Sweeteners are a highly functional ingredient, adding more than just a sweet bite. They can be natural, artificial, nutritive, caloric, or zero-calorie, depending on desired taste or nutritional value. Here are a few commonly used it the baking industry.

1. Baking with Sweeteners
Lin Carson, PhD

2. What Are Sweeteners?
They are a highly functional
ingredient, adding more
than just a sweet bite.
1
They can be natural, artificial,
nutritive, caloric, or zero-calorie,
depending on desired taste or
nutritional value.

3. Function in Baking
Sweeteners help with:
✓ Flavor
✓ Crust color (browning)
✓ Shelf life
✓ Tenderization
2

4. Two Categories:3
● Zero or low-calorie
sweeteners. Only some can
be used in baking. Liquid
and dry sweeteners can be
substituted for one another
only with adjustments to the
rest of the formula.
● Provide energy in the
form of carbohydrates.
Some are found naturally
in food, such as fruits, and
others are added to food
before consumption.
NUTRITIVE SWEETENERS NUTRITIVE SWEETENERS

5. Popular Sweeteners
Many sweetners are used in the baking industry.
Here are some of the most popular or interesting:
4
❏ Agave
❏ Brown Sugar
❏ Cane Sugar
❏ High Fructose Corn Syrup
❏ Invert Sugar
❏ Powdered Sugar
❏ Sorbitol
*Not an exhaustive list. Find
more at BAKERpedia.com
*

6. Agave5
Is a low glycemic index food and is
1.5x sweeter than sugar, so less is
needed as a substitute.
A natural sweetener that can be
substituted for honey or sugar. A
popular choice for clean label or
vegan products.
The darker the syrup, the more
flavor and color is imparted on
the final product.

7. Brown Sugar6
It’s finer, softer, and moister than
granulated sugar. When substituting
for granulated white sugar, a small
amount of baking soda is needed to
help neutralize the acidity.
Granulated cane sugar with an
added 3.5 - 6.5% of molasses.
Works well in cookies,
butterscotch, or gingerbread.

8. Cane Sugar7
Used as a tenderizing agent and
moistener in liquid form, and a drying
agent in granular form.
Highly refined, miniscule,
white-granule sugar derived from
the sugar cane plant.
Reacts with heat and moisture in
baked goods in the oven, and
caramelizes to produce a golden
brown crust and enhanced flavor.

9. High Fructose Corn Syrup8
HFCS is cheaper, leads to better
browning and texture in baked goods
and is more stable than granulated
sugar. It also won’t crystalize like
granulated sugar.
Made from a corn syrup, with a
series of three enzymes added to
convert the glucose into fructose.
HFCS 42, 42% fructose and 53%
glucose, is commonly used to
sweeten food products.

10. Invert Sugar9
Invert sugar is sweeter than sugar,
cost effective, extends shelf life,
minimizes crystallization and helps
preserve baked goods.
It is created by splitting sucrose into
two equal parts, glucose and
fructose.
It’s especially beneficial in low-fat
or fat-free products that can
become drier quicker.

11. Powdered Sugar10
Used for dusting, frosting/icing
applications, candy, and in baked
goods for a very tender, delicate
texture.
Also known as confectioner’s sugar
or icing sugar, it’s powdered
granulated sugar and cornstarch.
Substitute 1 ¾ cup of powdered
sugar for every 1 cup of
granulated sugar.

12. Sorbitol11
Roughly 60% as sweet as sucrose and
has approximately 2.6 calories per
gram.
A sugar alcohol that is
manufactured from the glucose
produced from cornstarch.
Its moisture-stabilizing action
makes it a good choice for
products that tend to become dry
or harden.

13. Find all your baking answers on
BAKERpedia.com