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Reducing sugar in baking.

(43 Posts)
TwiceAsNice Tue 24-Aug-21 22:54:32

I am type 2 diabetic and any cake I make for the family I halve the sugar content. They don’t notice and it means I can have a small bit sometimes . I have never used sugar substitutes as my understanding from reading, is that it causes a similar spike in insulin response as normal sugar.

NfkDumpling Tue 24-Aug-21 22:52:11

You need to watch carbohydrate intake too.

NfkDumpling Tue 24-Aug-21 22:50:32

Great minds Dinahmo!

NfkDumpling Tue 24-Aug-21 22:49:24

I half the amount of sugar in cakes and leave it out altogether if there's dried fruit, carrot or banana or some other sweeter in the cake. I make my own jams and can generally cut the sugar by about a third although strawberry doesn't get quite such a good set. Generally we've found things taste better with less sugar.

Dinahmo Tue 24-Aug-21 22:45:17

I make a boiled fruit cake and have nearly halved the sugar. It tastes good. I also make jam and have reduced the sugar. Usually it's equal quantities of fruit and sugar, if not a larger proportion of sugar. I add bout 3/4 sugar to 1:1 fruit. It is more runny but you taste the fruit. You can find recipes for reduced sugar jam online.

Thirdinline Tue 24-Aug-21 22:32:24

Using mashed, very ripe banana works well. I can give you a carrot cake & a banana loaf recipe if you’re interested?

BigBertha1 Tue 24-Aug-21 22:20:47

Fine

BigBertha1 Tue 24-Aug-21 22:20:22

I half the sugar in cakes, , crumbles etc...turns out f

J52 Tue 24-Aug-21 22:06:47

I left the sugar out of fruit scones, by mistake. They tasted fine.

rubysong Tue 24-Aug-21 21:47:35

I have just bought a stevia plant. The leaves do taste incredibly sweet. I'm not sure if there is any way to use it in baking.

Septimia Tue 24-Aug-21 21:23:58

I often make shortbread biscuits and halve the amount of sugar in the recipe - they still taste just as good.

justwokeup Tue 24-Aug-21 21:14:34

You could choose a diabetic cook book if you want to try different recipes. If you prefer to adjust your favourite recipes then, like fevertree, I reduce the sugar by about half. Cut portion size as well, you really won't notice, and freeze what's left, so that you are significantly reducing your sugar intake. If you really can't get on with the reduced sugar taste, some modern sweeteners exactly replace sugar in recipes and taste okay, but may cause adverse effects on the stomach.

NotSpaghetti Tue 24-Aug-21 19:31:46

I'm not sure Agave syrup is a good substitute to be honest. I think learning to eat less sweet food is better.

fevertree Tue 24-Aug-21 18:02:11

teabagwoman in many (most) of my baking recipes, I simply halve the amount of sugar called for. Sometimes I do a taste test before it goes in the cake tin and I might add a bit more.

So far, I haven't had any flops. So what I'm suggesting is, you could just adjust the recipe as far as the sugar content goes.

Redhead56 Tue 24-Aug-21 17:55:13

My husband is type 2 diabetic I use agave syrup.

Madgran77 Tue 24-Aug-21 17:51:33

Erythritol is very good. Granular or powder form

shysal Tue 24-Aug-21 17:42:42

Stevia is a natural sweetener which can be bought in liquid or granular form. Unfortunately to some, including myself, it has a slight bitter taste.
www.diabetes.co.uk/sweeteners/stevia.html

teabagwoman Tue 24-Aug-21 17:29:53

I’ve been told that I’m at risk of Type 2 Diabetes, which on top of my other problems feels a bit like the final straw. I love baking but am keen to cut down on the amount of sugar in recipes. Can anyone give me advice on how to go about this please? Don’t want to use honey as that’s just another form of sugar.