Key Takeaways:

• Stevia is a natural, calorie-free sweetener that can replace sugar in baking recipes.
• Stevia is much sweeter than sugar, so only a small amount is needed when substituting.
• When baking with stevia, moisture, leavening, and flavors may need adjusting for best results.
• Delicious treats like muffins, breads, and cookies can be made sugar-free with stevia.

Stevia Substitution Chart

This substitution chart can help when converting traditional recipes to stevia:

Sugar	Stevia Powder	Liquid Stevia
1 cup	1 tsp	1/4 tsp
3/4 cup	3/4 tsp	1/8 tsp
2/3 cup	2/3 tsp	1/6 tsp
1/2 cup	1/2 tsp	1/8 tsp
1/3 cup	1/3 tsp	1/12 tsp
1/4 cup	1/4 tsp	pinch

Exact amounts will depend on the particular sweetness of the stevia brand. Start with less and add more stevia to taste.

With some trial and error, stevia can help transform traditional sugar-filled recipes into healthier, sugar-free versions the whole family will love!

Stevia – A Sweet Baking Game Changer

Derived from the Stevia rebaudiana plant, stevia offers many benefits as a sugar substitute for baking. It provides incredibly sweet taste without calories, spikes in blood sugar, or processed sugars. Baking with stevia allows you to cut calories, carbs, and sugars while still enjoying sweet baked treats.

Tips for Successful Baking with Stevia

• Use proper stevia-to-sugar conversion ratios. Stevia is sweeter so you need less. A general guideline is 1 tsp stevia for every 1 cup of sugar.
• Add bananas, yogurt, applesauce to increase moisture and texture. Sugar retains moisture in baking, so replacing it with stevia can make baked goods dry without added wet ingredients.
• Balance potential bitter notes with vanilla, lemon, spices, etc. Stevia can have a slightly bitter aftertaste that can be covered up with extra flavors.
• You may need extra baking soda/powder since stevia doesn’t leaven like sugar. Sugar helps baked goods rise, so more leavening agent may be needed with stevia.
• Adjust bake times and temps as needed since stevia bakes differently than sugar. Sugar caramelizes and browns, affecting bake time and temperature.

Satisfying Stevia-Sweetened Recipes

Here are some tasty recipes to try baking with stevia:

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Ingredient	Serving Size	Brands
All-purpose flour	1 1/2 cups	Gold Medal, Pillsbury
Baking powder	1 1/2 tsp	Clabber Girl, Calumet
Salt	1/4 tsp	Morton, Diamond Crystal
Yogurt	1/3 cup	Chobani, Fage, Yoplait
Applesauce	1/4 cup	Mott’s, Musselman’s
Lemon juice	2 Tbsp	ReaLemon, Santa Cruz
Lemon zest	1 tsp	Freshly grated
Egg	1 large	Farm fresh
Coconut oil	2 Tbsp	Nutiva, Nature’s Way
Stevia powder	1/2 tsp	Steviva, SweetLeaf
Blueberries	1/4 cup	Fresh or frozen

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 12 muffin cups with liners.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
3. In another bowl, mix yogurt, applesauce, lemon juice & zest, egg, oil, and stevia.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until just combined. Fold in blueberries.
5. Divide batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake 18-20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool completely before enjoying!

Banana Bread

Ingredient	Serving Size	Brands
Banana	1 1/2 cups mashed	Dole, Chiquita
Coconut oil	1/4 cup	Nutiva, Nature’s Way
Applesauce	1/4 cup	Mott’s, Musselman’s
Eggs	2 large	Farm fresh
Stevia powder	1/2 tsp	Steviva, SweetLeaf
Vanilla extract	1 tsp	McCormick, Nielsen-Massey
All-purpose flour	2 cups	Gold Medal, Pillsbury
Baking soda	1 tsp	Arm & Hammer, Bob’s Red Mill
Cinnamon	1/2 tsp	McCormick, Spice Islands
Salt	1/4 tsp	Morton, Diamond Crystal

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan.
2. Mix mashed banana, oil, applesauce, eggs, stevia and vanilla.
3. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in separate bowl.
4. Fold in dry ingredients into wet until just combined.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cool completely before slicing and serving.

Chewy Ginger Cookies

Ingredient	Serving Size	Brands
Coconut oil	1/4 cup	Nutiva, Nature’s Way
Applesauce	1/4 cup	Mott’s, Musselman’s
Egg	1 large	Farm fresh
Molasses	1/4 cup	Brer Rabbit, Grandma’s
Ground ginger	2 tsp	McCormick, Spice Islands
Stevia powder	1/2 tsp	Steviva, SweetLeaf
All-purpose flour	1 1/4 cups	Gold Medal, Pillsbury
Baking soda	1/2 tsp	Arm & Hammer, Bob’s Red Mill
Salt	1/4 tsp	Morton, Diamond Crystal

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together oil, applesauce, egg, molasses, ginger and stevia.
3. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix thoroughly.
5. Scoop dough by tablespoons onto baking sheet.
6. Bake 10-12 minutes until set. Cool before removing from pan.

Stevia’s Advantages as a Sugar Substitute

Stevia has many admirable qualities that make it ideal for sugar-free baking:

• Stevia is fantastically sweeter than sugar, so only a small amount is needed.
• It has zero calories and does not raise blood sugar.
• Stevia allows indulging your sweet tooth without extra calories or carbohydrates.
• This natural sweetener lets you avoid processed sugar.
• Stevia may even offer potential health benefits!

Handy Tips for Baking Success

Baking with stevia is fun to learn. Follow these useful tips:

• Use a stevia to sugar conversion ratio of 1 tsp stevia for 1 cup sugar.
• Add moisture-rich ingredients like bananas, yogurt, applesauce for needed volume.
• Balance flavors by adding vanilla, cinnamon, lemon to counteract bitterness.
• You may need extra leavening agents like baking powder or baking soda.
• Adjust bake times and temperatures since stevia doesn’t caramelize like sugar.

Delectable Stevia-Sweetened Recipes to Try

Ingredient	Serving Size	Brands
Stevia extract powder	1/4 tsp	Steviva, SweetLeaf, Truvia
Applesauce	1/4 cup	Mott’s Natural, Musselman’s
Yogurt	1/3 cup	Chobani, Fage, Yoplait

Let’s bake something marvelous!

Scrumptious Lemon Blueberry Muffins

• Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Whisk together the yogurt, applesauce, lemon juice, zest, egg, oil, and stevia.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until blended.
• Gently fold in the blueberries.
• Divide the batter evenly into lined muffin cups.
• Bake at 400°F for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool completely before enjoying these sunny citrus treats!

Delightful Banana Bread

• Mash the ripe bananas well.
• Whisk the wet ingredients together in one bowl.
• Sift the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
• Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture until just combined.
• Pour the banana studded batter into a greased loaf pan.
• Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Let cool completely before slicing into this irresistible bread.

Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies

• Melt the coconut oil until liquid.
• Vigorously whisk together the wet ingredients.
• Stir the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
• Add the dry mix to the wet blend.
• Thoroughly incorporate all ingredients together.
• Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
• Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes until set.
• Allow to cool before enjoying these addictively spiced cookies!

Conclusion

Baking with stevia is a gratifying adventure, allowing you to create heavenly sugar-free baked goods. Approach recipe adjustments with patience and positivity. Soon you’ll be skilled at crafting scrumptious stevia-sweetened treats!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can stevia replace sugar in any baking recipe?

Stevia can replace sugar in most recipes, but adjustments are often needed for texture, volume, and flavor.

Does stevia affect the baking time of recipes?

Baking times may need to be adjusted as stevia doesn’t caramelize or brown like sugar.

How do I prevent a bitter aftertaste when using stevia?

Balancing stevia with complementary flavors like vanilla or cinnamon can help mask any bitterness.