Hi! I’m new to gluten free baking. I’m also egg free and sugar free. Can I follow a recipe and swap the sugar for monk fruit or allulose? Thanks!
I’m so glad you asked. NO. Let me make sure everyone really heard me. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO 🙂
Allulose, Stevia, Monk Fruit, and all their friends are not traditional granulated sugars and CAN NOT be swapped 1:1 for sugar in a recipe. Not only that, but their properties are different.
Sugar is hygroscopic. That means it helps retain moisture. When you take out gluten, and egg, and sugar, you’ve got a recipe for disaster (no pun intended, but now I’m laughing). It means that we need to build the recipes from the ground up to replace the functions properly.
Gluten, egg, and sugar will each have their own best practices for replacement, and in your case, these methods need to compliment each other.
I’d first ask, is there a reason you can’t use maple, date, or coconut sugar? Those three are all unrefined and are capable of 1:1 replacement in baking recipes that call for a granulated (grain) sugar.
If you need to use the others, first, understand the sourcing. A lot will say “this type of sugar is found in this fruit in nature” on the package. When you call the company, you learn that their version is corn derived. It’s happened so many times to me. Not only that, but many are not certified gluten free and are made on shared equipment with wheat. Make sure you’re getting a source of alternative sugar that will truly work for you.
From there, my suggestion is to go directly to the manufacturer’s website and read everything, including the FAQ. You need to educate yourself on HOW the sugar substitute works. Call them if you have to in order to get tips. Then, follow one of their recipes. It’s important to have a working understanding of this sweetener in action. Then, you’ll be able to figure out how to make gluten free and egg free fit into the equation.
For example, some alternative sweeteners should be heated before they’re used. In some instances, more of the alternative needs to be used. The manufacturer should be able to provide all of this info to you.
If the manufacturer doesn’t have recipes on their website, search online for a recipe developer who shares recipes that are gluten free, egg free, AND use the sweetener you’re using. It’s so important that you have an example to start from.
Should you decide to use maple, coconut, or date sugars, RAISE (my membership website) has hundreds of recipes that will work for you out of the box. Use the Advanced Recipe Search, plug in your needs, and also choose dessert (or one of the baking collections) to see recipes you’ll want to make ASAP.
Happy Baking!
~The Allergy Chef
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