baking with splenda...but it comes out so dry!

My husband recently baked me a few things with Splenda instead of sugar, but everything came out much drier than it should have.  Does anyone know a way to compensate for this?

cook it less time, and sometimes you can add applesauce to add moisture.  Applesauce can be exchanged for some of the fat in products.

I second this notion!  I have used this before myself and it works well.  Simply substitute applesauce (sugar free or low sugar) for any oil or other fat measurement for measurement.  For example, 1 tablespoon of applesauce for 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, etc. 

Would you want to try the Splenda Blend?  It's 50% Splenda 50% sugar, not the best alternative but might make it better.

I think that would be a bit too much sugar.  :) 

Unfortunately, the easiest way to compensate, and the way most food manufacturers do, is to add fat!  Hmm. While it's easy to cut calories from most savory foods and still have them taste great, it's a lot harder with with sweet foods, especially those you bake. There are lots of things I've learned about in cooking school, seen in magazines or have tried myself 1.  Lizzy had a great idea the other day. She developed a brownie recipe that is extremely low in calories and she claims tastes wonderful (I calculated the calories for her). Her secret ingredent was 1/2 cup cooked and pureed cauliflower!  I've heard of this but have never tried it, yet it does make sense to me.   2. Adding unsweetened applesauce or pureed unsweetened prunes (hard to find), but the prunes in particular do alter the flavor--not bad, just not what you might expect.   3. A little peanut butter can help and although it has nutritional value it comes at a high calorie count.   4. Using part canola or olive oil instead of fat like margerine or butter sometimes helps since it bakes entirely differently than solid fats.  5. Cutting down the baking temp and/or time just a bit may help.   6. Hand stirring the ingredients instead of beating them. Beating can toughen the final product which changes the texture. 7.  Use part almond flour (not paste).  This is a little moister than white flour and adds a little more protein. Whatever you try, you'll need to experiment and experiment with your recipes.  Good luck! Ann

i just put an apple pie in the oven made with splenda i squirted it with some 'i can't believe it's not butter' spray. and i'll try not baking it quite asl ong. first shot at bariatric baking.        kate

Sugar is a moisturizer and preservative. I learned this the hard way with pumpkin pies one Thanksgiving--had to throw TWO of them out on Thanksgiving night--they were molding already

Rather than exchange the sugar for Splenda on a 1 to 1 basis---I go 75% Splenda and 25% sugar.

Anyway--if the recipe calls for 1 cup sugar---go 3/4 c Splenda and 1/4 c sugar.
The Spenda baking blend is a 50/50 mix of Splenda and sugar... so I do my own instead.
Sometimes you have to experiment around til you get it right. Check the Recipe exchange forum here for a good collection.

When I first started baking with Splenda, I was using whole wheat flour, to keep the glycemic index of the final product lower.  But everything came out really dry, and with a bumpy, grainy texture that was more like corn bread than it was like cake.  At first, I assumed that the Splenda was to blame, until I ran out of whole wheat flour and used white flour.  Then it seemed like everything was moist again.  BUT if the recipe calls for one cup of oil, I use a cup of oil AND a quarter cup of applesauce.  That helps with the moisture problem without ruining the recipe.

 

This is from a recipe club I belong to: Confections In recipes where the amount of sugar is quite high, sugar often contributes significantly to structure and texture. Frosting, candy, fudge, caramel, pecan pies, angel food or pound cake: For best results, only replace about 25% of the sugar required with SPLENDA® Granular instead of a full sugar replacement. Volume / Height You may notice a smaller yield when substituting SPLENDA® Granular for sugar. In some cases, cakes and quick breads will not rise as high as their full-sugar counterparts, but they will still taste delicious! To achieve a better rise: Switch from 9" round pans to 8" round pans with 2" sides. Also, try adding 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda for every 1 cup of SPLENDA® Granular. Creaming When creaming butter or margarine with SPLENDA® Granular, your mixture will appear less smooth than with sugar, and may separate upon the addition of eggs. This is normal and you should continue following the recipe instructions Texture Cookies often rely on brown sugar for their chewy, crunchy texture. To retain the texture, replace only the white granulated sugar in your cookie recipes. You can also try replacing a bit less of the total sugar or by using SPLENDA ® Sugar Blend for Baking. Don't forget -you need only half as much SPLENDA ® Sugar Blend for Baking as the amount of sugar called for in your recipe. Only 1/2 cup is needed to replace 1 cup of pure sugar. You may need to flatten the cookies before baking to aid spreading. Jams, jellies, puddings and custards, when made with SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granular, may be slightly thinner or soft-set. See Storage. Flavor For cookies, puddings and custards, use an additional teaspoon of vanilla extract per one cup of SPLENDA® Granular to enhance flavor. For quick breads and muffins, add one or two tablespoons of honey or molasses to boost flavor and provide some moistness. Yeast Activation SPLENDA® Granular will not activate yeast. Maintain at least two teaspoons of sugar in recipes calling for yeast and replace the remaining sugar with SPLENDA® Granular. Browning In the baking process, sugar caramelizes to produce the familiar golden brown color of baked goods. Baked goods made with little or no sugar do not brown like recipes made with sugar. To help achieve a more golden brown color when baking with SPLENDA® Granular, lightly spray the batter or dough with cooking spray just before placing in the oven. Bake times Your baked goods made with SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener may bake more quickly than those made with sugar. * Cakes: Check 7-10 minutes before the original recipe's expected bake time. * Cookies, brownies and quick breads: : Check 3-5 minutes before the original recipe's expected bake time. Storage Sugar acts as a preservative, helps retain moisture, and keeps baked-goods fresher longer. * All fresh baked goods are best eaten within 24 hours. If you want to keep your baked goods made with SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granular longer, wrap well and freeze. * For canning, SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granular does not provide preservative properties. However, it is heat stable and can be used as a sweetener in canning. Canning SPLENDA® Brand Products are heat stable and can be used as a sweetener in canning and in making jams and jellies. However, SPLENDA® Brand Products do not provide the preserving properties of sugar, so proper canning techniques are essential to avoid spoilage and to achieve successful results. Once opened, these homemade goodies must be stored in the refrigerator and used within one month, to minimize any spoilage from natural airborne bacteria.