Delicious and Tasty Sugar-Free Desserts

Especially when they focus on ingredients that fight inflammation, like nuts, berries, and cherries, which help relieve symptoms such as brain fog, indigestion, and joint pain. Recipes like delicious sour cherry cream and apple pie energy balls are dishes you’ll want to make again and again.

One of the most common questions asked in the kitchen is how to reduce sugar and what are the suitable sugar alternatives. We see this as a great starting point to adjust your cooking and baking style. We advise you to reduce sugar first, rather than following a gluten-free diet or even cutting out dairy products (unless you have a sensitivity or medical condition).

You can bake without sugar! Here are healthy sugar alternatives, or rather, the best sugar substitutes.

Bake with Monk Fruit Sugar

Monk fruit sugar, scientifically known as Lo Han Guo, is extracted from the monk fruit, which resembles a small green gourd. The fruit is harvested, dried, and its sweetness is extracted from the dried fruit. The sugar extracted is 100% natural, plant-based, and free from GMOs.

While monk fruit sweetener adds a wonderful sweetness, it is also free of blood sugar spikes, making it an ideal sugar-free alternative for people with diabetes or those wanting to regulate their sugar intake. Additionally, it doesn’t have the bitter aftertaste like other sugar substitutes.

Monk fruit syrup can be used in raw desserts. However, the only downside is that after heating and cooling, the sugar may crystallize and become a bit gritty.

Bake with Coconut Sugar (The Favorite Natural Sugar)

Coconut sugar, also known as palm coconut sugar, is a natural sugar extracted from the sap of coconut palm trees. It resembles maple syrup in coconut trees. Coconut sugar is an ideal alternative to regular sugar.

Unlike regular table sugar and other processed sugars, such as high fructose corn syrup, which contain no essential nutrients and provide "empty" calories, coconut sugar has a low glycemic index and retains some of the nutrients found in coconut. If you prefer not to use sugar substitutes, always choose coconut sugar over regular refined sugar.

Coconut sugar has a flavor similar to brown sugar and can be used as a 1:1 substitute for brown sugar. So, if you're wondering, "What can I replace brown sugar with?", coconut sugar is a great alternative.

Bake with Dates and Date Sugar

Dates are one of my favorite dried fruits. Whole dates have become a popular way to sweeten both raw and baked desserts due to their sticky, moist texture, high fiber content, and most importantly, they are a whole food - meaning they are not processed or altered.

Dates and date sugar are versatile and easy to use, often replacing coconut sugar or being used in their whole dried form.

Bake with Barley and Rice Syrup

Barley syrup and rice syrup are excellent alternatives to liquid sweeteners like maple syrup or honey. Both are unrefined liquid sweeteners made from soaked and sprouted barley and rice. They differ slightly in flavor but have a consistency similar to molasses and golden syrup, making them a delicious substitute for honey.

Bake with Xylitol or Erythritol

Erythritol is a low-calorie sugar liquid used as a sweetener. It belongs to a class of compounds called sugar alcohols, which include xylitol, sorbitol, and maltitol. Most of these are used as low-calorie sweeteners in sugar-free or low-sugar products and occur in small amounts in nature, particularly in fruits and vegetables.

Erythritol is the most natural of the sugar alcohols. In small amounts, it's best used in no-bake desserts or raw sweets. When baked, it can have a peculiar taste, so it's better to use one of the sweeteners mentioned above when baking.

Tips and Tricks for Sugar Substitutes

Store at Room Temperature
Since the texture of these granular sugar substitutes differs greatly from regular white or brown refined sugar, they can become drier and harder over time. It's recommended to store all powdered sugar substitutes in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool, dry place.
Don’t Worry About Clumping
If the substitute isn’t used within about six months, it may harden or lose its texture. In such a case, you can break it up and use it as usual in your recipes. Don’t worry if you notice any clumps in the sugar substitutes.

Sugar-Free Desserts Using Natural Fruit

Apple Pie Energy Balls
These no-bake energy balls made with apple pie flavors are easy to prepare and will give your body the energy it needs in the afternoon.
Vegan Sugar-Free Oatmeal Cookies
Soft, chewy, and sugar-free! These classic oatmeal cookies are sweetened with ripe bananas, raisins, or dates. Additionally, adding a touch of nut butter enriches the flavor and keeps the cookies together while remaining vegan and gluten-free.
Purple Fruit Salad
Serve this refreshing fruit salad containing juicy plums, grapes, and berries alone or alongside other colorful fruit salads (such as red, green, and orange) for a rainbow-colored side dish that everyone will enjoy.
Peanut Butter and Banana Ice Cream (Two Ingredients)
Turn frozen bananas into ice cream without cream! Add peanut butter to create a natural flavor that makes for a delicious and sweet treat without adding sugar.
Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Energy Balls
Sweet, sticky dates act as glue for these no-bake energy balls. Perfect for hiking or exercising, these easy-to-carry healthy snacks are best made with Medjool dates – the largest and most delicious variety.
Strawberry and Mango Cream
This delicious strawberry and mango-flavored cream is a healthy and tasty alternative to ice cream. It's made entirely from fruit, dairy-free, vegan, and has no added sugar. This three-ingredient dessert is quick and easy to make and perfect for a refreshing treat during hot summer days or anytime you want a light snack.
Mini Sugar-Free Apple Pies
These delightful mini pies, served as individual portions, are gluten-free and sweetened with dates instead of refined sugars. Top them with a little unsweetened whipped cream to give this healthy, special dessert a unique touch.