Zero Calorie Sugar Substitutes
vs
Refined Sugar Free Baking
A few years ago I made a video and wrote my first article explaining the difference between sugar substitutes in baking versus refined sugar free baking, since these are not the same!
Many people bake with coconut sugar, maple syrup and even brown rice syrup to name a few; I on the other hand do not.
To me sugar is sugar and if the main goal is to reduce blood sugar spiking while lowering calories, then you must dive into the world of Zero Calorie Sugar Substitutes!
So here we go again only this time I have much better news!
In my original Sugar Free Baking article I was using what is the most common and readily available near me
(see article for test experiment using multiple different sugars)
and my takeaway was that while the bakes were passable,
I do not love baking with Sugar Substitutes!
~Until Now! Read to the End!~
What I discover when I use the standard Sugar Free blends like Stevia, Monk Fruit and especially Allulose:
#1 The taste and texture changes too much for products that claim to be 1:1 substitutes so typically I will only sub in half the amount and use granulated sugar for the other half making it not truly a zero sugar added recipe. By substituting all of the sugar you must be somewhat savvy in the science of baking to alter the rest of your recipe to compensate for that sugar loss. As I explained in the original article sugar not only adds sweetness to a recipe but it also lends to lightness, texture, crumb, structure and even overall browning!
#2 If a recipe is passable (meaning the taste, texture and structure have not been completely destroyed!) I will often eat more than I would with a full sugar bake because in my mind I think “it’s healthier”. With full sugar baking I know I can eat one slice and then I have to get the rest of the cake away from me! But this is of course a personal problem and not the norm!
#3 However I decided after all that experimenting that Monk Fruit sugar with Erythritol as the bulking agent was my favorite 1:1 substitute
However… Drum Roll Please…
As of 2026 a new product has been unveiled called FREELY SWEET
Now I know I have said in the past that I was not going to include 3rd party ingredients in my recipes…BUT hear me out!
I’ve never been one to shill for products so when Adam reached out to me, I knew this had to be something I actually loved and would use myself! So I agreed to try it
After much testing and tasting, I must say I really do love this product! Not to mention my husband is always bugging me to bake sugar free but since I can’t stand it, I rarely do it! Now he is so happy to be eating my bakes again!
Though it is not a zero calorie sugar substitute (there are 10 calories per 2tsp) It does not spike blood sugar AND it is free from erythritol.
So I have to stop calling it sugar free especially since everything else in the recipe (the flour, pumpkin, plant milk etc) technically convert to “sugar”, but I am just so used to saying it! So whenever I say “sugar free” I mean no sugar added!
Additionally the recipes I’ve tested so far definitely bake up 1:1 as promised with no compromise of taste, texture or rise!
Disclaimer: I’ve been asked to be an ambassador for the Freely Sweet brand which means I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through my link
Check out the link here to read more about the product to see if it is for you and if you decide to buy anything use discount code GVB10 to get 10% off your purchase!
Here is a snapshot of the 4 ingredients that make up Freely Sweet!
See more here
So with all that being said here is my
Pumpkin Muffin Recipe using FREELY SWEET
Clearly there is little to no difference in the final bake!! It even worked wonderfully in my streusel recipe!
*I’ve been asked to be an ambassador for the Freely Sweet brand which means I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through a link
Notes For Success:
Baking at a lower temperature than usual will help alleviate the darker color associated with sugar substitute baking. I find 325°F versus the typical 350°F works great although naturally we have to bake longer by several minutes to compensate for this lower temperature.
Adding another sheet pan will also prevent too much bottom browning. Additionally tenting the top can help reduce too much top browning during the last portion of baking.
A slight aftertaste was present on bakes I tasted right away and this seemed to dissipate completely by the next day.
Bakes also became more moist on day 2 and 3 whereas the original recipe would have started to get more dry by this time.
Sugar Free Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
For the Muffin batter
- 1 cup Freely Sweet
- 10 Tbs Vegetable Oil 150ml
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 5ml
- ¾ cup Pumpkin 190g
- ¾ cup Plant Milk 188ml
- 1 teaspoon Vinegar 5ml
- 2¼ cups All Purpose Flour 280g
- 2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
For the Streusel
- ¼ cup All Purpose Flour
- 3 Tbs Freely Sweet
- 1½ Tbs Cold Vegan Butter
Instructions
- First prepare the streusel topping by combing the flour & Freely Sweet in a medium mixing bowl then add the cold diced vegan butter & mix with a fork or a pastry cutter or by hand just until it resembles coarse meal.
- Sprinkle the streusel onto a parchment lined sheet pan breaking up any large chunks to the size of peas then freeze while you prepare the muffin batter
- Now start preheating the oven to 325℉ & line your cupcake pan with paper liners
- Combine the Freely Sweet, pumpkin, oil, plant milk & the vanilla extract in a large bowl & whisk to distribute evenly.
- Sift together the flour with the baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices & add it to the wet mixture in the bowl. Whisk smooth
- Fill paper lined cupcake molds with batter 3/4 full then top each one with 1 heaping Tbs of the streusel topping
- Bake in the preheated 325°F for approximately 30 minutes or until they are springy to the touch when you gently press the centers or when the toothpick test yields no raw batter, but moist crumbs
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