How to Balance Sweetness
Lessen the amount of sugar., Use a sugar substitute., Substitute maple syrup., Add honey instead., Use agave nectar in place of sugar., Incorporate applesauce in baked goods.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Lessen the amount of sugar.
If you’re sensitive to sweetness, the amount that a recipe calls for may just be too much for you.
In that case, feel free to tinker with the recipe and decrease the sugar that’s called for, so the sweetness is more balanced for your palate.
For example, if the recipe suggests ¼ cup of sugar, try ⅛ cup instead.If you’re not sure how to much to decrease the sugar by, start by adding a very small amount, such as a teaspoon, and then taste the dish.
Add another teaspoon if it’s not sweet enough.
It’s easy to add more sugar, but it’s harder to balance the sweetness once it’s already in the dish.
If you're baking, it's obviously harder to taste cookies and cake as you go to adjust the sweetness.
Sugar also affects the texture and moistness of baked goods, so you have to be careful when you adjust the amount in a recipe.
Using 3/4 of the suggested sugar usually yields the best results, but you may want to make a batch of test cookies or cake to ensure that you're happy with the results. -
Step 2: Use a sugar substitute.
Artificial sweeteners are usually sweeter than traditional white or brown, which means you don’t have to use as much of them in your recipes.
That can help you have better control over the sweetness of your food.
Sucralose, commonly sold as Splenda, and stevia, commonly sold as Truvia, are ideal for cooking and baking because it’s heat stable.
Sucralose can be substituted for sugar in a 1:1 ratio, which means if your recipe calls for a 1/4 of sugar, you can replace it with a 1/4 of sucralose.
Stevia is 200 times sweeter than sugar.
Replace each cup of sugar with 1 teaspoon of stevia in your dishes.
If the recipe calls for a tablespoon of sugar, an 1/8 of a teaspoon of stevia is all you need.
A pinch of stevia can replace a teaspoon of sugar.
Some sugar substitutes, such as Equal and Sweet’N Low, don’t react the same way as sugar does when they’re heated.
It’s best to avoid them when cooking and baking. , It contains natural sugars that can add a subtle sweetness to your dish, as well as antioxidants that are actually good for you.
You can replace one cup of white sugar with 3/4 of a cup maple syrup.For the best results, be sure to choose 100% pure, organic maple syrup.
Grade A has a more subtle flavor, while Grade B has a stronger flavor and thicker texture so it works well in baking.
If you're using maple syrup to replace sugar in baked goods, you'll need to adjust the overall amount of liquid in the recipe by approximately three tablespoons for every cup of maple syrup that you add. , Like maple syrup, honey can add a mellow, more wholesome sweetness to your recipes in place of sugar.
However, it's sweeter than white sugar, so you don't need to add as much.
For every one cup of sugar in a recipe, replace with 3/4 of a cup of honey.In baking recipes, you'll need to reduce the overall liquid by approximately two tablespoons for every one cup of honey used.
Baked goods made with honey tend to brown faster than those made with white sugar, so watch cookies, cakes, and other sweets carefully. , Agave syrup has a lighter taste than maple syrup or honey, and its texture is thinner than honey but thicker than maple syrup.
However, like the honey and maple syrup, it's all-natural, so it's good alternative to white sugar.
Replace every cup of sugar in your recipe with 2/3 of a cup of agave nectar.Because of its liquid consistency, you'll need to reduce the overall liquid in your recipe by 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup for every cup of agave used.
Baked goods made with agave nectar have a tendency to brown more quickly, so you may want to reduce the baking temperature by 15 to 25 degrees. , Make your cookies, cakes, and other goodies a little less sweet by using the natural sugars in applesauce in place of white sugar.
It's one of the easier replacements to make, too, because you can replace it cup for cup.
That means if your recipe calls for two cups of sugar, you can substitute two cups of applesauce in its place.Make sure to choose unsweetened applesauce when you're replacing sugar.
Otherwise, your recipe may actually wind up too sweet.
When you're baking with applesauce, you'll need to reduce the overall amount of liquid in the recipe by 1/4 of a cup for every cup of sauce used. -
Step 3: Substitute maple syrup.
-
Step 4: Add honey instead.
-
Step 5: Use agave nectar in place of sugar.
-
Step 6: Incorporate applesauce in baked goods.
Detailed Guide
If you’re sensitive to sweetness, the amount that a recipe calls for may just be too much for you.
In that case, feel free to tinker with the recipe and decrease the sugar that’s called for, so the sweetness is more balanced for your palate.
For example, if the recipe suggests ¼ cup of sugar, try ⅛ cup instead.If you’re not sure how to much to decrease the sugar by, start by adding a very small amount, such as a teaspoon, and then taste the dish.
Add another teaspoon if it’s not sweet enough.
It’s easy to add more sugar, but it’s harder to balance the sweetness once it’s already in the dish.
If you're baking, it's obviously harder to taste cookies and cake as you go to adjust the sweetness.
Sugar also affects the texture and moistness of baked goods, so you have to be careful when you adjust the amount in a recipe.
Using 3/4 of the suggested sugar usually yields the best results, but you may want to make a batch of test cookies or cake to ensure that you're happy with the results.
Artificial sweeteners are usually sweeter than traditional white or brown, which means you don’t have to use as much of them in your recipes.
That can help you have better control over the sweetness of your food.
Sucralose, commonly sold as Splenda, and stevia, commonly sold as Truvia, are ideal for cooking and baking because it’s heat stable.
Sucralose can be substituted for sugar in a 1:1 ratio, which means if your recipe calls for a 1/4 of sugar, you can replace it with a 1/4 of sucralose.
Stevia is 200 times sweeter than sugar.
Replace each cup of sugar with 1 teaspoon of stevia in your dishes.
If the recipe calls for a tablespoon of sugar, an 1/8 of a teaspoon of stevia is all you need.
A pinch of stevia can replace a teaspoon of sugar.
Some sugar substitutes, such as Equal and Sweet’N Low, don’t react the same way as sugar does when they’re heated.
It’s best to avoid them when cooking and baking. , It contains natural sugars that can add a subtle sweetness to your dish, as well as antioxidants that are actually good for you.
You can replace one cup of white sugar with 3/4 of a cup maple syrup.For the best results, be sure to choose 100% pure, organic maple syrup.
Grade A has a more subtle flavor, while Grade B has a stronger flavor and thicker texture so it works well in baking.
If you're using maple syrup to replace sugar in baked goods, you'll need to adjust the overall amount of liquid in the recipe by approximately three tablespoons for every cup of maple syrup that you add. , Like maple syrup, honey can add a mellow, more wholesome sweetness to your recipes in place of sugar.
However, it's sweeter than white sugar, so you don't need to add as much.
For every one cup of sugar in a recipe, replace with 3/4 of a cup of honey.In baking recipes, you'll need to reduce the overall liquid by approximately two tablespoons for every one cup of honey used.
Baked goods made with honey tend to brown faster than those made with white sugar, so watch cookies, cakes, and other sweets carefully. , Agave syrup has a lighter taste than maple syrup or honey, and its texture is thinner than honey but thicker than maple syrup.
However, like the honey and maple syrup, it's all-natural, so it's good alternative to white sugar.
Replace every cup of sugar in your recipe with 2/3 of a cup of agave nectar.Because of its liquid consistency, you'll need to reduce the overall liquid in your recipe by 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup for every cup of agave used.
Baked goods made with agave nectar have a tendency to brown more quickly, so you may want to reduce the baking temperature by 15 to 25 degrees. , Make your cookies, cakes, and other goodies a little less sweet by using the natural sugars in applesauce in place of white sugar.
It's one of the easier replacements to make, too, because you can replace it cup for cup.
That means if your recipe calls for two cups of sugar, you can substitute two cups of applesauce in its place.Make sure to choose unsweetened applesauce when you're replacing sugar.
Otherwise, your recipe may actually wind up too sweet.
When you're baking with applesauce, you'll need to reduce the overall amount of liquid in the recipe by 1/4 of a cup for every cup of sauce used.
About the Author
Nicole Hughes
Committed to making practical skills accessible and understandable for everyone.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: