Almost, if not every, baked recipe, beverages, processed food, savory recipe, and a lot more make use of sugar or some sweetener in its recipe. Sugar is that lovable ingredient that seems to make everything taste sweet and delicious. It is adored by children and is extremely versatile in the culinary world.
Even a common and versatile table condiment like sugar would need a substitute, maybe because of unavailability, health issues, or dietary preferences, which is why I would be sharing some other alternatives to sugar in this article. You have to keep reading to find out.
What is Sugar?
Sugar is a sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrate commonly used in culinary taste and texture. It is divided into simple sugars/monosaccharides made of a single sugar and compound sugars/disaccharides of double sugars.
The table sugar, regular sugar, and granulated sugar, which is popular today, are gotten from sucrose, a disaccharide that combines two simple sugars, glucose and fructose. These disaccharides are later broken down into simple sugars in the body.
Sucrose is found in sugar cane and beets, the raw source of the refined sugar we consume today. Sugars are naturally found in some plants and animal products like milk, honey, sugarcane, sugar beets, and many fruits.
Sugar Used in Recipes
Sugar is used in many cooking, but it is a star ingredient in baking and confectionery. It is the perfect addition to cakes, cookies, muffins, cupcakes, ice Cream candies, etc.
It is an easy sweetener often incorporated in fruit juices and coffee. It sweetens and enhances the flavor of coffee by converting the bitter-sweet natural flavor of the coffee. A range of recipes use sugar as an ingredient, and some of them include;
- Clementine Cake
- Steamed sponge pudding with honey butterscotch sauce
- Panna Cotta with Coconut Milk, Poached Rhubarb & Strawberry
- Ham and Cheese Waffles
- Chocolate, Cardamom, and Coffee Cake
- Walnut and Ricotta Cake
- Red Beer Cookies
- Peanut Butter and Banana Bread
- Dark Chocolate Pound Cake
- Cream Cheese Carrot Cookies
- Whole Wheat Apple Cookies
- gluten-free chocolate Chip Skillet Cookies
- Quince Crumble Bars
- Whole Wheat Raisin Cookies
- Mango Cream Bars
Sugar Substitutes for Coffee
Coffee is often regarded as a bitter but healthy drink that rejuvenates the body, which is true but did you know that coffee beans in their fresh and original form have subtle sugar in them. It caramelizes and gets a brown color when roasted while the sugar content burns off.
When sugar is paired with it, it helps enhance and sweeten its bitter-sweet flavors, making the flavor more pleasant to the taste buds. A few factors like unavailability and health or dietary preferences would make the need for a sugar substitute paramount. In this article, we will be looking at a few alternatives suitable to substitute sugar in coffee recipes.
Stevia
Stevia is extracted from a stevia rebaudiana and is native to countries like Brazil and Paraguay. It carries some antioxidant and antimicrobial properties and has a sweet taste with reduced calories.
Stevia is commercially produced in powdered form. Since different manufacturers make it, it is important to note that the quality and ingredients used may vary, so you should consult your doctor before making this your go-to sweetener if you have any dietary conditions or health concerns. When substituting, a 1:1 ratio can be applied.
Honey
You cannot go wrong with honey; it is a natural sweetener that can be added to many recipes for sugar. It is a common ingredient that can be easily found in stores and is packed with health benefits.
Most persons would easily agree with the taste of honey in coffee while others wouldn’t, it may take some getting used to, but honey is no doubt a great addition to recipes you want a sweet taste in. The best kind of honey to go for is raw honey because it still has all of its nutrients intact.
So when using this alternative, you are free to use the same measurement you use for sugar for it (1:1 ratio).
Coconut Sugar
Coconut sugar is gotten from the sap of the coconut flower bud stem, and it is regarded as a natural sweetener that can be used in a range of sweet and savory recipes.
Coconut sugar has a sweet taste with a mild caramel flavor, it is a popular sweetener in many Asian countries, and it has slowly grown into other parts of the world. It is most famous for its low glycemic index, and it is regarded as a healthy alternative but keep in mind that consuming any sugar in excess is not beneficial to health.
In unavailability, coconut sugar is a sweetener that can be used instead of regular sugar in recipes. Also, when substituting, a 1:1 ratio can be worked with.
Brown Sugar
Brown sugar is refined sugar made from combining regular white sugars with molasses. As a result of the thick syrup (molasses) added to it carries the same nutritional profile as regular sugar, with added vitamins and minerals gotten from molasses-like magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus.
It would work as a substitute for regular sugar in the coffee, but for persons with some health issues like diabetes, proper medical consultation should be carried out. When using brown sugar as a substitute, a 1:1 ratio can be worked with.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is coffee good for your health?
Taking coffee is not bad for your health, and when it is excessively consumed, it would not be good for you.
Can I use monk fruit in my coffee?
Yes, you can. Monk fruit is a sweetener that can easily substitute sugar in many recipes, but it is not as popular as the others because it is expensive.
What taste does stevia carry?
Stevia is known for its sweet taste, 200 times sweeter than regular sugar but leaves a slightly bitter aftertaste.
Conclusion
Sugar has become a basic ingredient in many recipes and a staple in coffee for most persons. Still, if you need a healthy alternative or something, you could easily swap for it last minute in your coffee, there are many out there, and you could try some of the ones listed above.