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Calling desserts a guilty pleasure feels like a rude way to address something we love. It is natural for everyone to savour two or three more pieces of homemade, appetising desserts that we don't get to eat all year. However, eating them too much might cause health concerns due to the amount of sugar that got into them.
Refined sugar, which is extracted from sugarcane, goes through extensive processing to get rid of the molasses. Also, the method of extracting sugar strips away all the natural components of sugar cane or sugar beets, removing fibre, vitamins, and minerals, leaving behind pure sucrose. This is extremely bad for health when consumed in excess and can lead to several health issues.
If you can't escape the sweet traps of sugary delectables during the festive season, there is a way to make them a healthy and satisfying treat. All you have to do is replace your sugar with these alternatives and make your desserts even tastier and amazing.
Through this article, we are going to tell you about the six best alternatives for sugar that you can use for making desserts for festivals. With them, you won't have to compromise on taste and eat all you want.
1) Raw, Unprocessed Honey
Raw and unprocessed honey, also called forest honey, has been used in culinary practises since ancient times. It is sourced directly from honeycomb and does not go through filtering processes, which retains all the natural properties in it. Raw honey can be used in any dessert, tea, or coffee, as well as salad dressings, sauces, smoothies, spreads, and dips.
2) Date Sugar
Dates contain a high amount of natural sucrose in them. Date sugar is very nutritious and gives a nutty twist to everything. And the plus is that it can be made at home easily! All you have to do is grind dried dates into a fine powder and use it as sugar for your desserts.
3) Coconut Sugar
Coconut has a unique natural sweet taste and its sugar is extracted from the nectar of its flower buds. It is also known as coconut palm sugar and it blends well with Christmas festive dishes made from chocolate. Apart from that, it can be used in tea and coffee and can be added to soups and curries in a small amount to give them a twist.
4) Jaggery
Jaggery is made with the same sugar cane that is used for making processed sugar. Even though it is sourced from the same plant, jaggery differs a lot from refined sugar. It is made with extracted juice from sugarcane, which is filtered and boiled for concentration and then kept for cooling, which solidifies the concentrate. Then the concentrate is divided and turned into jaggery blocks. Jaggery has been in use in ayurvedic medicines for over 3000 years and is a good alternative to sugar for desserts.
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5) Brown Sugar
Despite originating from the same plant using the same methods, what makes brown sugar healthier is its molasses content. Conventionally, sugar refining processes remove molasses due to their appearance. Yes, that is the reason! It's a shame that for the sake of looks, we often go for unhealthy processes to make things look appealing. Brown sugar utilises this by-product of the sugar refining process, which gives it a tanned hue and wet-sand-like consistency. Brown sugar is best when used in baking cakes and cinnamon buns. It can also be used in several different desserts.
6) Stevia
Stevia sugar is derived from the leaves of the plant stevia. Stevia sugar is considered to be 100-300 times sweeter than refined sugar. It is available in liquid as well as powder versions and is a great alternative to sugar for making desserts, tea, and coffee. You can be sure that your meals will taste sweet without sacrificing health or nutrition when you use these natural sugar replacements!
