The Healthiest Sweeteners for Holiday Baking

As the holiday season kicks into gear, there’s no reason your kitchen can’t be a haven for both joy and wellness. Taking a well-rounded approach to health, a balanced diet includes homemade holiday cookies, warm pies, and other festive treats. After all, enjoying a bit of sugar—in moderation—helps foster a positive, healthy relationship with food. At the same time, it’s important to prioritize nutritious foods, as these are what keep energy steady, support restful sleep, and maintain balanced blood sugar. In today’s post, we’re diving into the impact of added and artificial sugars on your health, and how to choose sweeteners that won’t leave you with a crash. Because, yes, you can have your cake and eat it, too—all while supporting gentle nutrition through the holiday season.

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How Much Sugar The Average American Eats

The numbers speak for themselves: American adults consume an average of 77 grams of sugar each day—adding up to nearly 60 pounds of added sugar per year. For kids, the stats are even more concerning. Who’s responsible? The answer is complex, spanning global food companies, marketing strategies, and even government policies. The real issue, though, is that most of the sugar we eat is hidden in processed foods (it’s hard to track just how much we’re consuming!). Sugar hides behind a variety of names, making it tricky to spot on ingredient labels. It sneaks into everything from salad dressings and pasta sauces to ketchup, granola bars, yogurt, dried fruit, energy drinks, and tea.

Different Types of Sugar

Let’s talk about the differences between natural, added, and artificial sugars. Not all sugar is created equal.

Natural Sugars

Natural sugars are the ones found in whole, unprocessed foods—such as the fructose in bananas or berries, or lactose in a glass of milk. Because most of these foods also contain fiber, we don’t experience the same sugar spike as we do after eating a doughnut or a sugar-packed soda.

Added Sugars

Added sugars, on the other hand, are simply that: they get added to a food—by you, a restaurant chef, or a food manufacturer. Added sugars include high fructose corn syrup, agave, honey, and more. Unfortunately, they don’t often come wrapped in other good-for-you ingredients, like protein and fiber. Thus, our bodies digest these sugars rapidly.

Artificial Sugars

Artificial sweeteners—also known as sugar alternatives or sugar alcohols—are food additives that provide a sweet taste (like that of sugar). Marketed as zero-calorie or low-calorie sweeteners, they’re typically 200-600 times sweeter than sugar. These stimulate taste buds, affect hormones, slow metabolism, and more. In fact, animal studies have convincingly proven that artificial sweeteners cause weight gain, brain tumors, bladder cancer, and many other health hazards. Not to mention, this type of sugar is totally addictive.

How Much Sugar Can You Eat in a Day?

As a whole, your goal should be to limit added/artificial sugars. Simply put, they’re devoid of nutrients. According to the American Heart Association, recommendations for daily sugar intake are as follows:

• Men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of added sugar per day.
• For women, the number is lower: 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) per day.

For reference, one 12-ounce can of soda contains 8 teaspoons (32 grams) of added sugar! 

What Happens if You Eat Too Much Sugar

Unlike low-glycemic sugar alternatives—I.e. the best sweeteners for blood sugar balance—most sugar lacks nutritional benefits. Plus, it causes pro-inflammatory cells to grow; which leads to chronic inflammation. And the more inflammation we have in the body, the higher our risk of obesity, metabolic issues, type 2 diabetes, estrogen dominance, and more. Plus, tooth decay! A sugar overload is a precursor to everything from headaches and bloating to poor sleep, feeling jittery or anxious, and irritability. Are you eating too much sugar? Wearing a continuous glucose monitor is one of the ways to know.

Are Honey and Maple Syrup Healthy?

Yes—in moderation! But first, let’s dive into the glycemic index. The glycemic index is a concept used to compare how different carb-containing foods (like honey and maple syrup) raise our blood sugar. The higher the GI, the higher the likelihood it will spike blood sugar levels. When it comes to refined sugar, corn syrup has the highest GI. White sugar has a slightly lower GI. Beneath those? Honey and maple syrup. Raw honey and pure maple syrup can raise blood sugar quickly, but not as fast as table sugar. It’s best to pair honey and maple syrup with protein and healthy fats. Like, a bowl of cottage cheese with blueberries, walnuts, chia seeds, and a drizzle of raw honey.

The Healthiest Sweeteners for Blood Sugar Balance

Below are the best sweeteners for keeping blood sugar balanced. I’ve tried all of these—with success—using my continuous glucose monitor.

Allulose

Allulose is found in small quantities in nature and is also a zero-calorie sweetener. This makes it great for being on a low calorie, or low-carb diet. You can use it in baked goods as well as in homemade ice cream, caramels, and creamers. Most of the time, it’s used in conjunction with another natural sweetener like monk fruit or erythritol. 

STEVIA

Stevia is a plant extract. It’s zero-calorie, but it has a delicious sweet taste. Research shows it has little (if no) effect on insulin levels. Stevia has a glycemic index and a glycemic load of zero. You can add liquid stevia to coffee, for example, or stevia powder for baked goods. Here are great tips for cooking and baking with stevia.

MONK FRUIT

The natural sweetness of monk fruit comes from a plant. It has a variety of health benefits, including its anti-inflammatory properties. It also doesn’t affect your blood sugar levels, or cause cavities in your teeth! Plus, a small amount of monk fruit sweetener goes a long way. I love using this monk fruit in cookies and muffins.

ERYTHRITOL

Erythritol occurs naturally in many fruits and vegetables—like melons, grapes, and asparagus. It’s classified by the FDA as good for oral health, too! It has zero calories and doesn’t affect blood glucose.

XYLITOL

Although it’s a sugar alcohol, xylitol is naturally present in small amounts in various fruits and vegetables. This sweet crystalline substance is slowly absorbed from the digestive tract and does not cause rapid rises in blood glucose. In addition, it also has unique and clinically proven dental benefits. If you’re a gum chewer, switch to this.

4 Better-for-You Holiday Sweets Everyone Will Love

Here are a few holiday baking recipes that use granulated monk fruit as a better-for-you sweetener alternative! Monk fruit sweetener is perfect for adding sweetness without the added sugar, making these treats a bit lighter but still deliciously festive.

1. Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups almond flour
• ½ cup coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ cup melted coconut oil
• ½ cup granulated monk fruit sweetener
• 1 egg (or flax egg for vegan)
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another bowl, mix the melted coconut oil, monk fruit sweetener, egg, molasses, and vanilla extract until well combined.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until a dough forms.
5. Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about ¼ inch thick, then cut into shapes with cookie cutters.
6. Place cookies on the baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are golden.
7. Let cool, then decorate as desired. Enjoy!

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2. Chocolate Peppermint Brownie Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup granulated monk fruit sweetener
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon peppermint extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a mini muffin tin.
2. In a bowl, mix together almond flour, cocoa powder, monk fruit sweetener, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract.
4. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms.
5. Divide the batter evenly into the mini muffin tin and bake for 10-12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
6. Let cool and top with crushed sugar-free peppermint candies, if desired.

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3. Cranberry Orange Almond Loaf

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups almond flour
• ½ cup coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ cup granulated monk fruit sweetener
• Zest of 1 orange
• ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup fresh or frozen cranberries, halved

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, salt, monk fruit sweetener, and orange zest.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the almond milk, coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Gently fold in the cranberries.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
6. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Let the loaf cool in the pan before slicing.

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4. Spiced Pecan Snowball Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups finely chopped pecans
• 1 ½ cups almond flour
• ½ cup granulated monk fruit sweetener
• ½ cup softened butter (or coconut oil for vegan)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• A pinch of nutmeg
• 1/4 cup powdered monk fruit sweetener, for rolling

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and granulated monk fruit sweetener until smooth.
3. Add in the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, almond flour, and chopped pecans, stirring until a dough forms.
4. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on the baking sheet.
5. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly golden.
6. Let cool for a few minutes, then roll each cookie in powdered monk fruit sweetener. Cool completely, then roll again.

These recipes provide classic holiday flavors and keep things on the lighter side with monk fruit sweetener! Happy baking!

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This article is for informational purposes only. It is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and we recommend that you always consult with your healthcare provider.