How To No-Sugar Bake

Cutting out sugar can be one of the toughest things anyone does, especially when it comes to baked goods. Learning how to no-sugar bake can help bridge the gap that is left from a lack of sweetness. 

Health Benefits of No Sugar Baking

The most common reason people opt for no-sugar baking is for the health and weight loss benefits. Baked goods tend to be high in calories, fats, and sugars and all of that is typically off the menu on a diet. There are also other health reasons to modify your baking approach though. Chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and just your own body’s ability to process the sugar can leave you feeling bad after consuming too much at once. Cutting candy out can be easy enough for many but baked goods being off of the menu, sometimes for life, can be a tough one to resist. 

Enjoy no-sugar baked goods which can help you avoid all of the issues usually associated with too much sugar. You can reduce inflammation, improve energy levels, and help with protecting your teeth.

How to No-Sugar Bake

1. Use Naturally Sweet Ingredients

This is the easiest way to get started. Many classic baking recipes rely more on fruits to bring the sweetness as sugar wasn’t always as affordable or accessible. Use bananas, apples, figs, and raisins to bring the sweetness and moisture. You can also benefit from the added fiber, vitamins, and fresh flavor. Carrot cake is also a classic choice for this.

2. Rely on Spices and Extracts

Spice and extracts are typical in baking and as you remove sugar from the recipe you may find these flavors more pronounced. Cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and almond extract all add flavor masking the lack of sugar.

3. Choose Sugar-Free Recipes

Recipe selection is important. Baking is more chemistry than anything in the kitchen and balancing ingredients is tough to do on the fly. You may find yourself scrapping entire baked goods. You can’t taste as you go and you won’t know how it turns out until it’s all said and done. Start with a recipe designed for no-sugar baking and you’ll find more success early on.

4. Sweeten Mindfully (If Needed)

These days there are a lot of non-sugar sweeteners like stevia which can be used in place of sugar. The taste is different though so test and go easy as the artificial taste tends to be off putting for most.

5. Focus on Texture

Baking isn’t all about flavor. Texture is important in all cooking but especially in baking. The crisp crust of bread or gooey bite of a brownie adds to the experience. In lieu of sweetness, aim for nailing the texture.

Potential Issues in No-Sugar Baking

Knowing the potential issues of no-sugar baking can help you avoid or diagnose issues with recipes. These are some of the common issues with taking out one of the most important ingredients in baking.

1. Lack of Sweetness

Use fruit or natural sweeteners to replace sugar. Try different ingredients and recipes to find the right balance for you.

2. Dry or Crumbly Texture

Texture is important and as we mentioned, baking is chemistry. One change in a recipe can throw off the cook times, the texture, the flavor, and it’s not always obvious what happened. Sugar helps retain moisture so without it you may find your cookies quite dry and hard. 

Use fruit, yogurt, or purees to add moisture and/or lower bake times.

3. Lack of Browning

The caramelization of sugar brings a new depth of flavor to baked goods and it can be tough to get that golden crust you’re looking for without sugar. Use date paste for a natural sugar that still caramelizes. You can also try a milk or egg wash to add color as a replacement.

4. Gummy or Dense Texture

Sugar contributes to the leavening and structure of some baked goods. Removing sugar from a recipe can result in a gummy or heavy final result. It’s not necessarily the end of the world but dense baked goods are not the most popular.

Consider baking powder/soda and whisking eggs well can help soften the structure. Also sifting dry ingredients is tedious but can help with a lighter crumb.

5. Less Shelf Life

Sugar helps preserve baked goods by retaining moisture and reducing microbial growth. No-sugar baking simply spoils faster.

Eat them faster, or you can store them in airtight containers or store them in the fridge or freezer sooner than you normally would.

Bake Without Sugar

Rediscover old recipes and natural flavors with no-sugar baking. It sounds depressing when you first start considering it. You’re removing sweetness, one of the best parts of baked goods. It doesn’t have to be that way though. Baking without sugar can actually really open you up to amazing classic recipes, fresh fruit flavors, and baked goods you would never have tried. Step out of your comfort zone a little and try a few safe no-sugar bake recipes.