That looks really yummy

I have never tried it. Where do you buy it?

Oh, my! That looks scrumptious.

I've just started to read about sugar substitutes and had actually received a sample of "Just Like Sugar."

Have you had any problems with baking with xylitol?

Jennifer.

Hi LisaK and oatmeal_bliss

I buy Xylitol at my organic grocery store. I live in Denver, so the store I use is Vitamin Cottage. It's not too hard to find Xylitol and not too expensive - about $7 for 2.5 Lbs. I have tried all sorts of sweeteners like Stevia, Agave Nectar, the Splenda Blends, Sucanat, Sweet Perfection, etc. Xylitol is the only one that bakes and tastes exactly like sugar! Baking at this high altitude is a challenge enough, but I have never had a problem baking with it

The beauty of using it is that you can take any recipe, even the recipes that you grew up loving, and substitute for the sugar with Xylito. Then to make it even more healthful - use a high Omega-3 oil like Smart Balance instead of vegetable oil - or Smart Balance Omega Plus (not the light!) instead of butter. When I must use a whole egg, I rely on the Land 'o Lakes eggs that have 300mg Omgega/egg. When the recipe calls for nuts, I toast them just till you can smell the fragrant oils and then the flavor is enhanced so I need to use just 1/2 the amount. I use Dream Whip (it has no trans fats) when I need whipped cream and make good use of the sugar free pudding mixes for toppings and fillings - then have Splenda, but you can't win 'em all.

I'm an RN and I do some baking for diabetics at a nearby senior center, so I take the research on these products seriously - and I work at a cooking school, so I know a bit about the techniques.

That's about as good as it gets when you have a family and husband who love, love, love having baked good around the house - and we're all on target with our weight and body fat ratios. Let me know what you think... You're going to be so happy you discovered Xylitol. Be warned that if you bake for guests, they will not believe that these goodies are sugar free

Suzzane.

Thanks for taking the time to reply with such a detailed explanation... you're a sweetie!

The only worry I have about Xylitol is the side effects. I know it is a sugar alcohol, which tend to upset my stomach (bloaty, gassiness type symptoms).

And there is absolutely no aftertaste? No way you can tell it's sugar free? Makes you wonder why it is not replacing sugar in grocery baked goods (hmm... maybe something to do with the evil sugar cane industry???).

Jennifer.

Thank you so much for that info. I am going to look for it at Whole Foods. I have always wanted to bake, but don't do it because of the fat and calorie content. I know my kids would be happier if I did. They are always begging me to buy cookies and cupcakes at the store and I won't do it. I am going to print this so I will remember everything you said. Thanks again

Yay!!! Baked goods at Lisa's house

Xylitol just sounds kinda scary. What is it exactly

Lisa there are a few good tricks like substituting apple sauce for some or all of the butter/margarine.. that really cut down on fat/sugar when baking.

Suzanne, once again you have blown me away with yet another beautiful food presentation!
I love it how you always try to make everyday slimmed down, you have gift!
I always try to do the same, but it never turns out as pretty as ur things, congrats!

typo... *everything*

I am not a dessert person - but that is very tempting!

I have tried to use xylitol twice in baking (one in brownies and once in biscotti) and both turned out very dry. Should I have done something different? Taste was good but just way to dry!

Gayle

hi suzanne,

i only and exclusively use xylitol. the health benefits are sensational. there is nothing, NOTHING that comes even close to this stuff. i use it in whatever i bake or drink. but i'm curious: you said you pay around 7 bucks for 2.5lb? is this still true? if yes, this would be sensational. the cheapest i could find so far - online - is around 6 bucks for 1 lb. where exactly do you buy it and do you know whether they also ship it? i'm in new york.
thanks
p.

I use xylitol a lot also. I've noticed a very, very subtle taste difference so sometimes I use a little sugar with the xylitol. But the main thing I wanted to tell you is that a cheap place to get xylitol is vitaminlife.com. I get NOW brand xylitol for 3.89 a lb or 9.74 for 2.5 lbs (there is a flat shipping fee of $6 I believe, but that's still a lot cheaper than anywhere else and especially if you order a bunch at once cause the shipping is a flat rate so it's cheaper per lb). Also, if you have any digestive issues with xylitol, you might want to try erythritol, it's very similar to xylitol but doesn't cause any digestive issues as xylitol sometimes can. I use that also. It is more expensive, but might be worth it. You can find it online.

Wow! This looks GREAT!! Can you post the recipe? I would love to surprise my family with a deep dark chocolate cake like I used to make with sugar...
hg.