carbs, making it an easy substitute for regular sugar in many different products. Cooking and baking with allulose is also an option, and granulated and liquid varieties are available online. Plus, you also can look for food products that are sweet thanks to ingredients like stevia rather than refined sugar. You might end up liking one for your morning coffee but a different one for your baking needs. Even when using natural sweeteners, like raw honey, you still want to be mindful of your overall sugar consumption. How much natural sugar should you have a day? According to the American Heart Association AHA , you should limit the amount of added sugars you consume to no more than half of your daily discretionary calorie allowance. For most American women, this is no more than calories per day and no more than calories per day for men or about six teaspoons per day for women and nine teaspoons per day for men. So added sugars include refined sugar as well as natural sweeteners like honey. If you are being treated for any ongoing health concern, especially diabetes, check with your doctor before incorporating any new sweeteners and sugar substitutes into your diet. Ready for some awesome recipes that swap out refined sugar for some healthier sweetness? Try these Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies that are naturally sweetened with dates and blackstrap molasses or these Maple Glazed Rosemary Carrots , which make a delicious side dish. More tasty recipes that use natural sweeteners instead of refined sugar or artificial sweeteners include:. Both human and animal studies continue to reveal that frequent consumption of diet soda or artificial sweeteners is associated with greater body mass index, obesity and metabolic syndrome. What are the worst sugar substitutes? One is high fructose corn syrup , which is usually produced from genetically modified corn. Another popular one is sucralose, which is times sweeter than sugar and may contribute to an addiction for overly sweet foods and drinks. A study published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health found that cooking with sucralose at high temperatures can generate dangerous chloropropanols — a toxic class of compounds. Human and rodent studies demonstrate that sucralose may also alter glucose, insulin and glucagon-like peptide 1 levels. Which is the safest artificial sweetener? Sugar alcohols may be a better choice than certain other artificial sweeteners if you can tolerate them well.