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 1/4 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
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) erythritol sweetener
- 2 tsp blackstrap molasses
- 1 tsp 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I haven’t made this yet, but it looks great!
Thank you for creating and sharing this recipe. I have used it several times.
Thanks for all your delicious recipes!
Delicious!
Can’t wait to try this!
At the beginning of the recipe you mention you like “Caramel extract: I really like this caramel extract from Dolce Foglia. “
But in the ingredient list when we click on the Carmel extract it is flavoring. (TTB Caramel Flavoring )Does this matter, using and extract VS a flavoring, since you have mentioned both in the recipe?
Thanks
Just fyi, the extract in the blog part of this article is from Dolce Foglia and isn’t available on Amazon now, and the extract in your ingredient list is different and is on Amazon.
Thanks for this recipe. I haven’t tried it yet but I will be.
What can you use if erythritol is not an option.
You can use allulose or xylitol. However, it will change the outcome of your recipes…
This recipe is phenomenal! No longer do I have to pay exorbitant prices for brown sweetener.
I am unclear regarding the adding of 1/4 tsp of sweetners extract. I have on hand, pure liquid & powder stevia, pure erythritol, pure allulose and multi powdered blends. When I think extract, I think liquid. So, do I use 1/4 tsp of liquid stevia, an additional 1/4 tsp of pure erythritol or a 1/4 tsp of any of my other blended powdered sweetners?
Hi there. The post clearly states that if you are using pure erythritol, you will need stevia or monk fruit extract. Extracts can be powdered or liquid and they are highly concentrated sweeteners. Erythritol and allulose are granular sweeteners, not extracts. Blends are granular sweeteners, not extracts. Anything that comes in a form like regular sugar (granular or powdered) are not extracts.
Thus you would use your erythritol (plain, not blended) and add 1/4 tsp of a concentrated extract such as stevia or monk fruit.
God morning! I’m just learning keto diet and cooking your recipes…which are wonderful! I used the blackstrap molasses in your low carb choc chip cookie before realizing it contained sugar. Is the sugars counted in your carb count already? Am I correct carbs on keto include both sugars and starches? Should I have used the yacon syrup instead as its alternative sugar?
Can I use the yacon syrup in your brown sugar recipe?
Making my second batch today. This is wonderful – thank you! I used what I had – English Toffee flavoring and it came out great!
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.
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?
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.
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.
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!!
Well glad you figured that out! Thanks for coming back to let me know.
Will this work with Allulose?
Yes, but it won’t be useful as a sweetener to replace the old Swerve Brown, since allulose doesn’t crisp up.
In spite of the dark color, cake turned out great!
Thx