The two recipes that follow contain alternatives to sugar - Xylitol and date sugar. A little experimentation may be needed in order to get the sweetness to taste.
Xylitol Sweetener - What is it and What are the Health Effects?
Xylitol looks and tastes like sugar without the bad effects. It is one of the best natural sweeteners for teeth as studies have shown that it actually reduces tooth decay. It also keeps insulin and hormone levels stable and promotes good health. Although Xylitol looks and tastes like sugar it heals and repairs where sugar creates havoc and destroys.
Date Sugar Explained
Date sugar is not really a sugar at all, but is made from ground, dehydrated dates so it contains all the vitamins of dates and is a very good substitute for brown sugar. It can be used in equal parts for sugar in most recipes, especially baking but it won't dissolve so it can't be used as a beverage sweetener.
Stevia Side Effects
Stevia is another healthy alternative to sugar. It is a sweetener originally from Paraguay which comes from a sweet herb and has been used by South American natives for centuries to sweeten their beverages and medical preparations.
Stevia has no known harmful side effects and contains zero calories. Be careful at all times to use very small quantities of Stevia to sweeten salad dressings, sauces, cream etc., as it is very sweet. A cookie recipe made with Stevia may only need 1/4 teaspoon to sweeten the whole batch. One cup of sugar can be replaced with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of Stevia, but adjustments need to be made to replace the bulk of sugar.
Chocolate Xylitol Cluster Recipe
- 2 1/2 cups Xylitol
- 1/2 cup milk
- 125g butter
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 cups oats
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
- 5ml vanilla essence if desired
Method:
- Heat the milk and butter, add the cocoa powder and xylitol and cook on a low heat for 5 mins, stirring all the while.
- Add the oats, coconut, vanilla essence and mix well.
- Drop spoonfuls onto a greased baking tray and allow to cool in the fridge.
Date Sugar Squares
- 3/4 cup chopped dates (If dates are not a favorite, raisins can be substituted)
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 beaten egg
- 1/4 cup date sugar
- 1 cup oats
- 1/4 cup wholewheat flour
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 teaspoon mixed baking spice (cinnamon, cardamom and cloves)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
Method:
- Mix dates, melted butter, date sugar and then stir in egg
- Add wholewheat flour, nuts, spices and baking soda
- Mix well and press into a greased baking pan
- Bake for around 20 minutes at 350 degrees F, or 160 degrees C
- Cool, cut into bars and enjoy!
More recipes made with natural sweeteners to tempt the reader can be found in the article Recipes Using Stevia. Ever tried baking with honey? Find some great recipes in the article Organic Raw Honey Recipes. The artice The Dangers of Sugar examines the effect of sugar on the body.
Fleur Hupston - Fleur Hupston is a professional freelance writer based in Botswana, Southern Africa. From this unique perspective, she writes travel ...
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