Monday, June 4, 2012

Truvia In My Test Kitchen

A few weeks MONTHS ago a very sweet marketer from Truvia contacted me and asked if I would like to try out Truvia Baking Blend in some of their own tested recipes.  Always up for a baking challenge, I accepted.  This pouch of Truvia Baking Blend arrived on my doorstep along with a fun booklet of recipes to try.  Now that things have finally died down I am super excited to hit the kitchen and see what I can bake up with 75% less sugar!  

You can check out the facts on Truvia baking blend at their WEBSITE, but I will share a couple facts with you.

It is a known fact that many baked goods require sugar for taste and texture, but Truvia has created this baking blend to combine the baked good's need for sugar and your desire to cut it out into one convenient package.  Truvia uses stevia leaf extract and erythritol along with way less sugar to reduce 75% of the calories normally in sugar, while maintaining sugar-like taste and texture!!! 

When figuring out how much Truvia Baking Blend to use in your own recipes, just add 1/2 of the amount of sugar called for.  So, if you are making some yummy sugar cookies and they call for 2 cups of sugar, just add 1 cup of Truvia Baking Blend and you are ready to get baking!

You can substitute Truvia Baking Blend for brown sugar by adding 1 Tablespoon of Molasses per 1c. Baking Blend for that rich brown sugar taste.

Substitute powdered sugar by adding 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to 1 cup of Baking Blend.

Truvia Baking Blend can be used in place of sugar in canning and jelly recipes!!!  That is super exciting.  It holds up well to high heats which makes it perfect for lowering the sugar in your favorite home-canned jam!  Yay :0)

The Truvia Baking Blend has just recently been released in stores.  If you don't see it in your local store, go to customer service and request it!


Now to share my results!  I have to say, first, I was NOT paid to make this post.  Second, the "Caker" portion of my title up there is a rather HUGE part of my name lately.  I will admit, I wasn't super excited to try another sugar substitute in my baked goods, but my whole family was pleasantly surprised by Truvia!

The one thing I will say is don't taste the batter.  It isn't yummy....just one more plus to add to the pro-Truvia list, no more batter tasting.

You can find the recipe I used HERE.
I followed the recipe exactly, other than baking a few less minutes {I always do, even with cake mixes} and was so happy with the cupcake.  The color was deep and rich, the texture light and fluffy.  When you bite into the cupcake there isn't a strange taste common with sugar substitutes.  It was simply less sugary, but tasty.  We are frosting fans around here {Emmers won't even eat cake, just frosting} so I made a frosting I found on Pinterest, slightly modified.
Truvia also offers a frosting recipe I would like to try.  I just had in my mind to try this pudding recipe and had to give it a go first.

For that pudding frosting, it said to mix one box of instant pudding {I used sugar-free} with half of the milk listed and whip, then add one carton of cool whip {I used the South Beach authorized "Lite" version}.  So simple and totally delicious.  That frosting smeared on the Truvia cupcake was heavenly.  My kids AND my husband were asking for seconds.  At 75% less sugar, my response is "SURE!"

Now that I have seen how great the cupcakes turned out, I am excited to try some more recipes!  I  also plan to try some of those substitutions and I will let you know how they go.  Up next, sugar cookies.  I figure if that recipe can work with the Truvia Baking Blend, I am totally SOLD!


7 comments:

  1. I tried Truvia Baking Blend today in my banana bread recipe and I didn't like it at all. You said that it didn't have the funny taste that other sugar subs have, but I think it does! And the banana bread was pretty flat using this blend. I actually just posted it today.

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    Replies
    1. Oh, super sorry to here that! The recipe I made was chocolate so it may have masked the taste. Did you use your own recipe or on off the Truvia web site? When we get into a house and have an oven again I will have to experiment. Sorry again that things didn't turn out super well.

      Vanessa

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    2. I think maybe Adrianne did something wrong, like leave out the levening in her bread. Mine came out just as high as they would have using sugar.

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    3. Thanks Kelly. That is a good point. I never realized that you have to check the expiration date on baking powder and baking soda until a little while ago. Once I realized that mine was like a year past it's date and I bought some new, it made a world of difference.

      Thanks so much for your comments. I know they will help those struggling with sugar-free baking :0)

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  2. I love it and think that my Oatmeal Cookies never tasted better, plus half the sugar...no one knew! I'm going to make peach jam tonight with Truvia Baking Blend and see how it holds up!

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    Replies
    1. Oh, so happy to hear! I really think it is a fabulous product. Do please let me know how the jam turns out. I love to make Jam and would LOVE to have a lower-sugar way!

      Thanks so much for the comment,
      Vanessa

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  3. I just made a batch of Banana-Strawberry-Apple muffins using Truvia Bakers Blend and half-oil/half applesauce. It is low fat and sugar free. They aren't real sweet, just enough and they are light and fluffy. They are regular sized muffins, and I baked them for 37 minutes (after I had to put the 1st batch back in after 20).

    I put the strawberries and apple in my mini-chopper and mashed the bananas. I didn't have enough bananas on hand, that's why I added the others, to make up the 2 cups I needed.

    I will do this again as it turned out great, but maybe all banana!!

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