Five Sugar Alternatives for Baking

You need to know what substitutes you have for this essential baking ingredient, whether you’ve been baking nonstop and ran out of sugar or you’re just looking for ways to keep your desserts sweet without feeling guilty.

The majority of sugar substitutes for baking are easily found in your pantry or at your neighborhood grocery shop. With the right recipe modifications, your finished product should taste just as sweet and delightful as it would with traditional white sugar.

Check out our guide to the top 5 sugar replacements for baking, stock up on your favorites, and never run out of sweetness again. We cover everything from raw sugar and brown sugar to honey and even applesauce.

1. Brown Sugar

Brown sugar, which is darkened from the molasses that covers each sugar crystal, has a moist consistency and a flavor that is caramelized, and it works wonders in baked goods. In most baked goods, light brown and dark brown sugar can be substituted 1:1 for white granulated sugar; however, be aware that the extra molasses may change the texture of your finished product, so adjust accordingly.

2. Raw Sugar

Though less processed than brown sugar, raw sugars like turbinado and demerara nevertheless include some natural molasses, which gives them their light brown hue. In baked goods, raw sugar can still be a fantastic substitute for white granulated sugar in a 1:1 ratio. If you prefer smaller granules, you can also blend the raw sugar in a food processor to prevent the huge crystals from making your baked goods dry or gritty.

3. Honey

Honey is a terrific liquid sweetener to use in place of sugar in baked goods like cakes and muffins, but you’ll need to adjust the other liquid ingredients in your batter to ensure that the ratio of dry to wet ingredients is balanced. To avoid overdoing it with a liquid ingredient, replace each cup of granulated sugar with ½ cup of honey, and modify the ingredient ratios, baking times, and temperatures appropriately.

4. Applesauce

In addition to the natural sweetness that comes from the apples, applesauce is an excellent sugar substitute for baked products since it includes more fiber and less calories than sugar, making your baked item potentially healthier. Applesauce will make your dough or batter more moist, so you’ll need to modify the ratio of dry to wet ingredients, much like when using honey in place of sugar.

5. Coconut Palm Sugar

Because of its low glycemic index, coconut palm sugar is a suitable sugar substitute for those with diabetes who are watching their sugar intake, especially in baked products. You may replace white sugar in baked items 1:1 with coconut palm sugar, or you can just sprinkle it on top of your porridge for a little natural sweetness boost.

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