Few people realize how very simple it is to cook with Splenda. With Splenda, you can enjoy your grandmother’s famous chocolate lush more than once a year without having to feel guilty. Just think, you could start having dessert again! Of course, using Splenda does not make your chocolate cake a calorie-free food. (There are still calories in the other ingredients like flour, milk, and shortening.) You’ll still have calories to contend with, albeit far fewer than you would if you had used sugar.

Why Splenda?

I first discovered the joy of cooking with Splenda when I found that I had Syndrome X, a pre-diabetic condition that many Americans have which makes their bodies ultra-sensitive to sugars. I had always loved baking and hoped that a sugar substitute might help me to continue my baking while making my enjoyment of those baked goods a little less dangerous to my health. The true joy of cooking with Splenda is that it is nearly identical to sugar in both flavor and consistency and yet contains no substantial calories and doesn’t cause your body to respond as though it is consuming sugar.

Special note: Did you ever wonder why when you switched from regular to diet soft drinks you still didn’t lose any weight? The most common artificial sweetener used in diet soft drinks, Aspartame, although it is calorie free, still causes your body to respond as though it is consuming sugar. Thus, there are no calories but still no weight loss.

Converting the Non-Believers

My husband has never believed in sugar-free treats. His grandmother is an amazing baker and has always made all of her confections with real sugar and lots of it! Needless to say, my husband has always believed that good things come with plenty of calories and lots of sugar on top. When I suggested that he might like to try a sugar-free apple pie that I had made with Splenda, he quickly turned down the well-meant offer. I soon grew tired of the holiday routine of making a regular dessert for him and a sugar-free dessert for myself. After several tries over several years, I realized that I would need to get sneaky if I ever wanted to stop the madness and make only one dessert for both of us. Yes, I did a terrible thing. I made my husband’s favorite dessert, chocolate cream pie, with Splenda and served it without telling him that it was sugar-free. When I asked him how it was, he said it was excellent. That was when I dropped the bomb – it was sugar-free. He wasn’t impressed with my dirty trick, but it did help him to come around to trying sugar-free treats.

Are you or a family member one of those people who has to add sugar to breakfast items like coffee and cereal? Splenda can be found on store shelves in single serving packets that are perfect for the sweet coffee drinker or cereal sweetener.

Hello, Sticky Buns!

Have you had to give up those sweet rolls and coffeecake in the morning in your battle against the bulge? Try making you favorite coffee cake or cinnamon rolls with Splenda instead of sugar. (Splenda can also be found on store shelves in a 3.8 ounce box, which contains roughly 3-4 cups of Splenda or an even larger bag to accommodate baking quantities.) It may not remove all cause for guilt, but it certainly will allow you to have a little something sweet in the morning. My personal favorite is a little variation on “Monkey Bread.” I mix up a batch of drop biscuits. (You can make them from scratch, use a baking mix or even use rolled biscuit dough by cutting each biscuit into quarters.) In a separate bowl, I mix one quarter cup melted butter, one half cup Splenda and two teaspoons cinnamon. I then brush the bottom of a small cake pan with some of the butter mixture, drop the biscuits close together into the pan and then pour the rest of the butter mixture over the top of the biscuit batter and bake at 350 degrees until done. This creates a great pull-apart coffeecake that is wonderful with coffee.

Growing up in Maine, apples were always a favorite for making baked desserts. I had a terrible weakness for Apple Crisp and still do. Fortunately, when I found Splenda, Apple Crisp was no longer out of reach for me. One thing to remember when using Splenda while baking with apples is that Splenda will not make your sliced apples “sweat” and create a syrup like real sugar will. There is a very simple way to adapt your recipe to accommodate this though. Prepare your apples as you normally would by peeling and slicing them. Then use your usual recipe for Apple Crisp, only substitute Splenda for sugar, cup for cup, and add one cup of sugar-free applesauce to your apples. Most applesauce brands that sell a sugar-free variety generally label it as “natural” or “no sugar added”. Always remember that most companies add sugar (or high fructose corn syrup a.k.a.: SUGAR) to applesauce. By reading the labels on the products you purchase, you can avoid the pitfalls of hidden sugars and truly enjoy your favorite desserts in their sugar-free form. For berry based desserts, you can use Splenda to easily replace sugar and not have to worry about the juice/syrup level. Berries have enough natural moisture to create that luscious syrup with Splenda.

And speaking of syrup…did you know that you could make jams, jellies and preserves using Splenda as well? Thanks to Splenda, I enjoy a fabulous whole berry cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving every year. Simply add one bag of cranberries, 1 cup of Splenda and one cup of water to a two-quart pot and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, remove the lid and stir continuously while cooking the berries down to the consistency of preserves or a thick sauce. For a little zing, feel free to add a touch of orange or lemon juice or zest. This makes a lovely cranberry sauce that everyone at your table will be able to enjoy. Another favorite at Thanksgiving is pumpkin pie. Believe it or not, you can use Splenda in your favorite pumpkin pie recipe and I guarantee that your guests will never know the difference. Although the lack of full calories may just help them to survive the holidays with a little less weight gain. Just imagine your guests’ joy when they realize that all that pie they ate doesn’t contain nearly as much guilt as they thought it did!

Are you a diabetic that has had to give up birthday cakes because of your condition? Or, worse yet, have you had to watch your friends and family eat and enjoy your cake while you have just a tiny sliver? With Splenda, you can begin to enjoy those birthday celebrations again! Simply make your favorite cake recipe and substitute Splenda for sugar, cup for cup. This will make a fantastic cake that you will finally be able to enjoy.

Now for the icing on the cake…Since Splenda has the consistency of regular sugar and not confectioner’s sugar, the best way to go when creating an icing with Splenda is to use a buttercream or a glaze type of recipe.

Being diabetic or having Syndrome X doesn’t mean that you have to give up all those special treats that you have come to love. It simply means that you’ll need to adapt your favorite recipes to accommodate for new sugar-free versions. Consider trying Splenda the next time you make your favorite sweet treat. You may just be surprised by the full flavor, lower calorie count and added joy that Splenda can bring into your life.