Sugar Free - Brown Sugar????

I am a diabetic. I have been one for over 10 years. I have learned to modify many recipes and still eat some "sweet" things.

On the top of my list, is Splenda for baking. I have learned to substitute sugar, into many recipes I never thought I would be able to eat.

That is the easy part.

The hard part comes when I need to use brown sugar, there is a Splenda Blend but it still contains regular sugar, so the carbohydrates add up quickly.

My question is, Anyone know of any brand or substitute for Brown sugar that is sugar free?

It would be a great addition to my recipe list.

 

Rather than using refined sugar in my diabetic diet or artificial sweeteners which I appear to react quite negatively to, I cook with honey. Because honey is so expensive, its natural to keep my "sweets" to a minimum or I would be spending a fortune. Honey doesn't spike like refined sugar. Use 2/3 measurement of honey to 1 measurement of refined sugar.

To answer your "brown sugar" question, I add black strap molasses at the rate of 2 tablespoons per cup of honey to achieve that "richer earthier" flavor of brown sugar. I always get blackstrap because it has less refinement processes that make it worse for the diabetic body.

 

Honey is a lot healthier than those substitutes too! All of the antioxidants in it. That's definitely your best bet.

 

Great information.

Do you know the nutritional information for these substitutes. Like Calories, Carbohydrates, etc per serving, and what constitutes a serving in the Diabetic exchange char.

Thank you for taking the time to read the post and answer with such great options.

 

Thank you. So, honey has antioxidants? Great to know. Very important, too.

 

I'm pretty proof positive it does and the more natural the honey the better it is for you. I bought some raw honey awhile back and it was delicious! You just have to warm it up a bit to melt it but it's totally worth it.

 

This is great information Alrikidokie. I have some honey in my pantry, I am not sure what type it is. However, I have frequent a Fresh Market / organic market. I am going to check out their Honey selection.

Thank you for your time in answering this post.

 

I agree with alridokie, honey is really a good substitute for sugar. It also cures many illnesses. In fact it is one of the most nutritious and important substance you can find in the current time. It is no wonder as it is use in making some medicine, vitamins and body revitalizing.

 

I advise you to use acacia honey for sweetening purposes. In addition to it having alot of antioxidants it is recommended for diabetics due to its higher fructose content in comparison to other honeys. Great tasting too!

 

Honey is a great alternative for sure. I used to work at a sugar factory and we used to also sell molasses there. We would just sell all the extra molasses that wasn't used to make the brown sugar. If you use it in your cooking you'll pretty much get the same taste as brown sugar if you use it with Splenda. I'm not sure if they sell molasses where you're located at but if they do then that's probably your best bet.

 

Interesting topic. I'm a Type I diabetic and for years I have used agave nectar to supplement brown sugar in recipes. I try to stay away from Splenda and other sweeteners like those. I just cannot stand the taste. I like to sweeten things as naturally as I possibly can. I do understand using them though. It's the easiest option in a marketplace that does not cater to those that try to stay away from processed sugars.

 

I eat a Primal diet now and I'm insulin resistant thanks to PCOS so I cut all refined sugar out of my diet (except special occasions). Like others in this thread, I don't do well with artificial sugars or sugar alcohols like xylotol. I do allow myself a small amount of honey or maple syrup every now and then in a cup of coffee or tea or when I make a batch of almond flour muffins or cookies but I try to stay away from sweeteners as much as I can. Sometimes I use Stevia and I've been planning to try Monkfruit. Both are natural no-calorie sweeteners that don't spike your blood sugar. When a recipe calls for brown sugar, I either sub in some honey mixed with molasses or I use coconut palm sugar. Coconut palm sugar is nice because it has a sort of caramel/malt flavor to it. I've also used fruit as a sweetener, like applesauce in cakes, pureed dates to make caramel and dried plums to bind other fruit and nuts to make granola bars. Dried dates are particularly good for replacing brown sugar because they taste similar. Sugar has a GI of 65, Maple syrup is 54, Honey is 50 and Coconut Palm Sugar is 35. Fructose (fruit sugar) is 25, Agave Nectar is 15, an ounce of dates is 11 and Stevia or Monkfruit are 0. Keep in mind, that GI isn't the only factor in how a sweetener affects your blood sugar levels. You can look at this GI list (make sure you read the notes at the bottom!) for more info.

My suggestion for brown sugar replacement would be (in order):
Ground dates
Coconut Palm Sugar
Honey + Molasses

 

Thanks, this is a lot of good information. I'm not diabetic but I need to find a brown sugar substitute for my oatmeal.

 

This is so informative as my hubby is a Diabetic and I am border line. Son need to cut to and has wanted us to. $$$ is always an issue with The Man of the House? Thank you all Thank you.