Erythritol have anybody ever heard of this?

('Jackie P') #21

It’s strange, I have never experienced the cooling sensation many have spoken of! I even like the granulated version sprinkled on berries, I like the sugar like crunchiness when mixed with the cream :yum:

#22

I do seem to have a mild reaction to it. I love how they say “discomfort” hahaha. It isn’t really a bother, but I can tell.

#23

I am allergic to Erythritol, you might want to buy something cheaper that contains it first and see how you react before investing…Bai drinks are sweetened with Erythritol (usually under $2 at Walmart I think). I ended up tossing a $10 bag of Swerve in the garbage.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #24

I prefer a mix of stevia and erythritol, but it has to be used with caution, because it is much sweeter than table sugar.

Just be aware that there are many anecdotal reports that various non-sugar sweeteners have caused a spike in someone’s insulin (fyi, a non-sugar sweetener that spiked glucose would be illegal for sale in the U.S.). Actually testing for an insulin spike is complicated, because it has to be inferred from the pattern of glucose levels tested periodically after ingesting an amount, but it can be done. There are other indications that you can go by (such as stalling weight loss or actually gaining), in place of rigorous testing.

This is not to say that you personally would have a problem with erythritol, but just be aware that it’s a possibility. Each sweetener appears to affect someone, though not everyone (thank God), and many people seem to be vulnerable to at least one sweetener, though usually not all.

Baking with an artificial sweetener instead of sugar is a tricky business. Sugar has chemical properties that can affect texture and other characteristics of the product, and if it’s there for reasons other than taste, replacing with a non-sugar sweetener can cause disaster, if not done right. So you either have to go with a recipe that has already been worked out, or else be prepared to do the experimenting yourself.

#25

btw - powdering the erythritol in a coffee grinder removes its cooling taste/effect. :sparkles:

(Edith) #26

Why would that work? Isn’t it the chemical composition of the erythritol that causes the cooling effect?

#27

Erythritol is a great option and was my go-to before I started using allulose (a newer sweetener, pretty pricey, but has a very sugar-like taste and caramelizes).

#28

Same, I don’t mind it in a lot of things, but I don’t really like using it baked goods, because of the cooling taste.

#29

I think it’s the crystal size or something like that? Powdered it doesn’t conduct the same way?