TPH KETO DESSERTS

MY PREFERRED SWEETENERS FOR BAKING ARE POLYOLS (ALSO CALLED sugar-alcohols), WHICH ARE NATURAL NUTRITIVE SWEETENERS MADE MOSTLY BY FERMENTING STARCHES OR SUGARS TO CREATE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LOW-DIGESTIBILITY carbs that act like digestive fiber. MANY ARE NATURALLY-OCCURING IN NATURE, BUT FOR OUR USES THEY ARE STILL A "PROCESSED FOOD". ONE OF THE GREAT UPSIDES TO POLYOLS IS THAT NONE OF THEM CONTRIBUTE IN ANY WAY TO TOOTH DECAY. THE ONE DOWNSIDE IS THAT, WHEN OVER-INDULGED IN, MOST POLYOLS (EXCEPT ERYTHRITOL) CAN HAVE THE SAME EFFECT ON THE DIGESTIVE TRACT AS OVER-CONSUMING PRUNES AND BEANS. BECAUSE OF LIMITED LONG-TERM RESEARCH INTO DAILY HUMAN CONSUMPTION, WE CAN NOT CLAIM THAT POLYOLS ARE ANY TYPE OF "HEALTH FOOD", BUT THEY ARE A FAR BETTER ALTERNATIVE TO THE TOOTH-DECAYING, ADDICTIVE, AND DIABETES-INDUCING AMOUNTS OF SUGAR THAT THE AVERAGE AMERICAN CONSUMES DAILY.

 

MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE SWEETENER IS STEVIA LEAF EXTRACT (OR MONKFRUIT EXTRACT) SINCE THESE ARE TRULY NATURAL AND ARE FOUND IN NATURE. THE ONLY DOWNSIDE TO THESE IS THAT THEY ACT LIKE FLAVORINGS IN BAKING, NOT LIKE SUGAR, SO THEY ARE BEST USED IS COMBINATION WITH POLYOLS.

 

MY FAVORITE POLYOL IS ERYTHRITOL (WHERE TO BUY) BECAUSE IT IS THE EASIEST TO DIGEST OUT OF ALL POLYOLS, AND HAS THE LOWEST CARB COUNT.

 

THOUGH ERYTHRITOL IS IDEAL, WHEN BAKING WITH HIGH HEAT I OFTEN NEED SOMETHING THAT BETTER MIMICS THE WAY SUGAR REACTS WHEN HEATED. IN THESE CASES I ADD OR SUBSTITUTE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING POLYOLS:  

 

 

***update: A NEW SWEETENER IS NOW BEING SOLD CALLED ALLULOSE , WHICH HAS BEEN MEASURED TO HAVE NO EFFECT ON BLOOD SUGAR, YET IT ACTS VERY SIMILARLY TO SUGAR AND SO CAN BE USED IN SYRUPS AND CARAMELS!!! I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS OVER XYLITOL, ALTHOUGH IT IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN XYLITOL. IT IS HARD TO FIND OUTSIDE OF THE USA (AS OF 2018) BUT ITS COUSIN TAGATOSE IS AVAILABLE ON iHerb.com IN MANY COUNTRIES.

 

XYLITOL (WHERE TO BUY) BUT IT HAS A CONSIDERABLY HIGHER CARB COUNT (and requires some time for digestive adjustment) SO I RECOMMEND IT IN ONLY SMALL QUANTITIES, BUT IT PROVIDES KETO COOKIES WITH CRISP EDGES AND CHEWY CENTERS, AS WELL AS HELPING MAINTAIN MOISTURE IN CAKES AND MUFFINS, AND CAN EVEN MAKE THICK SYRUP-LIKE CONSISTENCY TREATS LIKE GOOEY KETO CARAMEL.

 

 

IN MY OLDER RECIPES I OFTEN USED A TINY BIT OF MOLASSES TO GET THAT BROWN SUGAR FLAVOR, BUT RECENTLY I'VE DISCOVERED THAT YACON SYRUP OR SUKRIN GOLD WORK GREAT AS BROWN SUGAR SUBSTITUTES, AND HAVE ZERO SUGAR CONTENT.