4 Healthy Sugar Substitutes For Baking
Sugar is one of the most common baking ingredients as it helps to enhance the taste of your baking. But sugar also comes with several health issues, especially when used too often. In America alone, the average person is estimated to consume 17 teaspoons of sugar every day, adding up to 57 pounds of added sugar every year. That is alarming, considering how common diabetes, weight gain, high blood pressure, and other diseases are in the country. So, are you looking for a healthy sugar alternative for your baking? Here are four substitutes you can try.
- Dates
Dates provide vitamin B6, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, and potassium. Aside from that, dates help the body metabolize carbs, protein, and fats. Some studies also suggest that eating dates can help minimize your chances of stroke by reducing LDL cholesterol in the blood. Plus, the body also finds it easy to digest dates. But the health and nutritional benefits aside, you can easily use dates to add sweetness to your baking, especially if you’re making pies and muffins. You can even add it to your cookie recipes like the red velvet cookies. You can learn how to make red velvet cookies here.
- Coconut sugar
Coconut sugar comes from the nectar obtained from the coconut palm’s flower buds. It offers a healthy substitute for traditional white sugar as it is rich in some antioxidants and other polyphenols. Studies have shown that polyphenols play a role in preventing or reversing damage to cells due to aging, lifestyle, or the environment. Coconut also has a low glycemic index, meaning it doesn’t lead to a quick spike in blood sugar compared to white sugar. Using coconut sugar adds a touch of coconut flavor or aroma to your baking recipes while giving your baked goodies more moisture.
- Molasses
Molasses is often used as a substitute for table sugar. The process of making table sugar involves a purification stage where a brown syrup or molasses is removed. And this is a nutritious by-product of sugar made from sugarcane. Molasses is naturally rich in antioxidants, calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamin B6. It aids in supporting bone and hair health, as well as in treating anemia.
When replacing your table sugar with molasses, use an equal amount of your molasses in terms of volume to replace the sugar. For example, if your recipe requires one tablespoon of white sugar, replace it with one tablespoon of molasses.
- Raw honey
Honey has a rich sweetening taste that easily eats white sugar. You can easily swap your regular sugar with raw honey when making your cakes and other soft-baked recipes. Raw honey is rich in minerals and nutrients and contains many antibacterial and antifungal properties. Its phenolic acids and flavonoids contain antioxidant properties to guard against inflammation. Honey is also a good source of antioxidants, offers immense brain benefits, helps with many digestive issues, heals wounds, and soothes cough, to mention a few of its health benefits. However, because honey still contains fructose, you need to use it in moderation.
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