This keto friendly brown sugar alternative takes 3 ingredients and about 5 minutes of your time. And it has all the rich flavor of the real thing, with almost zero net carbs!
Okay, my friends, I decided that I need to take matters into my own hands. I don’t shy away from my duties and obligations when it comes to keto baking. So I had to go ahead and create my own brown sugar replacement. And I am thrilled by the results!
If I have taught my readers anything, it is that every single ingredient matters. The sweeteners you use can make a huge difference to the outcome of a recipe. I outline how each of them work in my Guide to Keto Sweeteners.
This new homemade brown sugar substitute takes all of those variables into consideration. And it works perfectly in all recipes calling for Swerve Brown. Hooray!
Why you need to try this recipe
The new formula of Swerve contains allulose, and while it’s still a great sweetener for many purposes, it no longer produces a crisp texture. Which means that while it works just fine in recipes like Keto Oatmeal, it’s not ideal in things like Keto Graham Crackers.
With all of these changes, I’ve been searching for a good replacement. I thought I’d found one, but that brand now seems to be out of business. And the others I’ve tried simply don’t have the rich flavor I am looking for. They seem to just be regular granular sweetener with a touch of color.
There are other brown sweetener recipes out there, but mine has a special touch which goes the extra distance. Have you ever noticed how brown sugar and caramel have similar flavor profiles? A bit of caramel extract gives this keto sweetener a classic brown sugar flavor.
And it takes all of about 5 minutes to make and stores nicely in an airtight. I’ve tested it out in a few recipes, including some keto muffins. Hope you will give it a try!
Ingredients you need
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- Erythritol sweetener: You can use an erythritol that is already blended with monk fruit or stevia, such as So Nourished or Lakanto. Or you can use straight erythritol and add a bit of stevia or monk fruit extract yourself.
- Molasses: Don’t panic, I repeat do NOT panic about the molasses. It really just adds color and a bit of flavor. The entire recipe takes 2 teaspoons of blackstrap molasses, which adds only 0.5g of carbs per serving.
- Caramel extract: I really like this caramel extract from Dolce Foglia. This Butterscotch Extract works well too, since caramel and butterscotch are very similar flavors.
- Stevia or monk fruit extract: If you choose to use plain erythritol, you will want to add one of these highly concentrated sweeteners. See the Expert Tips and recipe notes for more information.
Step by Step Directions
1. Place the erythritol sweetener in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl, if you are using a hand mixer).
2. Place the molasses in a small microwave safe bowl. Heat in the microwave very gently to help liquify it a bit. Stir in the caramel extract.
3. Turn the mixer on to low and slowly drizzle the molasses into the bowl. Keep mixing until the sweetener is a uniform golden brown.
4. Transfer to an airtight container. Use as you would any recipe that calls for a brown sugar replacement.
Expert Tips
Once again, I urge you not to panic about the molasses. Blackstrap molasses is surprisingly low in carbs. And you add only 2 teaspoons for a recipe that makes 16 servings. Do choose blackstrap rather than regular molasses.
Molasses is very thick, so I recommend heating it very gently to help liquify it a bit. It will blend with the granular erythritol much more easily this way.
Plain erythritol is only 70% as sweet as sugar, so you will want to add a bit of a highly concentrated sweetener such as stevia or monk fruit extract. Most sweeteners on the market already do this for you, but purchasing straight erythritol can be more cost effective.
I recommend using ¼ teaspoon of these extracts to up the sweetness of your brown sugar substitute. Add it into the molasses after warming it in Step 2. You can always add more at the very end if you find you need it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Technically, no. Only real sugar can be brown sugar, of course. But this brown sugar alternative is an excellent substitute for brown sugar in all of your low carb and sugar free recipes. It has only 0.5g of carbs per 1 tablespoon serving and can be used in all recipes calling for brown sugar or brown sugar substitutes.
This homemade brown sugar alternative is a low carb option for anyone watching their carbs, including diabetics. It has all the rich flavor you crave, with a tiny fraction of the carbs. Regular brown sugar has 13.5g of carbs per tablespoon, where as this alternative brown sweetener has only 0.5 net carbs.
This homemade brown sweetener should be stored in an airtight container on the counter. It will last for at least a month.
Recipes to try with brown sugar replacement
Easy Brown Sugar Substitute
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer (hand mixers work too!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup erythritol sweetener
- 2 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
- 1 teaspoon caramel extract
Instructions
- Place the erythritol sweetener in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl, if you are using a hand mixer).
- Place the molasses in a small microwave safe bowl. Heat in the microwave very gently to help liquify it a bit. Stir in the caramel extract.
- Turn the mixer on to low and slowly drizzle the molasses into the bowl. Keep mixing until the sweetener is a uniform golden brown.
- Transfer to an airtight container. Use as you would any recipe that calls for a brown sugar replacement.
Valerie says
Just made a batch. I purchased an erythritol/stevia blend from Bulk Barn as well as their blackstrap molasses. I haven’t used it in a recipe yet but when I compare it to the Swerve Brown that I still have, it looks and tastes the same. I trust your reporting that it behaves the same in recipes. Thanks again so much for this. Everytime I try something new from you, I appreciate the thinking, time and expense it takes to experiment until you have something to share. Thanks again. Your stuff is the basis of how we eat now.
Angela says
I haven’t tried making this recipe yet but wanted to ask about the So Nourished sweetener in general. The Swerve with Monkfruit is what I have been purchasing to replace the original Swerve but it is so much more expensive so I can’t afford to keep buying it, especially when recipes call for a larger amount of it. Does the So Nourished erythritol with monkfruit that you use for this recipe measure the same in your other recipes that call for the original swerve? I read some reviews on amazon for it and saw some reviews that said it was too sweet when used in the same amounts as sugar. So I just wanted to know if you have tried this sweetener in any of your other recipes as a replacement and if you recommend the same measurements or if we need to use a little less?
Carolyn says
I didn’t use it for this recipe, I just recommend it as an option. But I have tried it in the past and never had issues.
Cecile says
Hi Carolyn,
I made the brown sugar just now, ready to use for your Baklava cake recipe….it came out a very dark brown….could it have been the blackstrap molasses? Perhaps it was old? Consistency is fine….but your picture looks a lot better!! Going to use it anyway.
Cecile Stanley says
Hi Carolyn,
Update. I made the brown sugar again today using NEW molasses, not the years old I had in my cabinet. Now it looks like your golden brown color!!
Thanks!!
Carolyn says
Well glad you figured that out! Thanks for coming back to let me know.
Connue says
Will this work with Allulose?
Carolyn says
Yes, but it won’t be useful as a sweetener to replace the old Swerve Brown, since allulose doesn’t crisp up.
Cecile says
In spite of the dark color, cake turned out great!
Thx
Claudia says
Fellow Canadians, no need to run out and order crazy expensive flavourings from the US: The new versions of Swerve in Canada are different from those in the US and do NOT contain allulose.
You can see images here:
https://naturamarket.ca/swerve-brown-sugar-replacement.html
But if that ever changes, thank you, Carolyn, for showing us how to make our own!
Michele says
Thank you for this recipe! It is excellent! I am so happy to be able to make my own brown sugar substitute. This is the best I have ever had!
Carolyn says
So glad you like it!
Joyce K says
Awesome! I did not know they had changed the brown Serve. But I always seemed to be out of brown sweetener when I needede it. Now I can make it whenever I need more! This is wonderful, thanks so much for all your hard work Carolyn!
Cecile Stanley says
hi Carolyn,
Thanks for your hard work to develop this as I use brown sugar a lot…..why do you think they changed the ingredients to include allulose?
Tricia says
Thank you SO much! I’ve been concerned about how many of your recipes were affected by the new Swerve products. I’m very excited about this recipe and just placed an order on Amazon for what I need. I also learned the difference between blackstrap and regular molasses.
Dee says
I appreciate the recipe but would like another sweetener you can use to replace erythritol. Erythritol causes palpitations in me. There are scientific papers that state it may cause heart damage. My experience causes me to firmly believe that statement. Thank you.
Lynne says
I haven’t tried this yet, but love the concept and will definitely give it a try. I actually make my own powdered sweetener with an old coffee bean grinder and Lakanto Monk Fruit granulated.
I have a couple questions/thoughts:
1. You mention So Nourished, and they have an excellent Brown Sweetener, almost exactly the same consistency as brown sugar. Is there a reason you don’t recommend it?
2. I’ve heard Yacon syrup is a low carb substitute for molasses. Have you tried it in this recipe, and do you think it would yield the same flavor/consistency?
Carolyn says
So nourished brown sweetener does not have a very good “brown sugar” flavor, IMO. My addition of caramel extract makes a huge difference.
Yacon syrup is great… you can use that. It can have a bit of a sour flavor but I don’t think there is enough in this recipe to make a difference.
Sharon Zimberoff says
Thanks for this recipe for keto brown sweetener. It’s the best one I’ve seen. I bought a 3 pound bag of the new Swerve Brown but found that the allulose upsets my tummy; what a waste of money. Then I found Pure Cane and stocked up just before they went out of business (through no fault of their own). I like it better than the original Swerve Brown. When I run out I will certainly be using your new recipe for Keto brown sugar substitute. Thanks again for all of your great recipes!☺️
Joyce Hettrich says
Can you use Allulose instead of erythritol? There is a lo of “news” regarding erythritol causing sticky blood platelets, potentially increasing chances of stroke and heart attacks. We are trying to limit exposure to erythritol.
Jill Franks says
On the link to the caramel extract, it gives the option of either 4 ounces, or 4 fluid ounces. Which do you suggest?
Beth S says
I’m super excited to make this! And then to make graham crackers. Thanks!
Jaime says
Brilliant! Now I have reinforcements for those times I don’t have any brown sweetener on-hand! Thank you.
Beverley Clayton says
I am excited to try this recipe. Being diabetic, I will be trying many of your recipes. This one is especially interesting to me as my favorite topping for pancakes is sour cream with a sprinkling of brown sugar. Until now I’ve not seen a substitute for brown sugar that works for me. Maybe this will be the one.
Carolyn says
I hope so!
Debra Huewe says
Hi Carolyn, because of my husband’s food restrictions I can only use sugar or pure monk fruit.
Can I substitute Monk fruit in this recipe
GB says
I’ll have to try this. But for information sake, do we know if the organic swerve has the allulose? I’d like to be sure I’m purchasing correctly.
Suzanne says
My package states it is made of organic erythritol and organic monk fruit only. No Allulose.
GEORGENE HARKNESS says
Thanks for the recipe. Now I have a bag of brown sugar erythritol sweetener which I apparently haven’t used quickly enough, and it is hard as a brick. Do you have any suggestions as to what I can do to soften this, much like regular brown sugar can be softened by putting a slice of bread or piece of apple in the container? Once I use up my purchased brown sugar erythritol, I’m eager to use this recipe.
Terry S says
From the Swerve website: “My Swerve has gotten hard and chunky. What should I do?
Swerve can be sensitive to environmental heat and humidity. We always recommend that it be stored in a cool, dry place like a refrigerator or freezer. If you find that yours has started clumping, moving it to the freezer can reverse the moisture’s effect. If you are looking for a faster way to de-clump your Swerve, you can always put it in the food processor or in the microwave for 30 seconds.”