Whether you're trying to cut back on the number of refined foods you eat or have just run out of sugar in the middle of cooking, many common foods make good sugar substitutes. Using an alternate sweetener can change the taste or texture of your recipe and using a replacement doesn't necessarily mean you'll cut back on calories, either. Honey, for example, has 22 calories per teaspoon compared with table sugar's 16.
Honey
Honey is a common sugar substitute. For each cup of sugar in the your recipe, use 13/16 cup of honey -- that's 1 cup minus 3 tbsp. Reduce other liquids in the recipe by 3 tbsp. for each cup of honey used, and add a pinch of baking soda to the recipe to neutralize any acidity in the honey.
Maple Syrup
If you like the taste of real maple syrup, you can use it as a sugar substitute in recipes in which the maple syrup flavor won't overpower other ingredients. Use 3/4 to 1 cup maple syrup for each cup of sugar and reduce the other liquid in the recipe by 3 tbsp.
Molasses and Sorghum
Both molasses, which is made from sugar, and sorghum syrup, made from the grain sorghum and also called sorghum molasses, can be used as a sugar substitute. The substitution procedure is the same for both molasses and sorghum syrup. For each cup of sugar, use 1 cup of molasses or sorghum. Reduce any baking powder in the recipe by 1 tsp. but add 1/2 tsp. of baking soda, and reduce other liquids in the recipe by 6 tbsp. Sorghum syrup and light molasses have a less assertive taste than dark or blackstrap molasses.
Corn Syrup
Corn syrup can replace up to 1/2 of the sugar specified in recipes. For each cup of sugar, use 1 cup corn syrup and reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup. For example, if a quick bread recipe calls for 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water, you'd use 1 cup of corn syrup, 1 cup of sugar and 3/4 cup of water. Corn syrup has a neutral taste and shouldn't change the flavor of the recipe.
Artificial Sweeteners
Many artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes are approved for use in the United States and might be useful for people such as diabetics, who must avoid natural sugars and sweeteners. Not all artificial sweeteners are suitable for cooking, however, so read the package labels carefully. Also note that some products are not suitable for all consumers. People with phenylketonuria cannot use aspartame, for example. Ask your physician whether you should have any restrictions on your use of sugar substitutes.
One Sugar for Another
If you've run out of granulated sugar in the middle of cooking, you can substitute 1 cup of firmly packed brown sugar or 1-1/3 cups confectioners sugar for each cup of sugar in the recipe. Don't use confectioners sugar as a substitute in baking recipes, though. If you're out of confectioners sugar, replace each cup called for with 3/4 cup granulated sugar run through a blender or food processor until powdery. For each cup of brown sugar listed in a recipe, you can substitute 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup granulated sugar mixed with 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses or 1/2 cup liquid brown sugar.
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