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Sugar Free Recipes - Why and How to Make Them

Sugar Free Recipes, desserts and products have been hitting the market by the dozens in recent years. Many people are realizing that their health problems are related to sugar consumption and they are looking for alternatives. Unfortunately, the food industry has taken advantage of this public need by introducing a wide array of highly processed and/or artificial sweeteners; many of which are shown to cause even more disease than sugar.

Sugar causes major health complications, but just because it says “sugar free” on the package doesn’t mean it’s safe to eat. Read this page to become a more educated consumer and learn how to prepare delicious and healthy sugar free desserts using our sugar free recipes.

Humans Like it Sweet

Human beings have a natural preference toward the sweet flavor. It conjures up feelings of comfort, security and abundance. It is subconsciously associated with mother’s milk and ripe fruit. Sweetness sends a message to your brain that everything is all right.

It is in our evolutionary genetic makeup to enjoy and desire sweetness. Within a natural environment and food supply, there is no need for sugar free recipes because the natural sugars found in ripe fruit, sweet tubers, and whole grains provide almost instant energy. They use very little digestive energy to produce glucose to feed the brain, power muscles and maintain glycogen stores.¹ We may have evolved through natural selection to have a preference for sweetness, but the industrialization of the food supply has turned that preference against us!

How Sugar Took Over the World

For almost 2,000 years the juice from the sugar cane has been the fulfillment of our desire for “sweet.” What started in India as people chewing on fresh sugar cane has turned in to a global addiction and a multi-billion dollar industry. Global trade routes, slave labor, an increasingly mechanized refinement process and government subsidies have made this once luxury item a cheap “necessity” for people in almost every country in the world.²

In the late 1800s, people in the US were consuming about 5 pounds of sugar per year. With the development of the industrial food supply and the use of sugar to sweeten and preserve numerous processed food products, sugar consumption steadily rose. Traditional sugar free recipes were pushed aside as US sugar consumption peaked in 1971 at a shocking 102 pounds of sugar per person per year!³

Since the early 1970s we’ve been gradually eating less sugar from sugar cane and beets. This decline follows the introduction of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). HFCS has replaced more than half of the sugar we were eating before the 1970s. In 2007, the average American ate 62 pounds of sugar, 56 pounds of HFCS and 20 pounds of other corn based sweeteners (including glucose syrup, maltodextrin and dextrose).³ That’s a total of 138 pounds of highly refined added sugars per person!

Meanwhile, the USDA recommends limiting yourself to 8 teaspoons of added sugar per day (within a 2000 calorie/day diet). If the average American is consuming 138 pounds of added sugar per year that means they’re eating 44 teaspoons per day. No wonder why we have such a need for sugar free recipes and products. That’s 5 times the USDA recommendation.

The food industry has made it easy to overdo it. When a 12oz soda has 10 teaspoons of added sugar and an 8oz container of fruit-flavored yogurt has 7 teaspoons of added sugar, it’s nearly impossible to eat processed foods without overdoing it.⁴ Forget about the ice cream and cake! Unless, of course, you make your own using delicious sugar free recipes.

Refined Sugar Causes Disease

These refined sugars cause serious health complications for the people who eat them. The refinement process leaves them absolutely devoid of nutrients, turning them into empty calories. These empty calories wreak havoc on your blood sugar, tax your detox organs and cause you to gain weight.

And that’s not all. Excess sugar consumption is associated with the following diseases and conditions:⁵

Obesity
Hypoglycemia
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Heart disease
Cadidiasis
Anemia
Immune deficiency
Tooth decay, and bone loss
Herpes
Yeast infections
Cancer
Menstrual problems, including PMS
Male impotence
Increased uric acid (which causes Gout)
Hyperactivity
Loss of memory and concentration
Nervousness, violence, paranoia, and emotional upsets

We can tell you from personal experience that kicking sugar out of your diet is the single best thing you can do for your health. It’s a hard addiction to break, but once you’re free from it you’ll never miss it - or the symptoms it caused you.

“When natural sugar is refined and concentrated, the life force is dispersed and the natural balance upset. Refined sugar passes quickly into the bloodstream in large amounts, giving the stomach and pancreas a shock. An acid condition forms which consumes the body’s minerals quickly. Thus calcium is lost from the system, causing bone problems. The digestive system is weakened and food cannot be digested or assimilated properly. This leads to a blood-sugar imbalance and to further craving for sugar”

Paul Pitchford, Healing with Whole Foods

The High Fructose Complication

HFCS consumption can be attributed to the diseases mentioned above as well. But this highly industrialized product carries even more health hazards. Whereas cane and beet sugar is highly refined, the chemical structure of HFCS is radically changed in its processing. Genetically Modified (GMO) enzymes and toxic chemicals are used to convert simple corn syrup into HFCS.

Your body handles refined fructose very differently than table sugar. Fructose stimulates liver production of glycerol and raises blood levels of triglycerides. Increased triglycerides contribute to high cholesterol and heart disease.⁶

There is also evidence that fructose stimulates appetite and suppresses the sensation of fullness.⁷ That sounds like a recipe for weight gain. Combined with its empty calories and effect on blood sugar, no wonder HFCS is reputed to be the main culprit in our current obesity and diabetes epidemics. Natural, sugar free recipes are critical for treating these illnesses holistically.

“In a 2007 study, rats were fed a diet high in fat and HFCS and kept relatively sedentary for 16 weeks in an attempt to emulate the diet and lifestyle of many Americans. Within four weeks, the rats showed early signs of fatty liver disease and type II diabetes.”⁷

In 2005, some samples of HFCS manufactured in the US were found to be contaminated with mercury. “The mercury appeared to come from caustic soda and hydrochloric acid, two chemicals used in the manufacture of HFCS that can, depending on their manufacturing process, contain traces of mercury.”⁷

Despite recent claims from the Corn Grower’s Association, HFCS is not a natural product. If it’s not natural, it’s not good for your body.

Artificial Sweeteners - A Dangerous Answer

So, it seems like it should go without saying that artificial sweeteners aren’t a healthy substitution for all this sugar and HFCS. And we certainly aren't using them in our sugar free recipes. But just in case you may be tempted by the many sugar free desserts and products made with these “zero calorie sweeteners,” we’re going to say it anyway. Artificial sweeteners are hazardous to your health!

After repeated rejections from the FDA and a series of shockingly corrupt deals, Aspartame was eventually allowed into our food supply in the early 1980s. Numerous studies show it to cause major neurological damage with symptoms that include migraines, mental confusion, brain lesions, Alzheimer’s, and memory loss. This is because the methyl alcohol in aspartame converts into formaldehyde, a deadly neurotoxin.⁸

Splenda, which is made by chlorinating sugar has been found to cause diarrhea, damage to organs, immune system and reproduction, swelling of the liver and kidneys and a decrease in fetal body weight.⁸ Some new artificial sweeteners are being released this year (2009) by Coca Cola and Cargill. These products are promoted as being made from Stevia, a naturally sweet plant from Paraguay. But these pure white powders are a far cry from the dark green Stevia plant.

In your effort to find alternatives to sugar and HFCS be wary of sugar free claims. Most of the sugar free recipes you may be able to find online rely on these toxic artificial sweeteners. And often products that are promoted as lite, diet, low calorie, or sugar free are loaded with toxic food additives and artificial sweeteners.

Sugar Free Recipes Let you Enoy the Sweetness Provided by Nature

In accordance with our natural whole foods philosophy we recommend eating naturally sweet foods and using natural sweeteners for your sugar free recipes and desserts. This may be easier said than done, at first.

Choosing natural sweetness means eating mostly whole foods and leaving most of the processed products on the grocery shelf. It also means readjusting to your body’s natural desire for sweetness by using sugar free recipes. Excessive use of refined sugars has likely increased your tolerance and desire for sweets to unhealthy levels. Choosing milder, natural sweeteners will allow your body to readjust and free you from the sugar cycle so you can begin to enjoy naturally sugar free recipes and desserts as a special treat once again.

“Sweet food has become such an everyday occasion in the United States that we have lost our gratitude for its special nature.”

Paul Pitchford, Healing with Whole Foods

Of course, the sweetest whole food is fresh ripe fruit. When eaten in this form, the natural sugars of the fruit are accompanied with the exact combination of enzymes, minerals, vitamins, and fiber that your body needs for healthy digestion and optimal utilization. Naturally sweet vegetables, like yams, parsnips, carrots and beets offer the same benefit and are used in some of our sugar free recipes. When eaten regularly, their mellow sweet flavor can help to curb sugar cravings. A more mild, yet still satisfying form of natural sweetness is whole grains. When whole grains are properly prepared and chewed well, they release a natural sweetness that calms the nervous system and alleviates the desire for excess sweets.

But you probably want to be able to have some cookies and cakes too, right? A variety of delicious sugar free recipes can be made with natural sweeteners. You may even be able to find prepared foods made with natural sweeteners. Just make sure to always read ingredients and be on the look out for tricks in your treat.

Many of these so called natural sweeteners are still processed into concentrated syrups. Due to conflicting information about the processing and health impacts of the concentrated syrup sweeteners, we recommend using them in moderation and not relying too heavily on any one product for your sugar free recipes. Within the context of a natural whole foods diet these natural sweeteners can provide a satisfying and safe alternative to sugar, HFCS and artificial sweeteners. Our sugar free recipes use a variety of the following sweeteners.

Natural Sweeteners

Agave Nectar

Agave is a desert succulent plant that grows wild in Mexico. Agave Nectar is a processed syrup made by converting the inulin of the agave plant into fructose.

The process used for this conversion is a fairly new development in food technology and similar to the process used to create HFCS. The result of the process is a syrup or “nectar” that contains 70-90% fructose. As mentioned above, excessive fructose consumption can lead to increased triglyceride levels, high cholesterol and heart disease.

So far, agave nectar has been marketed as a natural sweetener and there are no reports of negative health consequences resulting from its use. Yet it’s difficult to find out exactly how it is processed. A spokesperson for Madhava (one the primary agave manufacturers) stated that, “There are no chemicals whatsoever involved in the production of Madhava's agave nectar from agave salmiana, nor is it cooked. Our agave is subject only to low temperatures during the evaporation of excess water from the juice.”⁹

Agave nectar appears to be a low glycemic sweetener. It is easy to use in sugar free recipes and produces delicious baking results. Since its health effects are still up for debate we recommend paying attention to how it affects your body and using it in moderation.

Dried Fruit

Dried fruit like dates, raisins and figs can be soaked and pureed to create a deliciously simple and completely natural sweetener for sugar free desserts. Dried mulberries and goldenberries are sweet superfoods that you can find at some health food stores and many superfood or raw food websites.

Date Sugar

Date sugar is ground from dehydrated dates. High in fiber and rich in vitamins and minerals, dates are a wonderful source of sweetness. Date sugar can be used to replace refined sugar to turn conventional recipes into sugar free recipes, though it isn’t a good choice for sweetening beverages because it doesn’t fully dissolve.

Applesauce and Bananas

Natural applesauce and smashed bananas can be added to moisten and sweeten a variety of sugar free desserts, including cookies, cakes and muffins. Frozen bananas are a key ingredient in some sugar free recipes for ice cream and milkshakes (see recipes below).

Concentrated Fruit Juice

You can make fruit juice concentrate at home by boiling eight cups of organic juice until it reduces to two cups. Cool and freeze. To use, warm a knife under hot water and cut out the amount of frozen juice needed.

Stevia

Stevia is a natural sweet plant native to Paraguay. “Stevia leaves are incredibly sweet, tasting as much as 30 times sweeter than sugar, yet they contain no sucrose. Stevia leaves contain glycosides, which taste very sweet to the tongue, but contain no sugar, no calories, and no carbohydrates. Therefore, despite its sweetness, stevia does not have a GI (Glycemic Index) nor does it affect the body’s insulin levels. Stevia has also been shown to aid the pancreas and improve digestion and it is ideal for people with diabetes and those that are intolerant to sugar, seeking weight control, or trying to avoid tooth decay.”¹⁰

“Because stevia is a whole herbal food, it contains other properties that nicely complement its sweetness. A report from the Hiroshima University School of Dentistry indicates that stevia actually suppresses dental bacteria growth rather than feeding it as other sugars do.” ⁵

Important Note: Use only the green or brown stevia extracts and powders. Avoid the clear extracts, white powders and new products that claim to be made from stevia. Because these are highly refined and lack essential phyto-nutrients they are likely to cause imbalance.⁵

Raw Honey

Raw Honey is one of the most natural and oldest sweeteners known to humans. It has more calories than sugar, has a higher glycemic index and is much sweeter. But, in its natural raw state, it contains high levels of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Therefore it doesn’t upset the mineral balance or cause many of the other health complications of sugar.⁵

Used as a natural medicine for thousands of years, raw honey harmonizes the liver, neutralizes toxins, heals ulcers, and eases stress and constipation.⁵ Local honey is always the best option. It can be used to treat seasonal and environmental allergies.

Honey should not be heated and is therefore not a good option for baked goods. Because it is high glycemic it should also be avoided or used in strict moderation by those with blood sugar issues including hypoglycemia and diabetes and by those with Candiasis.

Grade B Maple Syrup

Grade B Maple syrup is an excellent source of manganese and a good source of zinc.¹¹ Maple syrup is the boiled-down sap of maple trees. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. Maple syrup has twice as much calcium as milk. Not all maple syrup is pure. Lard is sometimes used as a de-foaming agent and some syrup contains traces of formaldehyde, a carcinogen, so it is best to buy organic maple syrup.

Brown Rice Syrup

A traditional Asian sweetener, brown rice syrup is made from rice starch converted into maltose, a complex sugar. Rice syrup is the mildest-flavored of the liquid sweeteners and contains trace amounts of B vitamins and minerals. It is easy to use in your sugar free recipes.

Molasses

Molasses can be a great high mineral source of sweetness. Choose unsulphured or blackstrap molasses for the highest levels of calcium, iron and potassium.