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5 Tips for Replacing Sugar when Baking

20 March, 2015 by Giselle Rochford 31 Comments

Hey Friends! How’s it goin?

If you’re a long time ExSloth reader, or have spent any amount of time poking through the recipe archives, you’d know that I hardly ever use refined sugars in my recipes. Originally, that was because I cut out sugar altogether when I first started eating healthy. I have a massive sweet tooth and at the time, that was the only thing that helped my curb my incessant sugar cravings.

5 healthier sugar substitutes + tips to help you replace sugar when baking + free printable via @ExSloth | ExSloth.com

Now, I have a bit more self-control, but I still stay away from refined sugars in the kitchen since they’re not exactly healthy. Plus, recipe testing with sugar substitutes is actually pretty fun- although it can be challenging. So, today, I wanted to share some of my favourite alternatives to refined sugars with you, as well as some tips on how to make substituting easier.

I’ve also included a printable cheat sheet to help you easily replace sugar when baking on the go. If you’re already a subscriber, check the subscriber only area and you should see the printable there. If not, just hit the image below!

Free Printable: 5 healthier ways to replace sugar when baking via @ExSloth | ExSloth.com

Note: Sugar is still sugar no matter the form. While these 5 substitutes for refined white and brown sugars are marginally healthier, they should still be consumed in moderation.

[Tweet “5 refined sugar alternatives + tips for substituting sugar when baking #cleaneating”]

1. Maple Syrup

I probably use maple syrup in 95% of my baked goods, mostly because I absolutely love the flavour. Because it’s a liquid sweetener, substituting sugar with maple syrup hardly ever works in recipes as is. You need to play around with the quantities of other liquids bit before you can get something that works. It’s also important to note that maple syrup has a distinct flavour, so depending on the grade you use, the flavour of your baked goods may be affected. Plus, it’s brown, so when substituting white sugar with maple syrup, the finished product may be a bit darker than usual.

Substitution Tip: I’ve found that replacing one cup of sugar with 3/4 cups maple syrup usually works if you lower the amount of other liquids in the recipe by 2-3 tablespoons. For cookies, I also like to refrigerate the dough for a bit so it can set a bit before baking.

Recipes using maple syrup: Dairy-Free Christmas Maple Cookies, Maple-Coconut Butternut Squash Bread

2. Apple Sauce

Applesauce is one of the first sugar substitutes I ever made. The first attempt was pretty horrible – my muffins turned out gummy and chewy, but eventually I got the hang of it. What I like about applesauce is that, if you use the unsweetened kind, there aren’t any added sugars at all. The sweetness is all natural and it works really in muffins and sweet breads. For baked goods that need a little more sweetness, I like to sub sugar with half applesauce, half maple syrup. It takes a little more tinkering but it works.

Substitution Tip: There’s a lot of liquid in apple sauce, so while you can sub it 1:1 with the sugar in the recipe, you need to reduce the other liquids to suit. A good starting point is reducing the other liquids by 3-4 tablespoons for every cup of applesauce added.  

Recipes using apple sauce: Cranberry Pecan Sweet Potato Muffins, Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal Cups 

3. Honey

Before my maple syrup obsession, I substituted sugar with honey in almost all recipes. But, unlike with maple syrup, I’m not always a fan of the taste of honey in my baked goods. When I was younger, my grandmother would make us drink honey and lime or lemon if we had a sore throat. Unfortunately, I can’t always get past the honey/sickness association, so I don’t use it very often. But, if you’re not a picky as I am, or you just plain love the taste of honey, it’s a pretty easy substitution.

Substitution Tip: Replace every cup of sugar with 3/4 cups honey and reduce other liquids by 1/3 – 1/2 cup. Honey also browns faster than other sugars, so you need to reduce cooking temperature by 25 degrees to avoid burning.

Recipes using honey: Prune Puree Brownies, Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

4. Agave

Agave isn’t something that I have much experience with. I’ve used it once before, but that was mostly because maple syrup is crazy expensive in Trinidad and I didn’t want to waste the little I had on a popcorn bar experiment. Either way, agave is a good substitute for sugar because, while it still has a fructose content, you need a lot less of it to achieve the same level of sweetness.

Substitution Tip: For the best results, you should replace each cup of sugar with 2/3 cups of agave and reduce other liquid in the recipe by 2-4 tablespoons. And, as with honey, agave browns faster than other sugars, so you should also reduce the cooking temp by 25 degrees.

Recipes using agave: Sweet and Salty Popcorn Bars

5. Coconut Sugar

Coconut sugar is a new addition to my kitchen. It’s not exactly cheap so I put off buying it for a while, but last month I finally caved while doing my bulk food shopping. It was on sale at Bulk Barn so I snapped some up. I haven’t used it to bake yet – only in my coffee – but from all the research I’ve done, it’s a straight 1:1 substitution with regular sugar. Of course, it’s more coarse than white sugar so it’s more easily substituted for the brown sugar in a recipe, but replacing white sugar with coconut sugar isn’t impossible. You just need to be prepared for a less smooth texture in the finished product. 

Recipes using coconut sugar: Orange Poppy Seed Baked Donuts, Green Eggless Banana Muffins

Free Printable: 5 healthier ways to replace sugar when baking via @ExSloth | ExSloth.com

What about you?

  • Are you a sugar fiend like me?
  • Do you use refined sugars when baking?
  • What is your favourite healthier sugar substitute? 

Share in the comments below!
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This post was included in the following linkups: Thinking out Loud Thursday, Friday Favorites, #FFavorites, Fitness Friday, Friday Five, FYI Friday

More healthy substitutions:

5 healthier white flour alternatives + tips for replacing flour when baking via @ExSloth | ExSloth.com
How to Replace White Flour when Baking
5 Dairy Substitutions for tasty dairy-free eating | @ExSloth
5 Dairy Substitutions you can make Today

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Filed Under: Healthy Baking Substitutions, Healthy Eating Tips, Healthy Living

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Comments

  1. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

    20 March, 2015 at 10:41 am

    I just to some simple stevia or let all the wonderful fruit purees shine!
    Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine recently posted…Friday Finisher 3/20/15

    Reply
  2. Ginni @ Spicy Eggplant says

    20 March, 2015 at 11:24 am

    A very useful and well written post Giselle! I have never tried Coconut sugar but have added that to my grocery list now. Thank you!

    Reply
  3. Dana says

    20 March, 2015 at 11:27 am

    I love these ideas! I’m a much better cook than baker, so it will probably take me a lot more tinkering time with the recipes, but I’d love to eventually nail it. I am totally with you – trying to avoid refined sugar where and when I can. Thanks for posting this! Informative and inspiring!
    Dana recently posted…Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

    Reply
  4. Avery says

    20 March, 2015 at 12:18 pm

    Hey Giselle,

    Have you got any tips for a substitute in making bread or pizza dough?

    Avery

    Reply
  5. Teresa says

    20 March, 2015 at 6:39 pm

    This is a great guide! I’m guilty of using a lot of refined sugars when I bake, but I tend to bake for gatherings or meetings, so I don’t feel as bad about it. Feeding it to people once in a while won’t hurt them, right? At home, though, I try to avoid it.
    Teresa recently posted…FFWD โ€“ Marengo As You Like It

    Reply
  6. Farrah says

    20 March, 2015 at 8:09 pm

    Hoorays! Those are all the sweeteners I tend to use if I need something sweeter! ๐Ÿ˜€ (Except the agave, but only because I haven’t gotten my hands on any yet!)
    Farrah recently posted…Foodie Friday: Apple Nachos

    Reply
  7. lacey@fairytalesandfitness says

    20 March, 2015 at 8:38 pm

    These are great options for sugar replacements. Like to see there are more out there than just sweet n low and Splenda that you may not think of.
    lacey@fairytalesandfitness recently posted…A Runner’s Anticipation of Spring

    Reply
  8. Sarah | (Cooking for) Kiwi & Bean says

    20 March, 2015 at 9:13 pm

    Great list! I keep the maple syrup makers in business, let me tell you :-). I use it for just about everything…
    Sarah | (Cooking for) Kiwi & Bean recently posted…Dinner Soup (aka Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup)

    Reply
  9. Ariana says

    20 March, 2015 at 11:04 pm

    These are all great tips! I don’t use agave, but I’m a huge fan of using maple syrup and apple sauce in baked goods. And when you just need some sugar, coconut sugar is a great alternative ๐Ÿ™‚
    Ariana recently posted…Ghrelin & Leptin: the beginning and end of hunger

    Reply
  10. Tamieka@fitballingrunningmom says

    20 March, 2015 at 11:05 pm

    I am working on the sugar substitutes. I got a bag of coconut sugar on sale at TJ Maxx-I have been using it in my teas…not bad.

    Reply
  11. jill conyers says

    21 March, 2015 at 1:45 am

    You listed the substitutes I use. I don’t add sweeteners often but maple syrup is probably the one I use most often.

    Thanks for linking up and have a wonderful weekend!
    jill conyers recently posted…NASM, Yoga, Blogfest, Spray Supplements

    Reply
  12. Jen @ Pretty Little Grub says

    22 March, 2015 at 1:38 pm

    This is really interesting! I will sometimes replace with substitutes but I have zero understanding of the science of baking so half my stuff ends up being chewy or hard!
    Jen @ Pretty Little Grub recently posted…FYI Friday – Nutrient Requirements for Active People – Carbohydrates

    Reply
  13. Monique @ burpees to bubbly says

    24 March, 2015 at 12:22 pm

    great tips! Im a big fan of using maple syrup, honey, agave or coconut sugar. I can’t remember the last time I made something with white or brown sugar!
    Monique @ burpees to bubbly recently posted…Nikia & Kyle’s Snowy Spring Wedding

    Reply
  14. Christine says

    28 March, 2015 at 12:46 pm

    Giselle,

    Here is a link to you that mentions a sweetener I am excited to try, Yacon:

    http://www.totalbeauty.com/content/slideshows/natural-sugar-alternatives/page8

    Reply
  15. Alele says

    20 April, 2015 at 11:17 am

    In smoothies, you can use cinnamon or nutmeg as a sweetener.

    Reply
  16. Ceve says

    26 March, 2016 at 10:57 am

    I used to use honey or maple syrup to replace sugar (and I still use honey when baking bread). I bought a few bags of coconut sugar a wee while ago and have now started using it in my baked goods. I find that I only need about half the amount – but then I don’t have an overly sweet tooth. I plan on trying applesauce next.

    Reply
  17. Dolly says

    26 September, 2020 at 7:42 pm

    You might try using erythritol (I use a brand called “Swerve”). It measure cup-for-cup like sugar and they make both a regular sugar and a brown sugar, which I love to put on oatmeal. It tends to be a tad sweeter than regular sugar so that’s something to consider, as well. Happy experimenting!

    Reply
  18. Elly says

    23 October, 2020 at 11:22 am

    What is the recipe for those powdered bunish things? They look absolutely splendid! Thanks

    Reply
  19. Jenna says

    2 January, 2023 at 7:21 am

    Hi there! Iโ€™ve been trying to get the printout and it wonโ€™t let me, please help!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. F&F Friday Favorites: 03/27/15 | Fitness & Feta says:
    27 March, 2015 at 8:23 am

    […] Tips! 5 tips for replacing sugar when baking […]

    Reply
  2. Sunday Funday Blog Love 3/29/15 - Skinny Fitalicious says:
    29 March, 2015 at 7:31 am

    […] 5 Tips For Replacing Sugar When Baking via Dairy of An Ex Sloth – Substituting sugar doesn’t have to mean sacrificing flavor. I’ve used every one of these in my own recipes & can testify they’re still crazy delicious with the added bonus of health. […]

    Reply

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