Children love sweets. However, even if the child does not have an allergy, it is necessary to reduce the consumption of unhealthy bars and cakes in the diet. The best way is to make homemade sweets. We tell you how to replace sugar and make baked goods healthy.
Why sugar in baking
Granulated sugar not only makes baked goods sweet but is also responsible for their other properties.
- Delicate texture
Sugar prevents protein from curdling, gluten from forming, and starch from gelatinizing. It absorbs all the moisture, making the dough tender and rising faster.
- Optimal humidity
Baked goods with added sugar are not dry because water molecules are attracted to it and retain liquid. This property also extends the shelf life of the product.
- Stable structure
When eggs and sugar are whipped, small bubbles are formed – oxygen. Due to this, baked goods acquire a porous, airy texture and become tender. It is difficult to achieve this effect with sugar substitutes – the dough is usually denser.
- Thick crust
There is air between the sugar crystals. When sugar is added to dough, it rises. The same result is obtained when butter and sugar are combined.
What to replace sugar with
Sugar affects the quality of baked goods, but this does not mean that it cannot be replaced. For example, fruits, vegetables, sweeteners, and syrups can be used instead. Even in classic charlotte or brownies, sugar can be replaced with a healthier alternative.
1. Herbal syrups
They are made from natural ingredients: fruits and plants. Syrups can be safely added to cakes, desserts and cookies for new flavors. They quickly dissolve in water and make the consistency uniform.
Where to add: mix the syrup with other liquid ingredients, stir thoroughly, and pour into the dry ingredients. The syrup is sweeter than sugar, so reduce its amount by half. Another option is to soak the cakes in syrup or make a cream based on it.
Advice: To make the dough more elastic, put it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Rice syrup
An unusual version of vegetable syrup. Rice grains are fermented without high temperatures and additives, which allows preserving the beneficial properties.
Where to add: syrup with a slight rice tint is suitable for any baked goods. For example, for pumpkin and carrot cake.
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Agave syrup
Agave is a flowering plant that resembles a cactus. The syrup is made from the juice of its leaves. It resembles Jerusalem artichoke syrup but with a richer flavor.
Where to add: to any baked goods or make cream with it.
Advice: Use syrups for more than just baking. Add them to cold desserts, mousses, and as a topping for pancakes.
2. Honey
A healthy substitute for sugar, a source of vitamins B, C, A, E, and minerals. A natural product that gives baked goods an aroma and a tart taste. Honey contains 80% sugar: 85% glucose and fructose, the rest is sucrose.
Where to add: make a honey cake – a favorite homemade cake for children, or make something new. For example, croissants, manna, or cakes with honey cream.
Important: During the heating process, most of the enzymes and vitamins in honey evaporate.
3. Banana
Ripe bright fruit, very sweet. You don’t have to add sugar to banana desserts – the dish is sweet anyway.
Where to add: banana can be used to make cakes, sweet pies or cookies. Banana cream has a delicate fruity taste that children especially like.
Banana goes well with cottage cheese or cream cheese – try making this cream.
Advice: Use overripe bananas – they are sweeter and ideal for baking.
4. Vegetables
Sweet vegetables not only replace sugar, but also add variety to the taste of baked goods. In addition, this is a good opportunity to add healthy vegetables to the child’s diet.
They hide another culinary secret: pectin, which enriches the dough with biological substances. Therefore, the pie turns out more fluffy and retains its shape.
Where to add: A sweet vegetable can be the main ingredient in the dough, such as sweet potato, carrot or pumpkin. They make bright and flavorful pies that you will definitely surprise with. Another option is to use vegetables in the filling or cream: choose several or mix with fruit jam.
5. Vanilla sugar
Some recipes require a special aroma for baked goods. Vanilla sugar , a mixture of vanillin or ground natural vanilla with sugar, copes with this task. It gives baked goods a subtle sweet aroma and delicate taste.
Where to add: Vanilla sugar can be used instead of sugar or as an additional flavoring. To make the dessert sweet, add a sugar substitute.
Important: Be sure to follow the proportions so that the dish does not turn out bitter. Look at the recipe or use the standard ratio: grams of vanillin per kilogram of dough.
6. Sweeteners
They can be divided into two groups: artificial (sucralose, cyclamate, aspartame) and natural (fructose, erythritol, stevia, sorbitol, xylitol).
Natural sweeteners are preferable to use – they are safer for the child’s health.
Where to add: Bulk sweeteners are suitable for recipes that call for dry sugar. But in general, they will look good in any recipe as a sugar substitute. However, it is worth remembering the dosage and features of each sugar substitute so as not to harm the body.
Advice: Before cooking, study the sugar substitute: some may be sweeter, while others are less sweet than sugar.
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