Erythritol, a ployol (sugar alcohol), is a good-tasting sweetener which is suitable for a variety of reduced-calorie and sugar-free foods. It can be used as a sugar substitute in most sugar-free recipes. Erythritol has been part of the human diet for thousands of years due to its presence in foods such as pears, melons, grapes and mushrooms. NOW Erythritol is 100% pure and derived from a corn source. Erythritol resembles sugar in consistency and taste but has a caloric value near zero. It is also a great sugar alternative for diabetics. Eyrthritol, like Xylitol, may also inhibit cavities by denying plaque bacteria the fuel (sugar) it needs to erode tooth enamel.
List Price: $ 9.45
Price: $ 5.39
Find More
Sugar Subsitute Products
Great erythritol, best sugar alcohol for keto,
It also beats out granulated stevia and sucralose (Splenda), which can taste and measure like sugar depending on the formulation, but are almost always granulated using a filler like maltodextrin which adds to the carb count, especially when used in the amounts necessary for baking or similar. These things might not make a difference if you’re just trying to lower your sugar or calorie intake, but for strict low carb dieters, every carb counts. Erythritol doesn’t require any fillers to make it granular.
The one downside of erythritol is that it can have a cooling effect in large quantities. It’s not an “after taste” so much as it is an “after feeling”, similar to the slight cooling/tingling sensation you might get after eating something minty. I counter this in my low carb baked goods by combining erythritol with another sweetener like stevia or xylitol. Stevia and erythritol are a particularly complimentary combination because the erythritol cuts the slight bitterness of the stevia and the stevia cuts the cooling effect of the erythritol, resulting in a nice balance.
Of course, there are stevia/erythritol blends like Swerve that already come combined in this way, and I think that could be a good place to start for those who are new to working with sugar alternatives. I personally find it more cost effective to buy larger bags of the individual sweeteners and combine as needed, which also gives me the freedom to use different ratios depending on the recipe.
The NOW Foods brand makes great products, and they are generally among the most cost competitive for buying sweeteners. I usually buy the 2.5 lb bag and it lasts me a couple months as a relatively heavy low carb baker, so I think it’s a pretty good value. I’m really happy with their erythritol, and plan to keep buying it.
Was this review helpful to you?
* * A Great Baking Blend * *Naturally Sweet & Naturally Loved * *,
Erythritol does cloud, when you first mix into opaque liquids, but clears up quickly.
For most of my baking I mix Erythritol with Stevia. You have to kind of experiment, to find the blend you like. I think they actually sell a blend of that, but I’m sure it’s much cheaper to make your own and you can adjust it to how you like. I can’t tell you how to mix it, because there are different forms of Stevia (in much different strengths).
Most people who have used Erythritol are familiar with the mint-like cooling effect on the tongue sometimes experienced. By mixing the Stevia & Erythritol for Drinks & Baking, I haven’t had that problem. I might add that I have Celiac disease, so all my baking is Gluten Free. It’s works great for gluten free cooking, so I can only imagine it would work OK for regular wheat flour too. I use Almond Flour, Rice Flours, Sunflower Seed Four, Garbanzo Bean Flour Etc. I use a bunch of different flours and the Now Foods Erythritol/Stevia blend I mix has suited me well.
Was this review helpful to you?
To safely be able to enjoy a desert once in a while is wonderful,
Was this review helpful to you?