Three Tips for Using Sugar Substitutes in Baked Goods
- To enhance flavor: Add an additional teaspoon of vanilla extract per each cup of granular sugar substitute, such as Equal, NutraSweet, DiabetiSweet or Splenda.
- To achieve a better rise in baked goods using a low-calorie sweetener, switch from 9-inch to 8-inch round pans with 2-inch high sides. You can also try adding a half cup of dry milk powder and a half teaspoon of baking soda for every one cup of granular sugar substitute or low-calorie sweetener.
- When baking with yeast, maintain at least two teaspoons of sugar in a recipe for yeast activation.
Baking time may be shorter with low-calorie sweetener. Check cookies three to five minutes sooner and cakes seven to 10 minutes sooner than called for by the original recipe.
How do I calculate the amount of carbohydrate in a recipe?
Follow these three easy steps for figuring out the carb content of your favorite recipes:
- Identify all the foods containing carbohydrate. Include flour, sugars, fruits, juices, corn syrup and the like.
- Add up the total carbohydrates in the ingredients.
- Divide the total number of carbohydrates by the number of servings in the recipe.
You can also use a software calculator, available on various Internet sites such as http://au.atkins.com/support-tools/carb-counter.html.
If you simply want to convert the size of your recipe, go to www.fruitfromwashington.com for an easy recipe-conversion program.
Recipe Resources
For more on how to use sugar substitutes in baking, see the following Web sites: www.splenda.com, www.diabeticproducts.com or www.equal.com.
Cookbooks with information on this subject include:
Forbidden Foods Diabetic Cooking by Margaret Powers and Joyce L. Hendley. American Diabetes Association; 2000.
Desserts for Diabetics: Over 200 Recipes for Delicious Traditional Desserts Adapted for Diabetic Diets by Mabel Cavaiani and Anne K. Blocker. Perigee; 2002.
1,001 Low-Carb Recipes for Life by Sue Spitler and Linda R. Yoakam. Surrey Books; 2004.
