My Favorite Natural Sweeteners for Daily Life and Baking

There is no shortage of information out there about sugar and it’s effects on your body. I’ve written a blog post in the past and recorded an entire podcast episode about why you should consider avoiding sugar in your day to day life. 

So, I won’t go into that much here. 

However, since I feel so strongly about cutting out refined sugars, I wanted to give you some of my favorite alternatives so you have options for sweetening life up a bit!

A few general cautions with all of these natural sweeteners:

First, know that while some will have a glycemic index and others won’t, you still want to use sweeteners in moderation. 

Also, this is a list of MY favorites. It is not extensive, it’s simply a good representation of what I use on a regular basis. 

Lastly, I LOVE desserts and totally believe that you don’t have to constantly feel deprived in life. Yes, I love a bowl of kale, but it’s not a treat in the same way a cookie is a treat. So, if you can make some healthy swaps to your favorite treats and enjoy some goodies every now and then, then, by all means, do it! 

This post is all about sharing how I do that for our family using some common (and not so common) natural sweeteners. 

My Favorite Natural Sweetener: Stevia

Stevia can get a bad wrap at times, but at its core, it’s simply an herb that is naturally sweet. Stevia is about 300 times sweeter than sugar and CAN be highly processed. 

However, when purchased from a reputable source that manufactures and produces it properly, it is a fantastic option for sweetening your coffee or baking. It has no glycemic index, and according to my research, there are no long-term negative effects of using stevia on a regular basis.

Part of why some people don’t like Stevia is because of the bitter aftertaste it can have. Which is very real, and I honestly can’t blame them. BUT…I’ve been using the Stevita Spoonable brand for a while now and due to the fact that it uses a cold water extraction method, it truly has no aftertaste. So, even if you’ve tried Stevia in the past and didn’t like it, give this brand a shot. I’ve never had anyone try it kind and not love it. 

This brand can’t be bought in stores in the spoonable version, so you need to grab it online! 

A few notes about Stevia:

• Not all stevias are created equally. Some are highly processed. 
• The least processed stevia out there (and also the least sweet) is liquid or powdered green Stevia
• Stay away from mega brands that are using GMO fillers and additives. (A vegetable filler is okay, but a corn filler and a highly processed chemical process to extract the sweetness is NOT necessary and not helpful).

A Great Second Option: Honey

Many store-bought honey brands have zero nutritional benefits because they are so processed, so you want to stay away from the honey bear types of honey. 

However, raw honey is a great natural sweetener. I love cooking with honey because it adds a great texture to your baked goods and has such a rich, dynamic flavor profile. 

Whether it’s drizzling some honey on berries or into my whipped cream, the robust flavor of raw honey is absolutely delicious.

Honey does have a glycemic effect, so it’s not something I use on a daily basis as I want to make sure I am not training my brain to think…”oooooh, this is oh-so-good, oh-so-sweet, I want more of it.” 

My favorite type of honey to buy is local raw honey which I’ve also heard is great for helping to reduce allergies!  I don’t have any allergies, but love to shop local just to support other business owners in the area!

Your Breakfast Sweetener: Maple syrup

While many recipes call for maple syrup, we really only use maple syrup for pancakes and waffles. Since we usually pour maple syrup onto our pancakes and waffles (which are grain free), I don’t usually use any sweetener in them. Occasionally, I will use maple syrup in a different capacity, but I enjoy the flavor of honey more, so usually stick to that!

Maple syrup does have a glycemic index, so it needs to be used in moderation. 

Also, be sure to use a good organic maple syrup, NOT normal pancake syrup that is highly processed. 

The New Natural Sweetener on the Block: Monk Fruit

I wanted to include Monk Fruit because it’s kind of an up and coming natural sweetener that is used in a few of today’s clean, organic food products. 

Monk fruit is a real fruit that people don’t actually eat. However, you can extract a part of the fruit that is sweet when it interacts with our taste buds…which is what the monk fruit sweetener is made from. 

This is not an artificial sweetener, so if you see it listed as an ingredient, no worries…it’s totally fine!

Monk fruit has no glycemic index and is a zero-calorie food. Right now, I like to bring a small packet of monk fruit to sweeten coffee when I am out at a coffee shop. I haven’t baked with it yet, but I am sure I will in the future, so stay tuned for some recipes with this newbie!

A couple of natural sweeteners to use In moderation…

Coconut sugar – Coconut sugar has a higher glycemic index than some of the others I listed and you typically need to use a good amount to get the right amount of sweetness. What I like about coconut sugar is that it resembles brown sugar. I like to sprinkle some on muffins or cookies.  

Because of the higher glycemic index and the fact that there are other options, I don’t usually go with coconut sugar, but it IS an option for occasional use!

Xylitol-Honestly, I go back and forth on xylitol but seem to have landed in the middle. I don’t use it often but will use it while baking from time to time. The reason I go back and forth about xylitol is that it can cause some stomach issues. Bloating, upset stomach and gas are just normal effects of xylitol. 

Some people won’t experience much of this, while it will be really bad for others. Each person has a really specific level of sensitivity to xylitol which is why I like to keep things simple and don’t use it often. The one thing you need to know about xylitol is that you always want to buy birch xylitol NOT corn-based xylitol as those can be highly processed or genetically modified. 

Another really important thing to note is that xylitol can be deadly for dogs. So, if you’ve got a pup running around be VERY careful while using xylitol. 

Again, this is not EVERY natural sweetener out there,  just my favorites. Choose the ones that work best for you and your family’s needs. 

Whatever natural sweetener you choose to go with, I do want to encourage you to stay away from all artificial sweeteners including aspartame, Nutrasweet, Splenda, saccharin and all variations of the above. Honestly, you are better off just using plain sugar than an artificial sweetener due to the long-term health effects of these chemical-laden sweeteners. 

And of course, if you want to put some of the natural sweeteners I mentioned to good use in some tasty desserts then you’ve got two options!

You can grab my free dessert ebook with a few of my favorites here…or you can buy my ebook with over 80 delicious paleo dessert recipes here! Life is meant to be enjoyed and these recipes give you a simple way to make truly healthy treats that actually taste good. FOR REAL!!!