Nana’s DIY Low Carb Sweeteners THM Keto!

For those that don’t know, I began blending my own sweeteners back in 2014 for my old blog. Here’s an example of one of my recipes where I did this in a sugar-free shortbread cookie which I’ve since moved over to my new blog and now call for aff link#:  Gentle Sweet. 

I’m also including info on which sweeteners each recipe can replace in a pinch!

 

 

I plan to build onto this post gradually because my “main sweetener” for baking and general sweetening has been joined by several other formulations and the list keeps growing. 

Only four sweetener versions are presented in this post at this time but stay tuned for a “Help I’m Out of Stevia” and an impromptu “Sweetener on the Fly”!

In the recipe cards at the bottom of this post, you’ll find printable cards for Sweetener #1 (Main one I use) #2, #3, and #4.

Don’t stop at Sweetener #1 though, read all the way down because I’m throwing in a free sweet tea recipe in Sweetener #4 and sandwiching how I get the “brown sugar” effect in between the recipe cards!

Thinking about these sweetener options as formulas rather than recipes will help you find your own “sweet spot” when it comes to sweetening your baked goods and drinks, etc.

Before beginning to follow the Trim Healthy Mama eating plan I’d honestly never heard of the more natural sweeteners that don’t spike blood sugar and are so much safer than the more highly advertised chemical  “sweeteners”.

Once I discovered these much more “sugary” tasting these sweeteners were though I almost immediately began trying to figure out how to make them work best in the recipes as I converted and created more and more.

Truvia and stevia were the only two choices that I was aware of at first. It wasn’t long, though, before I began to suspect that Truvia was causing me some joint (neck) pain. After looking into it I discovered that others had this complaint as well so I was forced to start combining my own sugar alcohols and stevia.

The first order of business for making Nana’s DIY Low Carb Sweeteners was a GREAT stevia brand. THM’s really sets the standard so stock up on it when it goes on sale, ask for it for your birthday… just get that stevia! After THM I really like KAL ORGANIC powdered stevia.

It’s important that you only buy the organic stevia with NO stated or hidden additives.

If you’re wondering how you’ll know if it has hidden additives just go back to the standard. THM and KAL organic stevia measure exactly the same in my experience.

On the other hand, the regular KAL (non-organic) powdered stevia measures like the typical stevia brand… for instance the NOW brand. I mean the sticker price is cheaper but when you have to use twice as much as the THM and KAL organic… not really.

Plus you’re getting something else … either stated or unstated… some additive that is measuring with the stevia but not doing it as sweetly and maybe doing other stuff too.

SO my advice is to avoid any that are less sweet than aff links#: THM’s Pure Stevia or Kal Organic Stevia or just stick with those two!

You will get the same sweetener blend time and again. Consistency and quality are hard to beat!

You’ll find many recipes to use these sweeteners in by checking out and saving my recipe page which I update often!

Follow Nana’s Little Kitchen on *Instagram *Pinterest *Facebook and let’s connect over at THM Southern Foodies with Nana’s Little Kitchen.

Watch for affiliate links to products I have used in these recipes when testing them and those which I can fully recommend.

Below is a list of products that I sometimes use too. The ease and speed of getting them on Amazon is important a lot of times but you may (or may not) be able to find them locally and possibly at better prices. None of these qualify for Prime but they are generally the best priced (today at least) and they qualify for free shipping with purchases over the amount of $25.

Yield: 2 cups

Nana's DIY Sweetener #1

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My #1 Sweetener Combo - Measures twice as sweet as sugar or Swerve and just like THM Gentle Sweet.

It's only half as sweet as Truvia or Pyure.

Ingredients

• 1 cup erythritol
• 1 cup xylitol
• 1 teaspoon THM or KAL organic powdered stevia

Instructions

1. To get the larger xylitol granules to incorporate with the stevia you need to mix this with blades. I keep the batch small because I use a small Cuisinart mini-processor to mix it. The blades on this machine will turn two different ways and it will have everything all chopped together in no time.
2. I don't powder mine when I mix it. Instead, I measure it  (granulated) into my little dedicated coffee grinder which I don't use for anything else.
3. Once it's freshly ground it won't measure the same but just go with the granulated measurements because once it settles down it should revert to the same basic measurement.
4. If you decide to powder a whole batch I'm told by trusted sources that you can do this using a ninja blender but possibly other blenders will do it also. Either way though let the powder settle down for a while if you need to measure it out for a recipe.
   
   

Notes

*Uses:

~baking because it has a lot of bulk due to more sugar alcohols and less stevia

~coffee, chocolate, and cinnamon in higher concentrations because this sweetener has so little stevia and I think that these three ingredients tend to react badly with high concentrations of stevia

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 80Total Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0g

Ever wondered about the difference between white sugar and brown sugar? Short answer: Molasses. I was mixing my own brown sugar by adding molasses into white sugar since I was a teenager…so…a long time!  LOL.

But now I mix blackstrap molasses into sweetener… or I just add it right into the recipe for the “brown sugar” taste that we love! I mix 1 teaspoon of this into a cup of sweeteners #1, #2 to make the brown sugar blend.

“100% Natural, 100% Pure, Molasses, Blackstrap, Unsulfured, Organic, 15 oz  Ingredients: 100% certified organic blackstrap molasses.

Taken from the second pressing of the cane, all of the white sugar has been removed from this molasses leaving all the trace elements — especially all of those valuable minerals.”

Here’s the brand that I’ve used for years. Aff link# 

 

Yield: 1

Nana's DIY Sweetener #2 (Xylitol Free)

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Nana's DIY Sweetener #2 - Measure twice as sweet as sugar also Xylitol Free

Ingredients

• 2 cups erythritol
• 1 teaspoon THM or KAL organic powdered stevia

Instructions

This is easier to mix without the larger xylitol granulates but I'm always worried that the stevia won't be completely and totally mixed in so I still use my mini-processor for this one.

See Notes on this sweetener!

Notes

It is essential for people with pets in the home or with certain sensitivities to avoid xylitol so that's the reason for this sweetener version.

Also, if you are taking a recipe to a gathering where pets or sensitive people might have access that's another consideration.

The downside is that this recipe will have more of a cooling sensation and less of a sugary texture and flavor than those made with xylitol.

Speaking of xylitol free… Here’s a product that I’ve been using for a while now – Aff link# Confectioners Erythritol!  Just sprinkle it on your fresh baked goodies as is or mix in 1 cup of it to 1/2 tsp powdered THM or KAL organic stevia for a sweetener that is twice as sweet as sugar or Swerve for frostings, no bake desserts and more!

Yield: 1

Nana's DIY Sweeteners #3

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This one measures 4 times as sweet as sugar or Swerve. Mimic's Truvia or Pyure but without the slight "funny flavor" or the "natural flavorings".

Ingredients

• 2 cups erythritol
• 2 teaspoons THM or KAL organic stevia

Instructions

This is easier to mix without the larger xylitol granulates but I'm always worried that the stevia won't be completely and totally mixed in so I still use my mini-processor for this one.

Notes

I use this combo when:

I don't need a lot of bulk but do want to tone down the extreme sweetness of stevia alone

I'm running low on the sugar alcohols this blend will really stretch your sweeteners with very little chance of getting too strong of a stevia flavor in most recipes

I need to make tea or lemonade for company or others new to sugar free drinks

I'm sweetening cream cheese or foods containing dairy because dairy goes well with higher stevia concentrations

Next is sweetener #4 and it’s a yummy one but doesn’t go well with cinnamon, chocolate, or coffee. But it’s delicious in sweet tea and lemonade.

Nana's DIY Sweeteners #4

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This is a Specially Sweet blend that I use more and more in order to limit my use of the sugar alcohols. The further we stay from sugar the better this one will taste!

Ingredients

• 1 cup erythritol
• 2 teaspoons THM or Kal Organic Stevia

Instructions

These two ingredients mix up easily and you don't need to make a lot at a time because it's so sweet!

Notes

My favorite uses for this sweetener:

• Absolutely delish in GGMS when you just want something a little more sugary tasting than stevia alone but ESPECIALLY if you're using sparkling water in your GGMS because stevia and sparkling water don't react so well together in my opinion. The erythritol sort of acts as a buffer.
• This is my favorite way to add a touch of sweetness to salty/ savory dishes. It just takes a pinch to bring most dishes from too salty or too bland to just right!
• This sweetener makes THE BEST sweet tea in my opinion. 2-3 teaspoons per quart of high quality tea like Luzianne or Paul (whatzhisname?) and you have tea fit for sweet tea loving company. *If I'm out of this blend I sub in 2 donks of stevia to 1 tablespoon sweetener #1.

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