Check out my progress on Sweetener Smack-down
In recent weeks, I have been fortunate enough to receive samples of various natural sweeteners that are now available on the market. As a girl with a sweet tooth, I was delighted to have the opportunity to test out these different products.
What better way to compare and contrast sweetening agents than to bake?! While each of these products arrived with several recipes provided by the company that produces it, I decided that the only fair way to conduct this contest was with an independent recipe, unassociated with any particular brand. As I explained in my recent video post, I have enjoyed the recipes found in Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean Cookbook; accordingly, I selected her “Morning Glory Muffins with Apple Pie Spice” for this experiment. (Disclaimer: some substitutions were made in the baking of these muffins: almond milk for kefir, dried cherries for dates, and ground flax for egg whites).
The competitors for today’s battle:
The ingredients:
In the making…
The results?
NuNaturals Baking Blend
- texture very similar to flour
- easiest to measure
- all-around best taste!
- Interested in learning more about baking with NuNaturals? Check it out.
Stevia in the Raw
- very light texture, similar to that of sucralose (aka Splenda)
- adequate sweetening when combined in baked goods
- mixed well with other ingredients; little adjustment of liquid/dry ingredients necessary
- More information may be found here
Xagave
- texture comparable to honey or maple syrup
- messiest to measure
- reduces necessary liquid for recipes; adjust accordingly
- caused more browning in the oven
- boasts several health benefits (beyond just Calorie reduction)
There ya have it, folks. My first baking experiment complete. Thanks to NuNaturals, Stevia in the Raw, and Xagave for making it possible.
Which sweeteners do you like to use in baked goods?
Filed under: Feature Post
Caroline Yoder, dietitian-to-be and all-around foodie.
Very nice Caroline! So you liked the one baked with NuNaturals, right?
I saw it on whole foods and have been reading about it on some blogs lately, gotta go out and try some. The vanilla flavored drops I saw here once seem like an interesting one to try, but the baking one is especially appealing to me as I frequently bake muffins for our breakfasts, besides, I have been trying to find a natural sweetener that I really like to use in baking!
I love agave, it is delicious and I have it on my oats and milk. I have been trying different brands of stevia but haven’t found one I love yet. Next on my list will be the Stevia in the Raw and NuNaturals!
How do you like xagave, is it just like agave nectar?
Ana
so cool that you did side by side experimentation! thanks so much for the reviews, now if only i could find NuNaturals in stores!!
ohhh i love that you did this! how clever. i got the xagave and the nunaturals as well. loved the xagave hated the nunaturals. i haven’t tried the third. when i bake, i use agave and xagave or sometimes just plain old sugar.. it is cheapest
What a fun experiment and yummy recipe! I don’t have any NuNaturals products, so I usually use SweetLeaf. With so many people raving about NuNaturals, I should probably get my hands on some…
I loved this post! (Probably because I like to analyze things). I like to use agave and evaporated cane juice in baked goods. I’ve heard good things about Nu Naturals so I might give that a shot
i need to try some of those sweeteners!! the natural ones seem a lot better for you
I LOVE this! I use Stevia a lot, haven’t really tried out the rest, but would like to eventually
I’ve baked wit Nunaturals to great results. I’d be curious to work with the other two
hey chica! woooohoo I LOVED this post! seriously I feel like I just learned so much about which sweetener to choose, very helpful cuz i’m also so lost at which one to use! I usually just use a basic Agave as my sweetener of choice. I hope you’re having a great sunday! xoxo!
Oooh this was fun! I’ll have to look into buying myself some nunaturals, i’ve never tried it!
great way to conduct a taste test! So well put out!
I really like the NuNaturals Baking blend. I found that my muffins went really hard when I used it first.. But the second time was OK.
do you use unsweet almond milk? or regular?
whats your favorite brand of almond milk?
ooooo what great products to sample!!! love your recap post and the experimental process! I think the Stevia and NuNaturals look visually more appealing than the Xagave…
Have you tried xyltiol? I LOVE IT.
I’ve baked with my SweetLeaf Stevia in chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, and cranberry orange muffins, and they turned out well! SweetLeaf has 0 calories, 0 carbs ,and a 0 glycemic index!
wow love that you did this so we could all see the comparrisons! thank you, caroline
you got some GREAT baking skillzzz. in baked goods I usually use truvia or agave. BUT I just got nunuaturals and cant wait to try it in a recipe maybe these morning glory muffins>!
I love agave nectar, honey, and maple syrup. I like the sticky stuff! But now I definitely want to try NuNaturals.
wowwwww dude this was an awesome experiment. true foodie spirit here for sure
i’ve tried the nunaturals baking blend and i think its not bad! i thought it had a strange cementy color when i combined it in mine haha…maybe it was just me.
I love agave for baking because I love the browning! I’ve never tried the other 2 products but will at some point, I assume.
Sweet! Literally I guess haha. They look great. Now if only I could just taste them… mmm, I never really experiment with different sweeteners in baking but I have to give it a try someday. Never tried any of those kinds yet at all. Must do!
What a great idea!!! Which one won the taste test??
I love kitchen experiments- I need to find some financial sponsors if ya know what I mean!
Thanks for the reviews! These are all products I’ve been wanting to try for a while and it’s good to know the pros and cons of each going in. Now I just have to decide which to try first!