Help with a recipe? Sweetener substitution?

#1

I found a recipe for Keto Chocolate Cake and the sweetener it called for was one packet of stevia. So I went to the store and bought a box of stevia in packets for this one stupid recipe. Then I get home and I can’t find the recipe on my phone.

So there are plenty of Keto cake recipes out there but now I gotta figure out how to substitute this stevia. For example, one recipe calls for a quarter cup of swerve. How much stevia would I use?

I’m really frustrated cuz I normally wouldn’t buy artificial sweeteners but I did and can’t even figure out how to use it. Is there someplace online with conversion tables for all the various sweeteners?

I don’t suppose anybody recognizes the chocolate cake recipe that calls for one packet of stevia?

(Bunny) #2

I would use monk fruit (“no known side effects”) it is better than stevia, I had bad reactions to stevia!

#3

I’ve already bought the stevia. It’s 15 miles back to the store. Stevia it is, lol.

(Bunny) #4

Get some next trip!

(Jeramy Koval) #5

I agree with @atomicspacebunny. Monk fruit is the closest thing to tasting and baking like real sugar.

(Jane) #6

Can you just add some stevia and keep tasting the raw batter until sweet enough?

I use erithrytol for baking and liquid stevia in my coffee. I don’t have the packets of stevia so not much help - sorry.

(Jane) #7

A Starbucks at one of the airports had packets of monk fruit so I thought I would try it. I had to throw my coffee out, it tasted so bad to me.

I suppose it might taste different in baked goods but I can’t get it anyway at any stores near me and decided not to order any from Amazon after my coffee experience.

(Jane) #8

How about this?

#9

I use stevia quite a bit and I would think 1-2 packets would probably do it. I think Janie has the right idea about tasting it as you go also. Also, you might try a mug cake and use one packet. I know for sure that works.

#10

Yes! Thank you!

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #11

I think @Janie wins the “Best Answer of the Day.” The question was not, which sweetener is best, but how much to substitute.

I ran into this from carelessness with a keto cheesecake recipe. From substituting Truvia (a stevia/erythritol blend) for the brand of sweetener originally recommended in the recipe, the result was far too sweet. I tried to cut back the next time, and the result wasn’t sweet enough. Finally, I went to the Truvia Web site, worked out the sucrose equivalent that the recipe called for, and translated it into the quantity of Truvia the recipe actually needs. Success!

(traci simpson) #12

I’ve been using Erythritol (I think I spelled it right)

(Full Metal KETO AF) #13

Monk fruit and stevia both have a nasty back bite that kind of defeats the purpose of a sweetener in my opinion. It’s like when your mom used to crush a pill and try to hide it in a spoonful of jelly. That being said they’re not useless

Sugar alcohols like erythritol, sucralose, and my absolute favorite allulose all taste like sugar but lack the depth of flavor cane sugar has. And many folks have digestive issues when your personal threshold is hit, GI distress and or diarrhea. I haven’t had any issues with sugar alcohols but I mostly use sweeteners in the context of savory cooking to balance salt and expand flavors like with Asian food.

The best combination sometimes is a sugar alcohol with an herbal sweetener enhancement like stevia or monk fruit especially when the sweetness is the main goal like in baking a cheesecake. You have to be careful buying pre mixed sugar substitute formulas. Sometimes they add not so great stuff to them like maltose. Always read labels carefully and google ingredients your not familiar with. There’s several articles on the net about keto sugar substitutes, read a couple and learn about them.

As @Janie said you need to taste as you go sometimes with keto substitutions. I always try to buy the pure sweeteners so I can mix them to find the best combination for the purpose but I love allulose because it’s the most sugar like in behavior. You can make fully saturated syrups, brown and caramelize, make candy etc. It’s about $9 per pound though so I use erythritol when I can instead. But allulose works for anything and is about 70% the sweetness of cane sugar. This is where you can enhance with stevia or monk fruit to make up some of the difference or add more sugar alcohol. I recommend stevia drops for this purpose. :man_cook:t3:

Hoosier Hill Farm ALLULOSE Low Calorie, Zero Net Carb Keto Sugar, Natural Sugar Alternative, Made in the USA, Granular Powder, 2 lb bag, batch tested gluten free https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HJGHLXT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_TVETCbBHE9FV6

Erythritol Sweetener Natural Sugar Substitute 3lb - Granulated Low Calorie Sweetener High Digestive Tolerance Suitable for Diabetes Keto and Paleo - Baking Substitute Non GMO https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079X4G97G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_3XETCb64PW4TD

Good luck with your keto baking. :cowboy_hat_face: