Baking With Stevia

Satisfy your sweet tooth naturally with these sugar-free baking recipes and easy-to-make sugar-free toppings.

1).Baked Apples 

Fill your home with the rich scent of Autumn with this warm and comforting recipe.

Serves: 6 apples

Ingredients:

6 large Rome apples, peeled and cored

6 tablespoons unsalted (sweet) butter, softened

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1/2 teaspoon white stevia powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 cup currants

1/4 cup coarsely chopped almonds or pecans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Using a sharp knife, remove a 1/4 inch piece from the top of each apple. Peel 1/4 inch of skin from the top, and core each apple to within 1/2 inch of the bottom. Set aside.

Cream the butter with the lemon juice and lemon rind, then add the remaining ingredients. Spoon even amounts of this mixture into the cored apples.

Place the filled apples in a shallow baking pan, add a little water to cover the bottom, and bake for about two hours, or until tender. Serve hot, warm, or chilled.

2).Banana Walnut Bread

Perfect for a snack between meals, this banana bread is sweet and moist with a scattering of walnuts.

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

2 very ripe large bananas

1/4 teaspoon powdered stevia extract
(or 1 g. packet of Now Stevia Extract)  

1/2 teaspoon stevia concentrate

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup canola oil

1 large egg

1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º.

Spray 9"x5" loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Mash the bananas in a small bowl and combine with stevia extract, stevia concentrate, and lemon juice. Set aside.

Sift dry ingredients together in a bowl.

Beat the oil and egg together in a mixing bowl until creamy.

Beat in yogurt or buttermilk and the vanilla.

Combine moist ingredients.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring as little as possible. Be careful not to over mix (this can make bread tough).

Gently fold in walnuts.

Pour into loaf pan.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the loaf.

Remove from pan and cool loaf on a rack.

3).Favorite Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Smooth cream cheese meets rich cocoa powder in this yummy, sweet frosting

Serves: Enough to frost two 9-inch single layer cakes, 1 dozen standard muffins or 2 dozen mini muffins

Ingredients:

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon white stevia powder

3 tablespoons skim milk

1/3 cup organic cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

Directions:

Place the cream cheese, stevia and 1 tablespoon of the milk in a small bowl, and whisk util fluffy.

Stir in the cocoa, vanilla and enough of the remaining milk to form a smooth, spreadable frosting.

Use immediately, or store in the refrigerator for several days.

4).Mocha Cream Pie 

Coffee and chocolate come together to create a rich and indulgent pie, topped with a generous sprinkling of toasted coconut or a drizzle of melted dark chocolate.

Serves: 9 inch pie

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon white stevia powder

1 1/4 cups unsweetened carob chips

2 teaspoons Dacopa, or other instant grain coffee substitute

3/4 cup water

1 level teaspoon agar flakes*

1/8 teaspoon white stevia powder

9 inch prebaked Basic Pie Crust

Toasted, shredded coconut for garnish

Try drizzling melted dark chocolate on top instead of coconut for an even more decadent chocolate dessert.

*Available in health food stores, agar - also known as kanten - is a natural jelling agent.

Directions:

Place 1 cup of the cream and teaspoon stevia in a 2 quart pot over medium heat. As the cream begins to warm, gradually add the carob chips and stir until they have melted.

Add the coffee substitute, water, and agar to the pot, and increase the temperature slightly. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, and cook until it is smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Place the remaining cream and 1/8 teaspoon stevia in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric hand-held mixer, beat the mixture until soft peaks form. Do not over-beat.

Fold the cooled carob mixture into the whipped cream, blending carefully but thoroughly. Pour the filling mixture into the crust and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Before serving, garnish with toasted coconut.