5 Natural Sugar Substitutes

Can you indulge in your sweet tooth healthfully? Oh YES with these 5 healthy, all-natural sugar substitutes.

1. Raw Honey :

Naturally, I put raw honey first — it’s only one of my favorite things in the whole wide world! Not only do I use it frequently in the kitchen, but raw honey also makes for a really awesome, single-ingredient face mask since. But we’re not talking skin here…
Raw honey has so many wonderful health benefits. It’s a natural antibacterial, boosts the immune system, promotes digestive health, and is high in antioxidants.

2. Pure Maple Syrup :

Nope, not the kind with the bottle shaped like a jolly old woman. That’s not real maple syrup — check the ingredient list you’ll see it’s mostly high fructose corn syrup with some artificial colorings, flavors, and sweeteners.

Pure maple syrup, on the other hand, contains only evaporated maple tree sap. It is high in manganese and zinc: 100 grams of syrup provides 22% and 3.7% of their RDVs respectively. Manganese is necessary for several enzymes that are needed for energy production and antioxidant defenses. Zinc is essential for an optimal immune system function. Deficiencies of either may lower white blood cell counts and reduce
immune system responses.

3. Dried dates & Date Sugar :

Dried dates are basically nature’s candy. (Fun fact: one of my favorite things in the world is a dried date with almond butter! SO GOOD.) They’re a great addition to certain recipes like homemade granola bars and smoothies to add some sweetness.
Date sugar is essentially just dried dates pulverized into a powder. Since it doesn’t melt, date sugar can’ be used as a direct substitute for sugar. So for example, you wouldn’t want to put it in your coffee. That being said, it’s GREAT for baking — use just 2/3 the amount of date sugar in place of brown or white sugar called for in your recipe. It may otherwise be too sweet!

4. Coconut sugar :

Coconut sugar contains traces of iron, zinc, calcium, and potassium, we well as antioxidants. It also contains a fiber called inulin, which may slow glucose absorption.
Coconut sugar tastes like brown sugar more so than white sugar. I particularly like it for baking, since it does not affect the consistency of the final product, unlike maple syrup and molasses. However, I do not find it sweet enough for tea or coffee.

5. Jaggery :

Jaggery (or gur) is made from unrefined sugar and is obtained by boiling raw, concentrated sugar cane juice till it solidifies. Although jaggery is also made from
the sap of coconut and date palm, the one made from sugar cane is the one that’s used most widely.

Not only is gur better than white sugar–which only adds empty calories to your body–it also has a number of health benefits, including its ability to cleanse the body, aid in digestion and provide good amounts of minerals.