Stevia Cooking Tips

The possibilities are endless when it comes to cooking & baking with Stevia. Since stevia can be heated up to 400 degrees you can use it in your next batch of cookies or in that special birthday cake you bake.

Below is a list that will help you to substitute stevia in your foods that you prepare and use everyday. There is always a healthy substitution; it just takes a little creativity to pull it all together.

Instead of Sugar:

• Stevia is the best alternative to sugar.  Replace 1 cup sugar for 1 tsp liquid stevia, or 1/3 to 1/2 tsp. stevia extract powder, or 18-24 packets. Stevia is very sweet, please refer to the comparison chart for other equivalency measurements.

Instead of Chocolate: 1 ounce or square

• It is so easy to cook and bake with unsweetened chocolate. Just add a little stevia to sweeten the recipe.
  Recipe: 3 Tablespoons unsweetened, un-roasted cocoa powder plus 12 drops stevia liquid.
  

Instead of Chocolate, semisweet:  1-2/3 ounces

• Recipe:  1 ounce unsweetened chocolate plus 12 drops stevia clear

Instead of pre-made Apple Sauce:

• Next time you are at the grocery store be sure to walk right past the pre-made apple sauce and over to the fresh apples.  Making fresh apple sauce is extremely easy and fun, and by making your own you know you are getting quality sauce with no-sugar and no-preservatives.
  Recipe: Easy Apple Sauce
  3 apples
  2 pears
  2-3 drops liquid stevia.
  Cut apples and pears into tiny pieces. Throw all ingredients in the blender along with the stevia and blend well. To mix things up try adding your favorite fruit, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries etc. Cranberries work nicely in this recipe around the holidays, good luck.

Instead of pre-sweetened Yogurt:

• The same goes for yogurt, pass right by the sweetened yogurts and grab the plain instead.   It is so much more delicious and rewarding when you make your own fruit and yogurt cups.  You can add sweetness and flavor to plain yogurt when you add flavored liquid stevia and fresh fruit chunks.  You can eat your yogurt without guilt, knowing that there is no added sugar or artificial sweeteners in this sweet snack.   

Instead of Plain ice-cubes:

• Your ice-tea has never tasted so good! Add the liquid stevia to your ice-cube trays and sweeten your tea as you ice it.  Add two drops of liquid stevia to each compartment in the ice-cube tray.  On a hot summer day this refreshingly sweet treat will cool you from the inside out.

Instead of Sugary Popsicles:

• Make your own popsicles for the kids with fresh fruit chunks and stevia. If you don’t have plastic Popsicle holders you can use little cups, or even the ice-cube tray. Use your favorite fruit of the season, chopped into tiny pieces, equal parts water and stevia to taste, the kids will love this homemade treat.

Instead of Regular Butter:  

• Substitute Apple Butter made with stevia instead of regular butter for a special treat that will keep your taste buds satisfied.
  Recipe: Easy Apple Butter:
  7 cups applesauce
  7 tsp stevia clear liquid
  ¼ cup vinegar
  1 tsp. cinnamon or allspice
  Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat and turn down and let boil for 15 minutes; stirring occasionally. Pour into jars and seal at once.

Please remember when cooking and baking with stevia that for every 1 cup of sugar that is replaced by stevia there should be 1/3 cup of a liquid or other “bulk” added to the recipe. The liquid is needed to create the bulk affect that the sugar normally would. A few liquid substitutions include:

• Yogurt
• Apple sauce
• Apple butter
• 100% Fruit juice: apple, pineapple, grape etc.
• Fruit puree
• Egg whites
• Water

Any liquid that pertains to the recipe will work just fine, for example, use extra banana puree for the liquid in a banana bread recipe.