This holiday season don’t feel that you can’t enjoy favorite recipes for long standing family dessert traditions due to diabetes. Moderation is key in all things, but you can easily do a make over on that sugary, rich recipe in order to create an enjoyable sugar free version — that allows you to have more than just the tiniest of tastes!
They can be made sugar free — even buttercream frostings — using the two substitutes below — and by substituting granulated sugar with granulated sucralose (Splenda) in any recipes that are cooked or baked. It is also now available in more affordable generic and store brand names.
If not cooked or baked, you can substitute other sugar substitutes for granulated sugar, but sucralose is currently the only “zero calorie” substitute safe for baking or cooking.
Otherwise, use “low calorie” substitutes — some but not all are safe for cooking — so choose wisely.
75 Percent Less Sugar “Brown Sugar Blend”
You can substitute brown sugar with a much lower sugar version by blending 3/4 cups of sucralose with 1/4 cup of dark brown sugar! This can then be used as the equivalent of 1 cup brown sugar.
You now have a 75 percent lower in sugar brown sugar blend! The recipe may turn out somewhat lighter in color, but it will still have just enough of that brown sugar taste!
Many of the best rich holiday desserts call for confectioners (powdered) sugar and/or sweetened condensed milk.
Many substitutes and alternatives recommended to replace them just do not result in a good texture — or do not work at all — in some recipes.
Frostings, glazes, and icings without powdered confectioners sugar are often grainy, runny, or gelatinous depending upon the substitute used. Other items end up too soupy, soggy, and just won’t thicken appropriately without sweetened condensed milk.
However, the following two sugar free substitute recipes can be used in place of the original ingredients — with the same excellent results!
Sugar Free Confectioners Sugar
1 cup granulated sucralose/Splenda (or other sugar substitute that measures cup for cup — IF not being heated or cooked)
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup powdered milk
yields 1 3/4 cup sugar free powdered sugar
Blend or food process to powdered sugar consistency and store in airtight container
Sugar Free Condensed Milk
Equivalent to 12 to 14 ounce can of condensed milk — although actual total quantity may vary slightly.
1 can evaporated milk
1-1/2 cups granulated sucralose/Splenda
1 Tbsp cornstarch
Heat 1 can evaporated milk and granulated sucralose in a saucepan over medium heat just until warm and whisk in 1 Tbsp cornstarch. Reduce heat and simmer stirring constantly until smooth and thickened. Cool completely and use right away.
Do not use any other “zero calorie” sugar substitute in recipes that require any heat, cooking, or baking. At present, only granulated sucralose is safe for use when being heated or cooked.
Otherwise, carefully choose an “approved for cooking and baking” version of one of the “low calorie” sugar substitutes. Some “low calorie” substitutes are approved and deemed safe for cooking (up to a certain temperature) — and some are not — so do your research and choose wisely.
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