A Simple THM Sweetener Conversion Chart!

Save for later!

Have you ever been confused about what sweetener you can use on THM, and how much of it you should substitute with?

Me, too!

Behold:

The simple THM Sweetener Conversion Chart!

Nowadays, there are many low-carb sweetener options available, but not all of them are Trim Healthy Mama-friendly. Even though they may be low in carbs or have a good rating on the glycemic index, they might contain other ingredients that can be harmful to our bodies in the long run.

In this THM Sweetener Conversion Chart, I’ve kept things as simple as possible, by only including sweeteners that have thus far been approved by Trim Healthy Mama, and by using traditional cane sugar products as the guideline for substitution measurements.

In addition to regular white sugar alternatives, I’ve also included on-plan, low-carb, low-glycemic substitutions for:

  • brown sugar
  • Confectioner’s or icing sugar
  • honey & maple syrup

Scroll to the bottom of this post for the printable THM-friendly Sweetener Chart! 

But first,

A FEW Tips For Using THM-Friendly Sweeteners

1:1 substitutions are my favorite. Aside from the obvious bonus of not having to do any math 😉 , 1:1 subs generally provide the best results in baking because they have a similar consistency to their traditional counterpart.

Often, the bulk of a granular sweetener is needed for a baked good to turn out properly, which makes erythritol or xylitol based sweeteners (i.e. Lakanto Classic, Swerve, and THM Gentle Sweet), a better choice for baking than pure monkfruit or stevia.

Pure monkfruit and stevia are only needed in minuscule amounts, and can have a bitter aftertaste if too much is used. These sweeteners are better fit for drinks like Good Girl Moonshine, Singing Canary, and The Shrinker. Any aftertaste is usually masked by the stronger flavor of apple cider vinegar and flavored teas. Adding a pinch of salt in drinks sweetened with pure monkfruit or stevia also helps take away any bitterness and diminishes the cooling effect.

A Quest FOR THE PERFECT THM-FRIENDLY SWEETENER

For the longest time, I used xylitol for all of my baking and liquid stevia drops in my THM drinks.

Xylitol has a nice granular consistency, a bit larger than real sugar, which gives volume and substance to baking. Some people use a coffee grinder to decrease the size of the granules, but I don’t find it necessary.

Xylitol is not a perfect sweetener. It doesn’t dissolve quite as well as real sugar, so it requires whipping or beating longer than normal to get it fully incorporated. Xylitol is also not a good choice if you have pets; it can be fatal to furry animals, especially dogs. Additionally, xylitol can also cause digestive distress in some people if they consume excessive amounts.

To me, the perfect THM Sweetener should:

  • not have a bitter aftertaste
  • measure cup for cup like regular sugar
  • taste like real sugar
  • dissolve easily
  • be available in granular, brown, and icing sugar consistency
  • be available locally
  • be pet friendly
  • be easy on the digestive system
  • be affordable

My quest for the perfect sweetener found me experimenting with all kinds of brands: Pyure, Swerve, SweetLeaf, Trim Healthy Mama, Truvia, Xyla, and generic Bulk Barn sweeteners. In the end, one sweetener stood out among the rest.

Lakanto Monkfruit Sweeteners

Disclosure: I am a Lakanto Affiliate because we use and love their sweeteners! We earn a small commission from purchases made through our link.

Lakanto Monkfruit Sweeteners were the last ones I tried, and I kicked myself for not giving them a go first! They were the only sweeteners that met my long list of “perfect sweetener” qualifications.

Lankanto’s Monkfruit Sugar Substitutes:

  • measure and taste like real sugar
  • dissolve easier than xylitol
  • are on the digestive system
  • are pet friendly
  • are available in classic, brown and Confectioner’s consistency
  • are available locally (In the U.S., you can find them at Costco; in Canada you can often find them at Winners or Home Sense)

Bonus:

  • Lakanto Monkfruit Sweeteners are affordable! If you use the Coupon Code “NORTHERNNESTER,” you save 15% off all your online purchases (plus, they offer $5.99 flat rate shipping, and free shipping on orders over $75!).
  • Lakanto also offers a variety of other sugar-free sweeteners and THM-friendly products, including:

Enough about me and my favorite sweetener. 😉

Here’s that THM-friendly Sweetener Conversion Chart you’re after! You can right-click to enlarge the image and print it off, or click here to download

thm sweetener conversion chart

Save for later!

8 thoughts on “A Simple THM Sweetener Conversion Chart!”

  1. Jacinda I’m having trouble with lakanto sweetener crystalizing when back goods cool. My last batch of cupcakes got very dry overnight and the sweetener crystals are easily detected. Any ideas on how to avoid this?

    Reply
  2. Hi. I just recently decided to order some monkfruit sweetners. I have not gotten them yet but I was wondering if they have the same coolness aftertaste in baked goods as erythritol does. I recently tried PB cookies with erythritol and they were good but the coolness factor made them less so. Thank you for the sweetner conversion chart; I think your is more “true” than the THM chart I had.

    Reply
  3. Lakanto is 99.9% erythritol with a pinch of monk fruit powder added to get up to the sweetness of sugar (since erythritol is only about 70% as sweet as sugar). All the usual erythritol problems, like not dissolving as readily, the cooling effect on the tongue, and not browning will be true for all Lakanto sweeteners as well.

    Reply
  4. I noticed a few of your recipes are straight xylitol, but you are referring mostly to Lakanto here. I do not care for the cooling effect. Can you please speak on xylitol and how it tastes and does with baking when used alone? I know it’s not good for dogs but we don’t have any.

    Reply
  5. In my experience in cooking with Lankanto Classic I have discovered that if a recipe calls for 1 cup sugar, I use 1/2 cup classic. I simply use half of what is called for in a recipe. No cooling on the tongue and still tastes plenty sweet.

    Reply

Leave a Comment