When it comes to adding sweet flavor to baked foods and beverages, confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar is the go-to ingredient for most people. Besides satisfying our taste buds, icing sugar adds texture and color to baked goods and gives them a striking appearance that will almost make us devour our meal in one gulp.
Despite all the sweetness confectioner’s sugar bings, there are some reasons lots of people have been concerned about finding an alternative. Mainly, these reasons are linked with the health implications of consuming refined sugar.
Confectioners sugar or powdered sugar is the finely grounded version of granulated sugar. As a result, consuming it has the same risk as consuming regular, granulated sugar. Some of the dangers around sugar intake are
- Significant weight gain or obesity
- Possibly of suffering heart disease
- Possibly of developing type 2 diabetes
- Likelihood of developing cancer
- And so on
Maybe you’ve always been concerned about the health risks of confectioner’s sugar, and you also do not want to miss the sweet taste that it offers; here’s the clincher. With the introduction of various confectioners sugar substitute, It’s now possible to enjoy sweet foods and beverages without risking one’s health.
More than that, these confectioners’ sugar substitutes have significant health benefits and boost our immune system as they fill our bellies. They are natural alternatives to refined sugar and can be used in almost every food where sugar is used. Here are some of them
1. Stevia
Stevia is a highly appreciated sugar substitute and natural sweetener derived from the leaves of the famous South American shrub Stevia rebaudiana. The fascinating part is that stevia can have up to 150 times the sweetness of sugar due to the compound called steviol glycosides. Apart from having no calories, stevia helps to reduce the risks of cavities. Thus, it is effective for lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
2. Pure Cane or Sugarcane
Pure Cane sweeteners are made from sugarcane and, like stevia, have no calories. They also come in various colors and taste just like confectioner’s sugar. Most people choose pure cane sweeteners because they provide substantial health benefits, such as
- Regulation of liver functionality
- Boosting the immune system
- Building strong bones due to the presence of calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium.
- Acne treatment
- Obesity management
- And so on
Pure Cane sweeteners can, infact, be used as a substitute to stiffen whipped cream and meringues like icing sugar, and they add custom coloring to your goodies. Best of all, you can sprinkle them on your favorite dessert to get that taste of perfection.
3. Monk fruit sweetener
Monk fruit, which comes from the Siraitia grosvenorii plant, is native to China and is about 300 times sweeter than refined sugar. Despite this staggering degree of sweetness, the plant has no calories.
Its unimaginable taste of sweetness can be traced to compounds called mogrosides found in the plant. Due to its lack of calories, the sweetener helps to reduce blood sugar levels and promotes weight management drastically. Day by day, researchers continue to dive deeper into the chemistry of the Siraitia grosvenorii plant to ensure that it’s absolutely safe to be used as a substitute for confectioner’s sugar.
Finally, other natural substitutes for icing sugar include allulose, dates fruits, yacon syrup, honey, and so on.
