Baking Sugar & Table-Top Sugar Substitute - The preferred Sugar-Free blend for the table in our homes.

This is the sugar-free blend we use the most for sprinkling onto berries, grapefruit, for making cinnamon sugar,  sweetening herbal tea, and other typical table sugar uses.

Kitchen Cheetahs Baking & Table-Top Sugar Substitute.

You can feel good about using this healthy sugar substitute. Our formula is better than Truvia, Just Like Sugar, Sweet Perfection, and other sugar-free blends of this nature. The reason why is because the blend of low-carb sweeteners we put in this formula are synergistic, so they enhance each other and taste more like real sugar.

The xylitol has anti-cavity properties, the erythritol has next to zero carbs, and the IMO is basically all an easily digestible fiber.

Our favorite Table-Top Sugar Substitute.

The xylitol, erythritol, and IMO powders alone are not sweet enough. We add stevia, a natural plant sweetener to amp up the sweetness level. You can adjust the amount of stevia used to suite your tastes (from 3 to 5 grams stevioside). We like to make this blend sweeter than normal sugar, so that we don't have to use as much. We want to caution you however to use only a tiny amount of stevioside powder. It is very potent and too much can create off-flavors in your sweetener blend.

2 tablespoons (20 g) of this sweetener mix has only 0.3 grams of sugars from the IMO. Note that less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving is considered "sugar-free" as far as nutritional labeling is concerned.

We will be doing much more formulating with this sugar substitute blend. We will be trying everything from baking brownies, cakes, cookies, and more. I will be doing tests with conventional tried-and-true recipes, where I only convert the regular cane sugar called for to this sugar substitute. We will see how this reacts with regular gluten containing baked goods. We are looking at texture, flavor, moisture, rise, and all the other things conventional sugar does for baked goods.

It is interesting to note that erythritol by itself has drying, firming, cooling characteristics, IMO powder on the other hand is very hydroscopic, warming and softening. Xylitol is cooling but texture wise it's pretty much in the middle. Our sweetener blend evens out all of these characteristics, making it more balanced for baking purposes.

Of course we will be testing many clean eating gluten-free recipes too, since this is our specialty! We will post many future recipes here, so keep checking back, things move fast around here!

Do you want to know why this blog is named Kitchen Cheetahs? 

I talk about my amazing mother a lot here. Iv'e shared with you the fact that she is a very successful professional food formulator. Well, one day, after I could hardly keep up with her and all her advancements on our Jiffy Cakes (she came up with almost 10 jiffy cake and muffin recipes in about 2 days), I exclaimed, " Mom. you move so fast! You are a Kitchen Cheetah!" We laughed and the name stuck.

I want to let you know that we are working on compiling healthy cook books. Our blog, Kitchen Cheetahs is picking up speed. It is fun seeing the growth and support we are gaining. Thank you for being a part of this growth. We aim to make the world a better place through our efforts. I know it's just good food, but... Who doesn't need to eat?

Please feel free to leave us comments on what kind of cook books you would like.

We are thinking about cook book collections like:

Muffins (Gluten-Free & Low Carb)
Cakes (Gluten-Free & Low Carb)
Sugar-Free Candy Making
Meal Replacement Drinks
Low Carb Breakfasts
Salad Dressings
Herbal Teas
and more...

At this point, we are seeing how things naturally evolve.


.
Here is a yummy recipe using this sweetener: Crazy Good Low-Carb Pancakes.



Mom's Baking Sugar & Table-Top Sugar Substitute Formula:

Yield: 455.00 grams total, about 3 1/2 cups.

150.00 grams  xylitol (1x) *
150.00 grams  erythritol (1x) *
150.00 grams  IMO powder (not Inulin)
5.00 grams  white stevioside powder (80 to 90% strength) (stevioside intense sweetener)


Method:

Stir and sift everything together several times to totally blend so that there are no pockets of stevia in the mix.

Store air-tight. We like to store in a glass canning jar with the metal screw on lid. IMO loves to absorb moisture!


* (1x) - This means that the sweetener has been ground one time in a VitaMix blender (preferably the sweetener was frozen first, allowing it to be ground finer before heating up).




Tip:

An alternate method of blending the sweeteners is to:

Mix the xylitol, erythritol, and IMO powder together in a VitaMix blender on low speed.

Add the white stevioside powder to the sweeteners in the VitaMix and put the lid on tight.

Start blending on low speed, turning up to grind to a finer texture. Do not let the sugars heat up in the blender. Let the dust settle before removing the lid.


Tip:

You may use Lakanto's white sugar substitute instead of plain erythritol if you want to. It has a very nice taste and contains erythritol enhanced with their sweet monk fruit extract, so it is sweeter than erythritol alone. Adjust the stevia extract you add to the syrup to suit your tastes.

German Pancakes sprinkled with our homemade sugar-free Powdered Sugar.
To make this Powdered Sugar yourself - See THIS Post.


Enjoy!

Leila & Nancy.

The Best Sugar-Free Powdered Sugar (2 Versions) Homemade Copy-Cat Recipe

You can now make your own sugar-free Powdered Sugar. 

Granulated sweeteners do not work for making frostings and sweetened whipped cream. Sugar-free granular sweeteners are especially gritty and are harder to dissolve than regular cane sugar. Have you noticed?

We have provided 2 formulas for you: 

The first one uses resistant starch to facilitate grinding and to add fiber and reduce carbohydrates. We like to use this first version in chocolate frosting.

The second formula has the addition of coconut flour, which gives more body to the powdered sugar. We like to use this second formula for all flavors of frosting other than chocolate.

You can use this either of these powdered sugar blends in sweetened whipped cream, icings, cheesecake fillings and other sweet sauces too, or just dip fresh ripe strawberries in it!



Mom's Powdered Sugar Substitute Formula:

150 grams  xylitol
150 grams  erythritol
30 grams  Hi-Maize Resistant Starch
3 grams  White stevia powder, 80% to 90% strength (stevioside intense sweetener)


Method:

Mix the xylitol and  erythritol together and seal in an air-tight bag.

Place the bag in the freezer to chill before grinding.

Pour cold sweetener mix into a VitaMix blender.

Add the stevioside powder and the Hi-Maize starch to the blender. Secure lid tightly.

Start blending on low speed, turning up to grind to a fine texture.

Do not let the sugars heat up in the blender.

Let the dust settle before removing the lid.

For a very fine powdered sugar, repeat the freezing and grinding process 4 to 5 times, or until it is as fine as you'd like. (We like it very finely ground!)

Taste for sweetness, maybe adding a little more stevia if desired.

Store air-tight in your pantry.



Tips:

This blend tastes even better if you use Lakanto's white sugar substitute instead of plain erythritol. Use less stevia extract when using the Lakanto sweetener.

If you do not have Hi-Maize yet, you may use potato starch, tapioca starch, or non-GMO corn starch. It won't be a low-carb starch like Hi-Maize is, but you will still get the job done.

We like using Hi-Maize because then you are not eating so much sugar alcohols in one sitting, and it contributes fiber as well. Hi-Maize is very neutral tasting and smooth textured.

We do not add IMO powder to this powdered sugar blend. IMO is very hydroscopic and prone to clumping. Frosting made with IMO tends to soften and sort of melt down over time.

Freezing your sugars allows you to grind them longer before they heat up and start melting.


Note:

If the powdered sugar doesn't taste sweet enough to you, you may add up to a total of 5.0 grams of the 80%-90% pure stevioside powder to either of these powdered sugar formulas. 

Variation:

Measure all of the ingredients above as called for and then add:

10 grams of organic coconut flour

Process the powdered sugar in the same way, as above.

Use this coconut enriched powdered sugar when making a frosting without cocoa powder, because it gives more substance and body to the frosting that the cocoa powder would otherwise add.  This makes a delicious sugar-free cream cheese frosting or vanilla frosting.The added coconut flour adds more body to the frosting, so the frosting holds up better at room temperature.


Enjoy,

Leila & Nancy

Sweet Perfection Copy-Cat recipe (All-Natural Sugar Substitute)

This is an all-natural,  super simple sugar-free formula to make at home. 

IMO powder - A fabulous sugar substitute.

We like to make our own Sugar-Free sweeteners. We make several intense sweetener blends, bulking sugar blends and several mixtures combining both bulk sweeteners with added intense sweeteners. We make many different formulas for different applications. It gets complicated, but we love it.

We already have posted some sweetener blends on this blog that you can make yourself:

Stevia Glycerite (Now brand Copy-Cat)
Copy-Cat Truvia
Low-Carb Vanilla Sugar
Low-Carb Brown Sugar
Low -Carb Pancake Syrup #1

We love IMO powder and (IMO Syrup). We also love erythritol, and xylitol. We love using stevioside (stevia), although not usually alone. We also love monk fruit extract and citrus extract. There are more, but most of them are not available to the public. We would LOVE to introduce them to you, maybe with time, we will be able to be a source for you.

Make a small batch of sweetener at first and then try sweetening mild herbal tea with it or try it in a smoothie. It's easy to adjust. Its easier to add more IMO that it is to reduce the amount of stevia, obviously.

Look online for IMO powder, monk fruit extract, and pure, white stevioside extract.


Sweet Perfection contains:

99 % Oligofructose from chicory root fiber (a prebiotic fiber that doesn't increase blood sugar)

1 % Organic stevia

Serving size: 1 t. and contains 3 calories and 3 g fiber.
Each 20-ounce bag costs $22.95 and contains 3 cups.


To duplicate this I use:

99%   IMO powder (like VitaFiber from http://www.bioneutra.ca/faq.htm)
1%   95 to 98% pure stevioside powder (without maltodextrin or other bulking fillers)

Method:

Mix ingredients together Very well. Putting in a blender on very low speed works great.
Store air-tight and use as you would sugar.



A newer Sweet Perfection formula contains:

99.5% Oligofructose from chicory root fiber
Organic stevia
Monk fruit


To duplicate this I would try:

99.5%   IMO powder
0.5%   Combined intense sweeteners:
      0.3%   95% to 98% pure stevioside powder
      0.2%   Lo Han Guo (monk fruit) concentrate powder

Method: 

Premix your intense sweeteners.
Dilute a tiny amount in water and see if you like the ratio of stevia to monk fruit. Adjust as desired.
Mix VERY well with the IMO powder.
Store air-tight.
 

Note: IMO stands for isomalto-oligosaccharide

Sweet Perfection's label.

Have fun experimenting!

Leila & Nancy.

DIY Copy Cat Low Carb Brown Sugar Recipe - using Erythritol

Make your own EASY LOW CARB BROWN SUGAR 
(with 2 varitions)

There are some brown sugar imitations on the market, but maybe you are like me and want the convenience of being able to quickly make your own. Making your own saves you money too, always a good thing. Most Of the "brown sugar" replacements on the market use artificial sweeteners in them too. I don't know about you but I avoid artificial chemical sweeteners. I think sugar is better for me than those, but that's my own opinion...

Anyway, erythritol is the base I have chosen for this healthy, low carb brown sugar replacement. You could also use part xylitol if you want to. Xylitol is a lot sweeter that erythritol (about 90% as sweet as sugar) but isn't quite as low carb as erythritol. Another thing to note is that when you combine sweeteners, they are synergistic with each other, enhancing each others sweetness. SWEET!

You may also want to put in the tiniest amount of a high quality white stevioside powder (a high intensity natural sweetener) to up the sweetness of your blend. Just add the stevia very slowly and mix it together VERY well. Write down your formula so you can easily remake more.



LOW CARB BROWN SUGAR Recipe:

Difficulty level: Easy Peasy

1 to 2 c. Erythritol, granular
1 t. Blackstrap molasses


Method:

In a bowl of a food processor, thoroughly mix the blackstrap molasses into the granular erythritol.

Use immediately or store in an airtight container in your pantry for future use.

If you want a lighter brown sugar, just mix in more erythritol.

Remember to write down your proportions for future reference.


Lower Carb Variation:

2 c. Erythritol
2 t. Yacon syrup
A pinch stevioside powder, to taste



NOTES:

Traditional brown sugar has 276 calories per 1/2 cup (71.1 g carbs).
The Lower Carb Variation with yakon syrup has only 7 calories per 1/2 cup (2.8g carbs).

Blackstrap molasses is darker and more flavorful than regular molasses, so you need only half as much, which lowers the carb count of this sweetening blend even more.

Use a natural high intensity sweetener, or a blend of two (like stevia and luo han guo) to increase the sweetness level, if desired.

Erythritol has only 6% of the calories of regular sugar.

Erythritol has about 60 to 70% of the sweetness of regular sugar.

Erythritol is best used as a bulk sweetener in part of a sweetening blend.

Erythritol is not quite as soluble as sugar, it takes a little more heat to dissolve it.

Erythritol has a much higher gastric tolerance than any other sugar alcohol, up to 3.5% is safely used in beverages, for example.

Erythritol will not activate yeast in baking applications. Use a little additional fructose to activate and feed the yeast, and then your dough will rise normally.



Note: You could use Lakanto's golden granular zero-calorie sweetener instead of the plain erythritol for best flavor.



Future Project: I want to make a brown sugar blend that is as sweet as regular brown sugar using a combination of:

erythritol (bulking sugar)
oligosaccharides (inulin chicory root fiber) (bulking fiber)
stevia extract (high intensity sweetener)
luo han guo (monk fruit) (high intensity sweetener)
natural color (carob or cocoa powder)
natural flavor


I'm thinking about 70% erythritol, 20% inulin, and just a kiss of everything else.

I'm just thinking out loud... on paper, er, computer screen.



Have a great day,

Leila.

Successful sugar-free caramel experiments today!

Sugar Free Caramel experiments in the Kitchen Cheetah Test Kitchens

Imagine a dab of rich, buttery, creamy smooth caramel on your finger tips, just waiting to be tasted...

That's what I got to do today. CARAMEL.

We have been working on formulating a delicious sugar free caramel, not an easy task. Today, great progress was made towards our goal!

Years ago, when my husband and I owned a gourmet candy manufacturing business, I experimented with sugar-free caramel and toffee. At the time, maltitol and maltitol syrup (sugar alcohols) were pretty new to the market and I experimented with those. I was only somewhat satisfied. I had to add some other natural ingredients to create caramelization (also known as the maillard reaction). Sugar alcohols do not caramelize on their own, which is a problem for sugar-free candy manufacturers. Artificial flavors and colors are used to achieve a caramel-like look and taste - but they don't really fool you.

Maltitol causes gastric distress in most people, but was an improvement over mannitol. Sugar alcohols cause gastric distress in general. Xylitol is generally better tolerated than maltitol, plus xylitol has many health benefits. Still, you only want to eat it in small doses.

Erythritol is generally tolerated the best out of all the sugar alcohols. However, erythritol recrystallizes much quicker than regular sugar does, leading to grainy caramel, grainy marshmallows, grainy fudge - yuk. Erythritol also does not brown, so you can't make caramel with just erythritol.

There are some newer, healthy sugar alternatives on the market now, which we are experimenting with. We are very close to reaching our goal of a delicious, natural sugar-free, chemical-free caramel that is firm enough to wrap in caramel wrappers, or dip in our sugar free chocolate. SO EXCITING.

I just had to share!

Freshly made sugar-free caramel.

This caramel has a nice rich color and caramel taste!

Sugar-free caramel experiment - after the cold water test. Nice texture :)

Stay tuned!

Author, Leila.

Sugar-Free Vanilla Sugar - Really.

Sucre Vanillé (Vanilla Sugar) - A sugar-Free Version

I thought it would be nice to have this gourmet ingredient in a sugar-free version. So here it is.

You can even use vanilla beans that have been previously infused in another recipe. Just dry them before placing in the xylitol/erythritol blend. You could also grind up spent and dried vanilla pods with this blend of sweeteners to get the most use out of your vanilla.

Sucre Vanillé Recipe:

4 vanilla beans, split lenghtwise
2 c. xylitol
2 c. erythritol (or Lakanto's zero-cal granular sweetener)

Method;

Scrape out the seeds from the vanilla bean pods.
Combine the seeds, pods, xylitol and erythritol in a jar and shake to mix.
Cover tightly and allow the flavors to blend for several weeks.
Add more sugar to the jar as you use it up.
Use in place of regular sugar in recipes.


Enjoy!

Leila

Stevia Glycerite Recipe (Now brand copy-cat)

Stevia Glycerite (Now brand copy-cat recipe)



This is an awesome recipe - and so easy!

Stevia glycerite is a kitchen staple you will use all the time. Our whole family has used liquid stevia glycerite for years. I have also recommended it to many of my clients and friends, as a natural sugar substitute. For along time, our family purchased +Now brand stevia glycerite from the health food store. It is a bit expensive, so we researched a way to make our own. We found nothing online to help us, so a few years ago, we experimented and created this reliable formula, which we are now very excited to share with you!

This is a very valuable formula and it will save you a lot of money. The vegetable glycerine in this formula is a natural preservative, so no additional preservatives are needed. It is shelf stable too. We like to make up a larger batch and put it into squeeze bottles, old (washed) Now brand stevia glycerite bottles, or dark amber glass bottles with droppers.

We like to use this to sweeten smoothies, protein drinks, herbal teas, and other beverages. You only need about 3 to 4 drops to sweeten a large mug of herbal tea. I will use a little to sweeten applesauce, other fruit sauces and jams. There are lots of creative ways to use this healthy sugar alternative. It is also great to extend the sweetening power of other sugar-free sweeteners like xylitol or erythritol, or use to cut down on sugar sweeteners used like raw agave nectar, raw honey, maple syrup, and evaporated cane juice...We do not recommend using this alone in baked goods, as it does not give the necessary structure that sugar does.


STEVIA GLYCERITE Recipe:

4 C. natural vegetable glycerine, divided
1 C. purified or distilled water
150 grams 90% stevia powder (a white stevioside powder at 90% concentration)


Method:

Pour 2 cups of the glycerine and 1 cup water into a tall pot. Blend together well.
Add the 90% stevia powder while whisking with a wire whisk, to blend well.
Cook the mixture on high heat while whisking vigorously and constantly until it comes to a full boil.
Continue whisking vigorously while boiling for 1 full minute, then turn off  the heat.
Continue whisking vigorously for 5 full minutes.
Allow to cool, whisking occasionally.
When cooled, blend in the last 2 cups vegetable glycerine. Mix together well.
When it is completely cooled, package into air-tight bottles, and store in a cool, dark place.


Tip: This recipe easily doubles.


Note: Stevia leaves are an herb that is naturally very sweet, yet completely sugar-free. Stevioside powder is a concentrated and purified form of the stevia leaf. Very small amounts are needed to sweeten foods and beverages. it is a very good low-carb, sugar-free alternative for those who are concerned about their health.

Stevia leaf - the source for stevioside powder

Stevioside powder

Now brand stevia glycerite (Now you don't need to buy it anymore!)

Enjoy!

Leila