If you're experimenting with lower-sugar, lower-calorie, higher-fiber, or higher-protein baking, these are some of the ingredients I've personally had success with over the years. This post covers alternative sweeteners and high-fiber baking ingredients -- many of which are commonly labeled as artificial sweeteners in baking discussions, including allulose, monk fruit blends, and fiber-based sugar substitutes
Alternative Sweeteners vs. Artificial
"Artificial sweetener" isn't my favorite term, but it's the one most people search for. Throughout this post, I'm sharing my opinions and experience using what I call "alternative sweeteners" since they are not artificial sweeteners like sucralose, aspartame and saccharine. The sweeteners I use are derived from plants or classified as rare sugars.
Match Your Sweetener to the Recipe
Sugar still tastes and performs the best overall, but there are alternatives that work well when used for the right purpose. Matching the sweetener to the recipe is key: crumbly cookies often work better with erythritol, while fudgy brownies are great with allulose. These sweeteners aren't always interchangeable, so below are the ones I've used and what they're best suited for.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
Alternative Sweeteners
Besti Brown Sugar
Monk fruit and allulose blend from Wholesome Yum. Measures 1:1 like brown sugar, with a slight maple flavor and very little aftertaste. Works well in breads, cakes, brownies, and softer baked goods.
Anthony's Allulose
Straight allulose, so it's less sweet than sugar. Excellent for ice cream and candies. In baked goods like brownies, it performs better when ground into a fine powder. Use about 1.3 times the amount compared to sugar.
Wholesome Maple
A low-calorie maple syrup made with monk fruit and allulose. Very mild aftertaste and still sugar-free, though not quite zero-calorie.
Splenda Magic Baker
Not sucralose. It's a mixture of stevia, allulose and erythritol under the Splenda brand. Least aftertaste and works well in all kinds of things.
Allulose Honey
An interesting ingredient for people who really love honey. It adds moisture to baked goods. Works super well in ice cream and adds honey flavor.
Swerve
Has a bit of an aftertaste and imparts a cool mouth feel, but works well for crumblier textured cookies. Comes in brown, powdered and granulated. It works well in these oatmeal cookies.
Lakanto Golden
Lakanto Golden comes in a erythritol blend and an allulose blend. The allulose blend tastes best, but again -- you run into the texture issue when baking.
Besti Granulated
Wholesome Yum's branded monk fruit and allulose blend measures 1:1. I like it, but it's a little pricier than Splenda Magic Baker. No erythritol.
Besti Powdered
Wholesome Yum's branded allulose blend for powdered sugar. This sweetener is so good and perfect for making completely sugar free cream cheese frosting.
Neutral Allulose Syrup
Allulose syrup is a neutral sweetener that works very well in things like ice cream or drinks.
Truvia Brown
Found at the grocery store and great in banana bread. I find the aftertaste pretty strong.
Molasses
Not keto or sugar free, but very small amounts bump up the flavor in baked goods.
Low Carb Flour
King Arthur Keto Wheat Flour
King Arthur Keto Wheat Flour works best in yeast breads. I've tested it in cookies, muffins, and quick breads, but it tends to make them gummy.
Fiber Gourmet
Fiber Gourmet flour is almost the opposite: it performs well in cookies, cakes, and quick breads, but for yeast breads it benefits from being combined with vital wheat gluten. Fiber Gourmet also absorbs moisture readily and works especially well in recipes that include allulose, a little honey, or another liquid sweetener.
Low Calorie Fibers
Adding a tablespoon or two of these fibers can lower the overall calorie count while increasing fiber in baked goods. I use them in small amounts across many recipes, including brownies, cookies, and quick breads, where they help add structure without significantly changing flavor or texture. One good example is Oat Fiber Brownies.
Bamboo Fiber
A lesser known fiber you can use to stretch baked goods. It's light in color and neutral in flavor.
Oat Fiber
Oat fiber is becoming more popular. A little goes a long way to add fiber. I use it in quite a few recipes here including the Oat Fiber "Bran" Muffins. It's also an ingredient in basic Low Carb Bread.
Psyllium Husks
Psyllium has become a pretty common supplement and ingredient. It's basically unflavored Metamucil. There's husk form and powdered form. The husks are lighter and fluffier while the powder is fine and more concentrated. They are used often in gluten-free bread baking for structure and chew.
Some Flavorings
Miscellaneous Baking Ingredients
SAF instant yeast is my go-to for reliable results, especially in low-carb yeast breads. Tiny amounts of malted barley syrup add flavor and help with browning in low-carb bagels and similar recipes. Xanthan gum is useful for gluten-free baking and helps bind doughs that rely on specialty fibers; it also works well as a stabilizer in ice cream.
Dry milk powder is another favorite for improving flavor and browning, though it isn't low carb. Dried egg whites are expensive, but they're a convenient source of protein and fun to use in low-carb breads. Black cocoa powder is very drying, but when used in small amounts-blended with Dutch-process cocoa-it adds deep color and a rich chocolate flavor.
| SAF Gold Yeast | Malted Barley Syrup | Xanthan Gum |
| Dy Milk Powder | Dried Egg White | Black Cocoa Powder |
| Spectrum Shortening | Earth Balance | Sunflower Oil |
Sugar Free Chocolate
I've tried a lot of sugar-free chocolate, and none of it has been as satisfying as the real thing. Even versions sweetened with allulose don't quite hit the mark for me. If I ever find one I truly love, I'll update this post, but for now my approach is to use sugar alternatives and fiber in the base of a recipe and rely on regular sweetened chocolate chips for flavor.
If that isn't a dietary option for you-or for the person you're baking for-Lily's chocolate chips are a decent alternative. Trader Joe's also sells allulose-sweetened chocolate chips that some people like. You can also make your own lower-sugar chocolate by lightly sweetening unsweetened chocolate or by mixing cocoa powder with a small amount of sweetener and fat, though results vary.
This is all I have for now, but I will update this page as a reference.
Anna says
Hi Liz, thanks for letting me know. I was worried it was too long and boring, but figured I'd share it anyway and use it as a reference point for myself as well. I may do one with "regular" baking ingredients too. I've found so many little quirky things with different brands of butter, shortening, flour, etc.
Liz says
Thank you so much for this wonderful post. I think content like this is so valuable. I appreciate that you share your experiences in this forum, and really enjoyed reading this.