Question of the Week: Baking with Stevia or Splenda

 The following question was submitted for discussion on this week's blog post, "I have type 2 diabetes and love to bake.  When cooking or baking, if I substitute Splenda or Stevia for regular sugar does this make the recipe sugar free?"


Replacing sugar with Splenda or Stevia will make the recipe sugar free, however, not calorie or carbohydrate free.  There will still be other ingredients such as flour, dried fruit, oats that contain carbohydrate and will affect your blood sugar levels.  It still be will be important to watch your portion sizes despite using these sugar substitutes.


Here are some tips for reducing the fat content and increasing fiber and nutrients in baked goods:

• Applesauce and plain yogurt work well as a substitute for  fat in most recipes. For maximum texture and flavor, replace no more than 1/2 the amount of the fat listed in the recipe.
• Mashed ripe bananas also as fat substitutes in many muffin recipes.
• Fruit purees, such as prune, work especially well in chocolate, spice and carrot cakes. Or you can use half the butter or oil called for and replace the amount of fat eliminated with prune puree.
• Replace 1 whole egg in a recipe with ¼ cup fat-free, cholesterol-free egg product substitutes (i.e. Egg Beaters) or 2 egg whites.
• Choose whole wheat flour instead of white flour when possible.

Which sugar substitute is the best for diabetics to use daily or to use for baking?

There are many different sugar substitutes available for purchase today. Artificial weeteners such as Equal, Splenda, and Stevia have been approved as safe to use by the FDA. These sweeteners only contain very little calories or carbohydrate and can be used in moderation daily.

Diabetics may use artificial sweeteners because they make food taste sweet without raising their blood sugar levels. However, other ingredients (carbohydrates or proteins) in foods containing artificial sweeteners can still affect your blood sugar level.

Some foods labeled "sugar-free" — may contain sweeteners, such as sorbitol, mannitol, or xylitol, which are not completely calorie free and may affect one's blood sugar level. It is important to be cautious when using sugar alcohols as they may increase your blood sugar level and for some people, cause diarrhea.


Some sugar-free baked products (such as cookies or cakes) may also contain flour or other ingredients, which will raise blood sugar levels.

Each of these artificial sweeteners have different properties and all may not be suitable to cook or bake with.

Splenda (aka sucralose)sells various varieties for baking including a granular version that measures cup for cup with sugar.

Stevia (which is marketed as Truvia, PureVia, SweetLeaf, Stevia in the Raw, Sun Crystals sugar-stevia blend). Each stevia brand recommends its own sugar-to-stevia ratio (so check the brand’s Web site. Some stevia brands also sell the sweetener in liquid or bulk form.

Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet, Natra Taste) is not recommended to bake or cook with as high temperatures may diminish its sweetness.

Blue Agave Nectar is now widely available in stores (i.e. Trader Joe's, Whole Foods) and marketed under such brand names as Wholesome Sweeteners, Madhava, and Volcanic Nectar. Agave Nectar is sweeter than sugar so one must use between 1/4 and an 1/8 less than less than if one was to use regular sugar. Unlike the artificial sweeteners previously mentioned, agave nectar is not carbohydrate-free or calorie-free. It has the same amount of calories and carbohydrates as sugar however it is a food with a low glycemic index so the syrup won't raise one's blood sugar levels as much as sugar or honey would. In addition, since Agave is sweeter than sugar, you are more likely to a smaller amount.

Agave nectar can be used to bake, however recipes must be adjusted. For every 1 cup of sugar should be replaced with 2/3 - 3/4 cup of agave nectar. In addition, you must reduce all other liquids in the recipe by a 1/4 cup. The oven temperature must be lowered by 25 degrees to prevent burning, and shorten the cooking time on cookies by 3 to 5 minutes and cakes by 7 to 10 minutes.