The Best Sugar Free Keto Copycat Brown Sugar Recipe

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The Best Sugar Free Keto Copycat Brown Sugar Recipe

When it comes to creating a dessert or sweet treat, I always have my kitchen stocked with my favorite low carb sugar alternatives for baking, especially keto brown sugar I made myself from The Best Sugar Free Keto Copycat Brown Sugar Recipe.

Everyone knows that chocolate chip cookies would not have the great chewy softness without some kind of brown sugar, so I have created a keto version so I do not have to miss out.

Out of all of the best keto sweeteners, this low-carb substitute makes the difference in taste for my low carb baking recipes making them taste very similar to the traditional versions.

Whether light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, you can customize what base sweetener you use in your own brown sugar substitute and adjust the added ingredients.

The keto diet is known to improve blood sugar levels which is what I have gained since eliminating sugar cane.

Keep reading as I will show you how to make your own keto sugar substitute, gives tips and solutions for substitutions, and answer frequently asked questions about this recipe for keto brown sweetener.

Is this Keto Brown Sugar Substitute recipe gluten free?

This recipe of mine does not contain any malt, barley or gluten at all.

It may not have ever crossed your mind whether keto substitutes were gluten free or not, but some brands use malt extract in their recipe.

You may have heard of the sugar free brown sugar replacement named Sukrin gold sugar.

The ingredients list includes food additives like malt and fiber.

Malt is usually made from barley and is not gluten free.

It can be made from corn, but that is rare and not labeled as such so you do not know.

Most malt comes from barley grain that has been soaked, germinated and dried.

Ingredients made from malt include malt flavoring, malt syrup and malt extract, none of which are currently considered gluten free.

You may consider Truvia Brown Sugar Blend if you need a large quantity and need a keto option.

3 Simple Ingredients Are Needed to Make this Brown Sugar Keto Alternative

• Granulated Sweetener: Any granulated sweetener works here such as erythritol, a sugar alcohol, or a monk fruit blend such as brown monk fruit sweetener, or allulose. Just make sure they contain zero net carbs and calories. The granulated texture of these alternative sugar types is what gives the keto brown sugar its volume.  It is a 1:1 replacement for a cup of sugar in recipes. It does have a sweetening effect that is about 70% the sweetness of sugar which is why I combine it with other sweeteners. The main difference between each granulated sweetener has to do with your preference. I prefer allulose since it does not have the cooling effect erythritol has and it adds a softness to baked goods and does not harden when cold. I will however use an erythritol blend so the cooling effect is muted.

• Stevia Leaf Extract: Stevia comes from the stevia rebaudiana plant that is 250x-300x sweeter than plain white sugar yet contains zero carbs. This very concentrated powdered sweetener is my favorite to combine with other low carb sweeteners in a very small amount. The plant contains sweet compounds known as steviol glycosides. The stevia plant is an herbal shrub-like plant native to Paraguay.For over 1,500 years, peoples in South America have used fresh and dried stevia leaves to sweeten food, herbal medicines, and beverages (such as yerba mate).  It is rare, but some people have an allergy to stevia products since the stevia plant is from the sunflower family, so keep that in mind.

• Molasses: During the raw sugar-making process, juice extracted from sugar cane or sugar beets is boiled down until the sugars crystallize and precipitate out. The syrup left over after crystallization is referred to as molasses which is still a natural sugar. Typically, sugar cane juice undergoes three cycles of boiling and crystallization to extract as much regular sugar as possible. With each successive cycle, the leftover molasses contains less sugar. Molasses can vary in color, sweetness, and nutritional content depending on the variety or how much sugar has been extracted. There really is not much regular white sugar contained in blackstrap molasses which the richest of them all.  For my recipe, 1 cup of packed keto brown sugar contains 7.5 g net carb as the stevia is calorie free, and the granulated sugar alcohol is not metabolized by the body. If you want a darker color for your brown sugar keto recipes, just use more molasses, and less molasses for a lighter color. My 1 tablespoon to 2 cups of granulated sweetener seems about right on the color for a medium brown. Its nutritional values list 15% IRON, 9% VITAMIN B6 as well as 3% MAGNESIUM per tablespoon and is also an excellent source of natural potassium.

Simple Ingredients Needed to make Homemade Keto Brown Sugar

You will need the following ingredients: 

• Granulated Sugar Free Sweetener (Monk fruit Blend, Allulose, Erythritol)
• Powdered Pure Stevia Extract
• Unsulfured Molasses or Blackstrap Molasses (Organic Preferred, I like Wholesome Brand)

Let’s make some Homemade Brown Sugar Keto Copycat Style

In a large bowl, add in the granulated sweetener and powdered stevia.

Stir with a fork then add in your molasses.

Using the fork, stir and press, stir and press until the tablespoon of molasses is worked completely into the granulated sweetener.

It will take a few minutes, but just keep stirring and pressing it into the sweetener until it resembles regular brown sugar.

You can also try putting it all into a medium bowl and using a hand mixer to blend the amount of molasses you chose into the granulated sweetener.

Transfer your homemade brown sugar alternative into an airtight container, preferably a mason jar, to maintain freshness. 

Store it at room temperature up to 3 months to prevent caking.

You can also store it in the freezer for long term storage.

It will last up to 8 months this way.

Simply thaw at room temperature at least 1 hour before using.

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Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 cup
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
 Calories 29
Total Fat 0g
Sodium 4mg
Total Carbohydrate 15g
Dietary Fiber 7.5g
Total Sugars 5.6g
 Protein 0g
 Calcium 21mg
Iron 0mg
Potassium 146mg

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Tips, Substitutions and FAQs

• If you need a sweetener lower on the glycemic index or are closely watching your sugar intake, then opt to use brown monk fruit sweetener blend by Lakanto and stevia glycerite liquid sweeteners. Add in a touch of maple extract to add in the “molasses” type flavor. This version in fact has zero calories, zero grams of sugar and zero grams of carbs.

• Use my Keto Maple Syrup Recipe to have keto maple syrup on hand that you can use to make quick keto brown sugar whenever you want. Just add 1 tablespoon of my Keto Maple Syrup to a bowl of granulated sweetener and blend with a fork. This is something I would use if I am short on time and the maple flavor would go with the recipe I am using it in.

• If you are following a Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle of eating then you may be familiar with gentle sweet. It is erythritol and stevia already combined for you. All you would have to do is add 1 tablespoon of molasses to 1 cup of THM Gentle Sweet and follow the rest of the directions as listed.

• Molasses can be substituted with other syrup sweeteners made with natural ingredients if you wish such as yacon syrup, brown rice syrup or date syrup. This of course would add sugars to the brown sugar you are making and it would no longer be keto or low carb.  If you find a good sale price on molasses, especially during baking season, buy some up as it does not go bad.

• Try a tablespoon of your Homemade Keto Brown Sugar in a latte! The next time you go to make your coffee, put a tablespoon in the bottom of your coffee mug and top with a few shots of espresso. If you do not have an espresso machine, no worries, just pour over whatever coffee you are enjoying. Give it a good stir then top with a few tablespoons of heavy cream and stir again. 

• This homemade keto copycat brown sugar sweetener works great in recipes using coconut flour. Coconut flour is a very moisture hungry flour that the moisture in brown sugar helps provide like in my Gluten Free Butterless Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. 

• For additional depth of flavor, consider adding a few drops of maple extract or other natural flavors. Experiment with traditional sugar-free sweeteners like brown swerve or monk fruit for a richer flavor.

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What are some other healthy alternative natural sweeteners that are low glycemic and mimic brown sugar?

Although they would not fit into a keto lifestyle unless you counted the carbs in your daily allowance, another option is coconut sugar.  This takes the place of traditional brown sugar nicely without the need for the molasses. I would still add in a bit of stevia if you can have it. It really brings the sweetness level up to 100% versus 70%. Coconut sugar is not normally found at the grocery store but is easily ordered online.  If you only use a small amount, it could fit into a low-carb lifestyle.

Are there any tips for achieving the right consistency when making a keto brown sugar substitute?

It all has to do with how well you get the molasses or stevia glycerite mixed into the granulated sweetener. The better distributed it is, the better it will work in your recipes. If pressing with a fork is not working for you, you can always put it in your stand mixer with a whisk attachment or use a hand mixer.

Can I use a keto brown sugar alternative in any recipe that calls for brown sugar?

Yes, it bakes up just like regular brown sugar and can be used in any recipe calling for brown sugar. This helps open up so many possibilities in the low carb world of baking when you have your homemade brown sugar alternative ready to go.

Would you say that homemade brown sugar is the same quality as grocery store keto brown sugar?

I prefer my homemade over store bought keto brown sugar because it is fresh. Store bought keto brown sugar works just the same as homemade and they are equal.

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Creating your own keto brown sugar opens up a world of possibilities for indulging in sweet treats while staying true to a ketogenic diet. 

Experiment with the ingredients and ratios to find the perfect blend that suits your recipes on how brown you need it to be.

Whether you’re baking keto desserts or sweetening your morning coffee, this homemade brown sugar substitute is the best thing ever!

Say goodbye to the bitter aftertaste of other sweeteners and embrace the natural flavors of your own keto creation. Your taste buds and blood glucose levels will thank you!

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