Splenda

[BostonCookieMonster]

I'm visiting my father this weekend and he requested that I bake something with Splenda (he has a bit of type 2 diabetes). I don't really have experience with this and view it with some suspicion. What kind of baked goods is it best suited to? Like, would a fruit crisp work better than cake or cookies? Or is it best to stick to un-baked things like mousse or ice cream? Or is it all good?

[lynnlato]

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[aggiecat]

I realize this is very old but thought I'd weigh in on a recent big success with splenda and desserts. You can successfully sub it in Baked custards, also I made a totally splenda sweetened bread pudding with whole wheat bread and sauced with a 3/4 splenda 1/4 brown sugar rum sauce (butter,egg, "sugars", water and rum flavoring) and it was amazing! no one could tell it wasn't the real deal and the brown surgar added a beautiful flavor and caramel color to the sauce that would have been missing without it. Because both items relied on the egg to thicken and the sauce relied on the butter and egg to add body and mouth feel the splenda didn't make any difference there. The bread in the pudding gave browing and crispness. Any time you need the sugar to be the thickener (like candy) or to provide browning or crispness you may need to rethink your ingredients. Also, sugar holds water so baked goods do tend to come out dry. Hope this helps others who are looking for tips on baking with splenda.

[lynnlato]

They also have a product called Splenda for Baking, which is equal parts sugar and Splenda. So it's not a sugar-free product, but rather a low-sugar one. It's good for baking things like cakes and cookies where the texture would be adversely affected by using straight Splenda.

[aryqalyn]

I can't have sugar and use Splenda fairly often. The taste doesn't bother me at all, but it may well be because I am accostomed to it.
I agree with the earlier poster that said splenda is not as good in things like cakes and cookies. It does not provide volume or moisture like sugar. The splenda website suggests adding milk powder and baking powder (or soda, can't remember offhand). I find that the milk powder suggestion does help in baking, but that the additional leavening agent adds too much of a salty taste.
You would be best sticking to fruit pies, cheesecakes, scones, etc. I also agree with the philosophy to use a recipe that uses less sweetener overall.
Steer clear of the brown sugar blend for people who CAN'T have sugar - it is part real brown sugar and part splenda.

[LNG212]

I'm not a diabetic and I don't generally eat fake sweeteners. But my aunt is and she often makes desserts using Splenda (her favorite among the sweeteners). I must say that I can taste it -- it has a chemically/metallic taste to it and it's awful but both my aunt and my mom like it. Maybe that means she just uses too much of the stuff. So that's my word of caution -- be careful in the amount used.

[SweetPhyl]

As a former diabetic and big current Splenda user, I can attest to the relative adaptability of Splenda in certain recipes. Yes, it's better in non-baked goods...great for a cheesecake more than a chocolate cake. It doesn't interact as well with the drier items--like cakes and cookies. However, I've made delicious splenda sweetened biscuit type shortbreads with splenda strawberries and splenda whipped cream for an awesome dessert. And, fruit pies come out very well...apple, cherry. Visit www.splenda.com for some excellent suggestions as well as any of the low carb recipes on other recipe sites. Good Luck!

[BostonCookieMonster]

Thanks, SweetPhyl! I will look into cheesecake or shortcake (which I wouldn't use that much sugar in anyway). I figured I would get better results asking people who love food than people who love dieting. ;-)