Sugar, Syrup & Honey Substitutes

Baking is one of life's pleasures. Sometimes substitutions must be made but it is important to understand how to set about making changes before you get started. Sugar, syrup and honey are basic sweeteners used in baking and uncooked foods and desserts. All these sweeteners are selectively interchangeable. Several factors must be considered when substituting sweeteners in a recipe. Artificial sugar and liquid substitutes are available that make sweets an option for people restricted to special diets. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Sugar

Honey may be substituted for sugar but you should use a little less honey than sugar because it is sweeter. For each cup of honey you should add teaspoon of baking soda. You should also lower the baking temperature by 25 degrees when replacing sugar with honey. According to Cooks, sugar may be substituted for brown sugar. For every cup of brown sugar, substitute cup granulated sugar plus cup molasses. Sucralose is a granulated chemical sugar substitute that may be used cup for cup in baking and other foods for a low-calorie sweetener. According to the Mayo Clinic, the maximum daily accepted intake of Sucralose is 450 mg, which is 100 times less than the amount that may cause health problems.

Syrup

Corn syrup is a thick, sweet syrup. There are two kinds of corn syrup: light and dark. These two syrups may be used interchangeably. Golden syrup, honey or molasses may be substituted measure for measure. Simple syrup made with 2 parts sugar and 1 part water may also be substituted. Maple syrup is made from the sap of sugar maple trees. Honey thinned with apple juice or granulated sugar is a good substitute. The Cook's Thesaurus states that when baking, substitute 1 cup sugar for every cup of maple syrup, then increase the liquid in the recipe by 3 tablespoons per cup of sugar.Sugar is less acidic than maple syrup, so if your recipe calls for baking soda, reduce the amount by teaspoon for each cup of sugar.

Honey

According to The Joy of Baking, there are several good choices when looking for a substitute for honey. Use cup maple syrup and cup granulated white sugar; cup light or dark corn syrup and cup granulated white sugar; cup light molasses with cup granulated white sugar. Sugar may be substituted for honey. Use 1 cups granulated white or brown sugar with cup additional liquid in the recipe plus teaspoon cream of tartar.