Baking With Erythritol: Here’s What You Need To Know

About The Erythritol Baking Tests

Despite the growing popularity of sugar-free baking, I’m not ready to join the bandwagon yet. For obvious reasons, and I’m assuming, it simply doesn’t work!

I haven’t tried baking with sugar replacements before. This is why I conducted this baking test: to find out if my assumption is valid and to see and experience it myself.

I’ve seen recipes with good results using erythritol, especially sponge cakes. But this test is all about replacing sugar with erythritol for meringue, caramel, and chocolate chip cookie recipes.

Keep in mind that you will not get any scientific explanations behind erythritol properties or what it does to our bodies. I’m not an expert on those topics.

Please read the entire article; you will learn important information about baking with this alcohol sugar.

What To Expect

Sugar plays multiple roles in baking, from adding sweetness to providing moisture and caramelization. So, when replacing sugar with erythritol, you’ll see some strange changes in the final product.

I tested erythritol in different baking techniques to understand how it behaves when substituting equal amounts of sugar. 

Each recipe’s final product is compared using erythritol versus traditional sugar, focusing on key factors like taste, texture, mouthfeel, and appearance.

But before we go to the results, let’s talk about erythritol first.

What is Erythritol?

Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that’s become increasingly popular as a sugar substitute in baking and other food applications.

Unlike regular sugar, erythritol provides sweetness with virtually no calories, making it a top choice for those on low-carb, keto, or sugar-free diets.

It’s naturally found in certain fruits, such as grapes and melons, and can also be manufactured from fermented food, such as soy sauce. 

Erythritol is 70% as sweet as sugar and can be used in equal amounts as a substitute.