Sucralose, more commonly known by the brand name Splenda, is an artificial sweetener. It can be a substitute for sugar in your diet, and is used in many lower-calorie snacks and sweets. In addition, the National Cancer Institute has reported that sucralose is safe to use and has no link to cancer risk.
The Basics
Sucralose is derived from sugar, as suggested by its name, which comes from sugar's chemical name, sucrose. Sucralose is FDA-approved and is considered a "noncaloric" sweetener because it does not contain any calories. The National Library of Medicine reports that it is 600 times sweeter than sugar, so a little of it goes a long way. Unlike other artificial sweeteners, sucralose is heat stable, meaning it can be used as a sugar substitute in baking.
Snacks
Many diet foods and drinks use sucralose as a noncaloric sweetener. For example, sucralose is found in Gatorade's Propel Water, several brands of protein powder, and PowerBars. It is also used as a sweetener in diet versions of Breyers, Klondike, and Whitey's ice creams. If you read the labels of health foods, you just might be surprised at how many of them use Splenda or sucralose as their sugar substitute.
Sucralose Substitution
You can substitute Splenda for sugar in your recipes. According to the Splenda Products website FAQ's, you can use a 1-to-1 ratio of one cup sucralose for one cup sugar. When you substitute sucralose in a baking recipe, it tends to cook faster, so monitor your creations closely until you are used to using sucralose. Splenda also provides a sugar-sucralose baking blend that cuts the calories of straight sugar, but still works like sugar. For substitution, use half a cup of the sucralose-sugar mix for every one cup.
Home-Made Sucralose Snacks
Many snack recipes are designed specifically to use sucralose. While sucralose does not react chemically like sugar, so it cannot caramelize, it can still be used in delicious recipes. The Splenda website offers a variety of tempting recipes, from apple muffins to home-made granola. Simply using sucralose instead of sugar does not necessarily mean the snack is automatically healthy, but it will have fewer calories and none of the negative effects of sugar.
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