Using sugar substitutes while baking gives you more flexibility in creating your desserts. It is important to note that diabetics do not necessarily avoid using sugar altogether when baking. According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, a very small amount of sweets is allowed in the diet as long as you limit portion sizes. For instance, a single serving of a sweet equals a single three-inch cookie or one plain doughnut.
Saccharin
Saccharin is estimated to be 200 to 700 times sweeter than sugar. When using the sugar substitute in baked goods, you should only use half the amount that the recipe calls for. As an example, substitute ½ cup of sugar with six packets of a saccharin-based sweetener. The saccharin does leave behind a strong aftertaste when placed in baked goods.
Sucralose
Since sucralose will only sweeten baked goods and not help with structuring or browning, you may need to add a few extra ingredients to your recipes. According to the Diabetic Lifestyle website, for every one cup of sucralose used in a cake, add ½ cup of nonfat milk powder and ½ tsp. of baking soda. For cookies, brownies, muffins and breads, you'll need to put in an extra ½ tsp. of baking soda.
Acesulfame Potassium
To reduce the amount of sugar in your baked goods, you can use the artificial sweetener acesulfame potassium for part of the recipe. The All Recipes website suggests you substitute six packets of the sweetener for every ¼ cup of sugar. You should keep a small amount of granulated sugar in the recipe to help with sweetening, browning and keeping the dessert's structure intact.
Considerations
Not all sugar substitutes can be used in baking. Certain artificial sweeteners do not hold up when heated and it may alter the taste of your recipe. For instance, aspartame loses its sweet flavor when baked and cannot be put in cakes and cookies. You can try to use the artificial sweetener in no-bake dessert recipes.
