Diabetic Baking:
A Few Simple Substitutions
Yields Better Diabetic Health

Diabetic baking is now allowed back on your menu since some sugar sweetened foods are once again allowed in the diabetic diet. The trick here though is moderation.

All baked goods, in addition to the sweeteners (which generally are carbohydrates) also have fats, calories and generally cholesterol. This combination, if eaten too often and in large quantities will easily “blow away” any of your considerations towards diabetic health.

By most physicians, it is recommended that a standard daily meal plan for the diabetic should include a 2000 calorie/day meal plan with approximately 8-10 teaspoons of that being from sugar(s). Most people believe this is way more than they ingest. But one 12 oz soda per day has double that quantity. Or just one slice of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is 18 teaspoons of sugar.

Almost every item you ingest daily has added sugar or sometimes natural sugars. Most fruits, vegetables, dairy products and some meats have natural sugars all of which must count into your daily carbohydrate totals. Therefore, unknowingly, most people eat 2-3 times more than what is considered their daily quota.

Reasons Sugar Is Needed Even In Diabetic Baking

• the moisture level or moistness of baked goods comes from the sweetener
• helps cakes and muffins to rise (otherwise your baked goods will come out almost as flat as a pancake)
• sugar helps to thicken and gel liquid fillings
• yields the golden brown color on baked goods as the sugars caramelize
• adds sweetness to the finished product

Diabetic Baking Tricks and Solutions

• Sugarfree treats are dry and crumbly: you will always need some type of sugar for good even browning and good texture. An easy way is to keep 2 tablespoons of brown sugar to add moisture and then replace all of the other sweetener. Or using agave nectar as a replacement (reduce the quantity though asked for in the recipe by 1/4 the recommended amount) often will give you a desired result.

  Remember though, agave nectar does still contain the same calories as sugar and is a carbohydrate. The advantage though is agave nectar is a low glycemic sweetener so it does not spike your blood sugars so high and out of control like excessive quantities of normal sugar.

• The cake will not rise: The sugar and baking soda are both responsible for the height of your finished goods. When removing the sugar, add 1/2 teaspoon/cup flour more baking soda to make up the sugar’s allowance.

  Another thing experts in the kitchen have noticed, when baking pies, crisps or cobblers from fruits, reduce the sugar itself by 1/2 in your recipe then add an extra teaspoon of baking soda. The addition of the extra soda will break the acidity of the fruits thus allowing the natural sweetness of the fruit to shine through. Often, a pie prepared with 1/2 sugar can not be discerned from the original recipe by most taste-testers.

• Golden brown hue on top of your diabetic baking is missing. The sugar itself caramelizing is the reason for this color- no sugar, no caramelized color. Some people will add 2 tablespoons of honey or molasses to give this golden hue but remember both of these do contain carbohydrates. To get a carb-free finished result, before your batter goes into the oven, spray the top of the batter with non-stick cooking spray.

• Eliminating the funny aftertaste: many artificial sweeteners, when used in diabetic baking, can leave an awkward aftertaste that few people enjoy. To help alleviate this, double the amount of vanilla extract called for in the recipe and usually this will mask the aftertaste.

Because many people do enjoy a baked treat for their first meal of the day, below I have included two recipes, family favorites, which are safer for the diabetic than much of what you will find pre-made in the store.

Applesauce Raisin Muffins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup softened margarine
• 1 cup all-purpose white flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed or wheat germ
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the apple juice, apple sauce and raisins in the blender. Blend on high to chop raisins, about 30 seconds.
In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs and margarine. Beat on medium till well combined. Add the fruit mixture from blender. stir well. Add the flours, soda, powder and spices. beat just till combined. Do not over mix.
Fill muffin tins with paper liners and fill each liner with batter until 2/3 full. Bake 10-12 minutes till tops spring back when touched.

This second recipe is delicious because it stays so nice and moist with the fruit and vegetable fillings.

Zucchini with Pineapple Quick Bread

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites or two extra large eggs
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tsp. canola oil
• 3/4 cup zucchini, blended until almost liquified in food processor or blender, drain excess moisture
• 1 1/4 cups unsweetened Minute Maid pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
• 1 1/2 tsps. cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, leveled well
• 1 cup whole wheat flour, leveled well
• 2 1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat baking pans with canola oil. (This recipe does not work as well with non-stick spray)In a large bowl, beat by hand beaters the eggs, oil, pureed zucchini and juice concentrate. Add cinnamon and flours and stir by hand for 3 minutes. Stir in baking soda and hand beat approximately 30 seconds and immediately pour batter into 2 well-prepared pans. Place into oven immediately.

Bake 35 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from baking pans after 2 minutes by scoring along the inner edge of pan with a knife. Cool on a wire rack. Wrap in plastic to store in refrigerator till used.

So try some experimenting with your current favorite recipes by making a few simple substitutions . You will find you can come up with a version comparable or even better by using a few of the easier diabetic baking tricks.

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