People often want to find replacements for table sugar in their diets. But which areas are you able to replace sugar? Does xylitol bake as well? Cook as well? Will it dissolve in liquids just as easily? Well the answer to these is yes, yes and yes.

When you go to replace sugar with a xylitol sweetener, what ratio should your sugar to xylitol sweetener be? Generally, you can replace your sugar with a 1:1 ratio of xylitol. That being said, many find that they don’t need as large of portions of xylitol sweeteners as they would sugar. They have found that a ratio of ½ xylitol to 1 sugar works out perfectly for them. We recommend you test out what flavors and sweetness you are looking for, and adjust your recipes accordingly. You should also be wary of the GI problems that often bother people who are not used to xylitol. That means play with small amounts until you know what is going to happen.

So where do we recommend switching out sugar for xylitol sweeteners? Just about anywhere.

Your morning tea or coffee

Xylitol sweeteners dissolve just like sugar, and sweeten your morning, evening, or whenever drinks.

Hot and cold cereals

Healthy cereals are often a bit bland and need a bit of sweetness to make them more enjoyable. However, when you’re trying to eat healthy, the last thing you want to do is add sugar to your food.

How do you remedy this problem?  That’s where xylitol sweeteners come into play. Where you would normally add sugar to your healthy cereal, add xylitol. Save your diet with xylitol sweeteners.

Baking Recipes

Switching out sugar for xylitol in baking is a no brainer. You don’t have to sacrifice flavor for a low sugar or low calorie recipe. Xylitol can absorb moisture quicker than table sugar, so it’s important to remember this while creating your baking masterpieces. While you should be fine using a 1:1 ratio, some recipes might require a smidge more liquid. Use your best judgment when finding the right consistency for your recipes.

Jams and preservatives

When making homemade jams and preservatives, switch out your sugar for a xylitol sweetener. Xylitol can often crystalize when refrigerated, so adding a bit of xantham gum will remedy this problem and keep your jams or preservatives as good as the day you made them.

Brown Sugar

There are a lot of recipes that call for brown sugar. Many might not think they are able to switch out brown sugar for xylitol, but it’s surprisingly easy. Don’t feel stuck when a recipe needs brown sugar, just add 1 or 2 teaspoons of molasses along with a 1:1 ratio of xylitol, and you’re all set.

Now that we’ve gone over just a few of the places you can substitute xylitol, there’s a few places that you might not want to.

Breads that rise

Unfortunately, yeast can’t metabolize xylitol, so it shouldn’t be used as a sugar replacement in any kind of bread that rises.

Crème Brûlée topping

Xylitol doesn’t caramelize or “hard crack.” This is because xylitol remains stable under high heat. This means xylitol isn’t the most suitable replacement for a crème brûlée topping.

Start changing the way you enjoy the sweeter things in life and pick up some xylitol from your local store, or visit our products page to find the best brands of xylitol sweeteners.

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