Sugar Alternatives and When to Use Them
The Wide World of Sugar - Friday Food Chat with Kath
At last count I had about 12 different sugars in the pantry.
Once someone asked me if I’d ever used some non sugar alternative that sounded like a chemical (the name of which escapes me) and how they could use it in baking. My response was, I don’t know I just use sugar!
When I’m taking about sugar alternatives, I mean the variety of kinds of sugars and how the lesser known or lesser used ones could be used in place of the usual caster or brown sugar in baking. I’m not interested in anything that sounds like it comes from a science lab!
Sugar can get a bad wrap, but really, it’s our use of it and the amounts we find in processed foods that is the problem. When you are baking at home, you are in control of what ingredients you use.
Here are some alternatives to the types of sugars usually used in baking, that will add a new texture, flavour or colour to your bakes whilst still being delicious. They are also great as alternatives when you (like me) run out of your usual baking sugars (often) after lots of baking sessions!
Here are some uses for these sugars:
I use low GI sugar lots in muffins and banana breads, the kinds of bakes that can end up as everyday snacks. I either use it in combination with caster sugar or on its own.
Maple sugar is great to add a hint of flavour to things such as biscuits.
Panela (pictured above in the mixing bowl with flour and oats) add wonderful colour and flavour to many bakes, like these Panela Sugar Shortbread.
Date syrup adds a depth of flavour over the obvious sweetness of golden syrup in these gingerbread.
Do you have any of these sugars in your pantry? What do you use them for? Let me know in the comments below.
Check out more recipes over on the paid version of this newsletter feat. A Ginger Sponge Cake, Salmon Herbed Pikelets and A Caramel Ginger Pudding. See the whole archive here and sign up to support my work and get it all straight to your inbox or Substack feed!
Chai Biscuits/Cookies
These chai biscuits utilise date syrup which gives them a nice golden colour, however you can also swap the sugar (either totally or in part) with low GI sugar or panela sugar. You can also use panela on the tops of the biscuits if you don’t have any masala chai sugar.
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