Cooking Without Refined Sugar

[alexschatzi]

I am supposed to stay away from gluten as well as refined sugar and sugar substitutes incl. molases, syrups etc. What could I use instead to cook and bake? Is there a natural sweetener out there? I use Stevia or Xylitol to sweeten certain things, but not sure if it's ok to bake with it? Any suggestions?

[Pilgrim South]

I am supposed to stay away from gluten as well as refined sugar and sugar substitutes incl. molases, syrups etc. What could I use instead to cook and bake? Is there a natural sweetener out there? I use Stevia or Xylitol to sweeten certain things, but not sure if it's ok to bake with it? Any suggestions?

Can you have honey? If not, what about fruit juices or crushed fruits? I use applesauce to sweeten muffins etc.

[Aerin328]

I have used Stevia to cook in the past, it is doable but in my opinion it doesn't taste as good baked as it does straight. Honey is a great tasting substitute in many recipes if you can have it.

I'm interested to see what you discover as I am also trying to avoid refined sugar. I seem to react to foods that have any "sugar" in it, but not so much to foods with "organic cane juice"/ non-"processed" sugar. (I guess it's probably off limits but if you can have organic cane juice you should try it- it's the same sugar just in a different form and processed in a different way.)

Christian

[Jestgar]

dates are very sweet. You'd have to play with the texture a bit.

[hineini]

I try to avoid refined sugar. I just posted in my blog a recipe for coconut flour muffins using only honey to sweeten.

I've used in the past:

-Granulated fructose (looks and feels just like sugar, very processed but metabolized differently than cane sugar)

-Blackstrap molasses

-Brown rice syrup

-Honey

-Maple syrup

-Turbinado sugar and other less refined sugars

-Fruit juice

-Fruit juice concentrate (you can buy shelf-stable concentrate or you can buy it frozen, just defrost and use without adding the water it calls for)

-Dates

-Prunes (they are a great replacement for fats and oils in recipes, too)

-Applesauce (ditto)

Then there are concentrated fruit sweeteners like these:

Open Original Shared Link

[HawkFire]

We have used dates in the past. You need a food processor to get a very nice consistency. Apple sauce is sweet. Stevia comes in many forms now. Try experimenting with the granulated vs the liquid. You may prefer one over the other.

[hineini]

I forgot agave nectar! It's super-sweet (sweeter than sugar) and metabolizes much more slowly than sugar.

[alexschatzi]

Everybody on here is wonderful and super helpful. Thank you all for your replies.

I had been diagnosed with Mercury toxcity and candida so have to stay away from the sugars incl. honey, fructose, maple syrups, splenda etc etc. Quiet a pain, especially when trying to bake or cook That's why I was trying to come up with an alternative. I will defenitely try out some of your suggestions. Once again, thanks everybody for all your expertise and insights!

[Ksmith]

Could someone explain to me how/why refined sugar is bad for you? I guess I just thought sugar is "a sugar" you know? I'd love some education on this because sugar kinda makes me ill sometimes. Thanks in advance!

[Mango04]

Could someone explain to me how/why refined sugar is bad for you? I guess I just thought sugar is "a sugar" you know? I'd love some education on this because sugar kinda makes me ill sometimes. Thanks in advance!

Sorry I can't explain it well but here's one article about it:

Open Original Shared Link

If you google "refined sugar dangers" lots and lots of info. comes up.

I am supposed to stay away from gluten as well as refined sugar and sugar substitutes incl. molases, syrups etc. What could I use instead to cook and bake? Is there a natural sweetener out there? I use Stevia or Xylitol to sweeten certain things, but not sure if it's ok to bake with it? Any suggestions?

You might check out a raw foods cook book. They seem to be able to make really sweet ice cream and "baked" goods with no sugar at all

[tarnalberry]

you can bake with stevia but i don"t know how well it'll turn out. you can usually cut the amount of sugar at least in half from most recipes.

[hineini]

I just bought some granulated date sugar, I can't wait to bake with it!