Out of Erythritol, one case
How to substitute stevia for erythritol
4 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Granulated stevia blend (measures like sugar)
¾ cup for every cup of erythritol
It depends on which stevia you have. A granulated stevia blend that measures like sugar replaces erythritol at about ¾ cup per cup. Pure stevia powder or liquid is far more concentrated: start with ½ teaspoon per cup of erythritol and add to taste. Pure stevia replaces the sweetness only, so it works in drinks, sauces and custards but not in cakes or cookies, where the erythritol is also a cup of dry bulk.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Check that the bag says it measures cup for cup like sugar, then start with ¾ cup per cup of erythritol and taste.
- Best for —
- cakes, muffins and cookies
One casethe full erythritol card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 cup erythritol | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Granulated stevia blend (measures like sugar)cakes, muffins and cookies | ¾ cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Pure stevia powder or liquid steviacoffee, tea, lemonade and smoothies | ½ tspYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 3 | Allulosecakes, muffins and quick breads | 1 cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Granulated monk fruit sweetenerany recipe written for erythritol | ¾ cupTweak it | Tweak it |
Granulated stevia blend (measures like sugar)
slightly sweeter, with a faint stevia aftertaste
Baking blends pair a little stevia extract with a bulking ingredient so the bag measures cup for cup like sugar. That makes them somewhat sweeter than plain erythritol, which is about 70% as sweet as sugar.
- Best for
- cakes, muffins and cookies, any recipe where the erythritol is measured by the cup
- Prep
- Check that the bag says it measures cup for cup like sugar, then start with ¾ cup per cup of erythritol and taste.
- Where it fails
- Many stevia blends are bulked with erythritol, so they do not help if erythritol is what you are avoiding. Blends bulked with maltodextrin add carbohydrates; read the label.
Some stevia blends are twice as sweet as sugar or more. If the package gives its own sugar conversion, follow it and treat 1 cup of erythritol as about ¾ cup of sugar.
Pure stevia powder or liquid stevia
sweet with a bitter, licorice-like edge if you use too much
Stevia extract is 200 to 300 times as sweet as sugar, so a cup of erythritol becomes a fraction of a teaspoon. Strength varies by brand, which is why this is a starting amount.
- Best for
- coffee, tea, lemonade and smoothies, sauces, dressings and marinades, custards, cheesecake filling and whipped cream
- Prep
- Start with ½ tsp per cup of erythritol, taste, and work up to 1 tsp if needed. Check the package conversion first.
- Where it fails
- Batters and doughs. The recipe loses a cup of dry ingredient, so cakes and cookies come out small, dense and wet. Too much stevia turns bitter, and adding more does not fix a recipe that tastes flat.
Allulose
clean, with no cooling or bitter aftertaste
The swap to use when the recipe needs the bulk and stevia cannot supply it. It is about as sweet as erythritol, so the amount stays the same.
- Best for
- cakes, muffins and quick breads, soft cookies and brownies
- Prep
- Lower the oven 25°F and start checking a few minutes early, because allulose browns much faster.
- Where it fails
- Crisp cookies and meringue. Allulose holds moisture and never sets hard.
Granulated monk fruit sweetener
the same texture, slightly sweeter
A blend made to measure like sugar, usually erythritol with a little monk fruit extract. It bakes the way erythritol does and has no stevia bitterness.
- Best for
- any recipe written for erythritol, crisp cookies
- Prep
- Start with ¾ cup per cup of erythritol and add to taste.
- Where it fails
- It is mostly erythritol, so it keeps the cooling aftertaste and does not suit anyone avoiding erythritol.
Tips for substituting erythritol
5 tips- Look at the form before you measure: a bag that measures like sugar goes in by the cup, a jar of pure powder or a dropper bottle goes in by the fraction of a teaspoon.
- For 1 tablespoon of erythritol in a drink or sauce, pure stevia is a small pinch or 2 to 3 drops to start. Add it, stir and taste before adding more.
- In baking with a pure stevia extract, the missing cup of bulk has to come from somewhere. Use allulose or a granulated blend for the bulk, not stevia alone.
- Stevia turns bitter past a certain amount. If a mixture is not sweet enough at 1 tsp of pure stevia per cup of erythritol replaced, add another sweetener, not more stevia.
- Stevia does not brown or caramelize, so anything sweetened only with it stays pale.
Questions
4 questionsHow much stevia equals 1 cup of erythritol?
With a granulated stevia blend that measures like sugar, about ¾ cup. With pure stevia powder or liquid, start with ½ teaspoon and work up to 1 teaspoon to taste. Brands differ a great deal in strength, so check the sugar conversion on the package and count 1 cup of erythritol as about ¾ cup of sugar.
Can I substitute erythritol for stevia instead?
Yes, and it is the easier direction, because you are adding bulk, not losing it. Find the amount of sugar your stevia replaces on its package, then use about 1 1/3 cups of erythritol for each cup of sugar. In a batter, that extra dry ingredient can make the result drier, so the swap suits drinks, sauces and fillings better than a recipe built around stevia drops.
Can I bake with stevia in place of erythritol?
Only with a granulated baking blend. Pure stevia powder or drops cannot stand in for a cup of erythritol in a cake or cookie, because the batter loses that cup of dry ingredient and bakes up dense and wet. Use a blend that measures like sugar, at about ¾ cup per cup of erythritol.
Does stevia have the cooling aftertaste of erythritol?
No. The cooling taste belongs to erythritol. Stevia has its own aftertaste, slightly bitter and licorice-like, which is stronger the more you use. Many stevia blends contain erythritol, though, and those keep the cooling note.