Erythritol cooling effect

(Brandy Fischbach) #1

Hi all,

I have noticed a “cooling effect” whenever I bake with Erythritol. I hate the taste of Stevia. Would using confectioners erythritol get rid of the cooling effect? I have some really good recipes, but can’t stand the cooling effect.

(Karen) #2

A number of people have commented on this cooling effect. I don’t mind it mixed in, but sprinkled on top of foods… Not my fav.

K

(Central Florida Bob ) #3

I haven’t noticed the cooling effect with Swerve confectioner’s substitute. Swerve is erythritol and some other ingredients that make it measure and taste more like regular sugar.

I don’t mind the cooling effect, so it’s possible I won’t notice things you will, though.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #4

I don’t get cold when I eat erythritol, but on the other hand, it does appear to spike my insulin.

#5

This is something I know a lot about! The cooling effect will happen regardless of whether you use powdered erythritol or not. It’s more a function of the amount that you use rather than the type.

You can’t really avoid it, so the solution I’ve found is to use other flavours or sweeteners to offset the effect. Adding stevia in some form seems to reduce it - it’s as if the aftertaste and the cooling effect cancel each other out. I’ve also found that other bitter flavours seem to work well, so recipes that use lemon juice or cocoa powder lend themselves well to erythritol.

Your other options are to simply use less of it, and then add something like vanilla essence to increase the sweetness. A lot of my recipes call for erythritol as the main sweetener with a tsp of vanilla essence, and that does work quite well.

Using coconut flour in particular seems to require less erythritol because it has its own sweetness, and I’ve noticed that the cooling effect can’t be completely removed when baking with coconut flour. Almond flour and peanut flour don’t have this problem.

Other than that, it depends on the recipe - some really work well with the cooling effect, and some really don’t. Cheesecake is great, less so any kind of warm tart. You really have to experiment to figure out what will work for your taste.

If all else fails, you can try using alternative sweeteners. Monkfruit has a slightly fruity aftertaste, and xylitol (if you can handle it without feeling sick) has none, as far as I know.

Word to the wise: do NOT buy anything made by the “In the Raw” company. All their sweeteners are bulked out with maltodextrin.

(Edith) #6

I believe the cooling effect is in the nature of the erythritol, because it is a sugar alcohol. I am not a fan either so, if I am in the mood for a keto dessert, I pick a recipe that only uses a relatively small amount. About 1/4 cup per recipe is about my limit.

(Susan Bothwell) #7

I do t really care for the cooling effect of swerve either and have been experimenting a little. By adding a few drops of liquid stevia the coolness disappears. I recently made a keto lemon pie and none of the guests I served it to knew it was KETO until they saw me eat a piece!j

(Edith) #8

Hum… I’ll have to try that the next time I attempt a keto dessert.

#9

The cooling effect was a little off-putting with Swerve when I made PB cookies. What was way worse was the digestive/lower GI upset afterwards. Xylitol is fine in gum, and maybe one of the creamy lattes I make once in a while. But, not in large amounts at all.
I am not a fan of chemicals, but if I need sweet sprinkled on something, I’ll go to Sweet n Low. In a pinch, Truvia.
I lose my voice if I eat Splenda, and no way in hell will I touch NutraSweet.

#10

I’ve tried this combination, and I find it’s just the weird cooling effect combined with the gross taste of stevia.

I know two things for sure about sugar substitutes:

  1. Every sweetener seems to affect people differently. One person will get an insulin response with one and not another, and the next person is just the reverse. Some people don’t have trouble with any, some with all of them.
  2. There’s no accounting for taste. Some people like stevia, some people don’t notice the cooling effect of erythritol. I haven’t found anything I like besides Splenda. I know someone else who swears by cyclamates and smuggles in Sugar Twin from Canada.

Ultimately, these are all good suggestions to experiment with, but if you don’t have any luck, keep trying. One person’s “I hate…” or “X did weird things to me…” is another person’s true love.

(traci simpson) #11

I’m glad you mentioned that. I thought it was my taste buds. I made cookies last week and I threw them away because of this. I didn’t like that taste so I guess I can’t make sweets any more!

(Edith) #12

If I make a keto dessert, I pick something that has a relatively small amount of Swerve, no more than 1/4 cup for the entire recipe. With that quantify, I don’t notice the cooling.

(Adam L) #13

Cooling effect seems to add a little something to home made ice cream.

(I came for the weight loss and stayed for my sanity... ) #14

I use a erythritol xylitol mix in my baking. I mix 1:1 or 1:2 maybe adding the tiniest amount of stevia drops (I hate the licorice flavor of stevia but i can not detect it if it’s mixed with other sweeteners)

#15

The other thing that bears mentioning here is that xylitol is highly toxic to dogs. Enough so that if you have a dog, you probably shouldn’t have it in your house.

(Charlotte) #16

I use confectioners Swerve for baking. I don’t notice any cooling with it like others have. I like it best.