Out of Sugar, one case
How to substitute Splenda for sugar
4 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Splenda granulated
1 cup for every cup of sugar
Splenda Granulated, the product sold in a bag, replaces sugar cup for cup. Splenda packets are stronger: 1 packet equals 2 teaspoons of sugar, so 24 packets equal 1 cup. Splenda Sugar Blend is half sugar and is used at ½ cup per cup of sugar. Bakes made with Splenda brown less, rise less and bake faster, and it will not set fudge or candy.
- Verdict —
- You'll taste it
- The tweak —
- Measure by volume, never by weight. Check cakes 7 to 10 minutes early and cookies 3 to 5 minutes early, and flatten cookie dough before baking.
- Best for —
- muffins, quick breads and cakes
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
One casethe full sugar card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 cup sugar | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Splenda granulatedmuffins, quick breads and cakes | 1 cupYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 2 | Splenda sugar blendcookies and brownies | ½ cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Splenda packetscoffee, tea and lemonade | 24 packetsYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 4 | Half Splenda granulated, half sugarchewy cookies | ½ cup sugar + ½ cup Splenda GranulatedTweak it | Tweak it |
| Not a swap | Splenda in fudge, caramel or hard candy | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Splenda granulated
sweet, with a lingering aftertaste some people notice
Sucralose bulked with maltodextrin so that it pours and measures like sugar. It is light and fluffy: a cup weighs a fraction of what a cup of sugar does.
- Best for
- muffins, quick breads and cakes, pie fillings, cobblers and crisps, drinks, sauces and marinades
- Prep
- Measure by volume, never by weight. Check cakes 7 to 10 minutes early and cookies 3 to 5 minutes early, and flatten cookie dough before baking.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- It does not brown, caramelize, cream air into butter or hold moisture like sugar, so bakes are paler, lower and drier. It will not make fudge, caramel, meringue or hard candy, and yeast cannot feed on it.
The label on the bag has the maker's own chart; follow it if it differs.
Splenda sugar blend
close to an all-sugar bake
A mix of sugar and sucralose that is twice as sweet as sugar. The sugar in it restores browning, spread and moisture.
- Best for
- cookies and brownies, layer cakes and pound cake, yeast breads
- Prep
- Use half the amount of sugar the recipe calls for.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- It is half sugar, so it does not suit a sugar-free recipe. The batter has less volume, so a cake may sit lower in the pan.
Splenda packets
sweet, with a lingering aftertaste
Each packet is as sweet as 2 tsp of sugar. The contents are sucralose with dextrose and maltodextrin.
- Best for
- coffee, tea and lemonade, oatmeal, yogurt and fruit, sauces and dressings
- Prep
- 1 packet for 2 tsp of sugar, 1 ½ packets for 1 tbsp, 6 packets for ¼ cup, 12 packets for ½ cup.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Baking that needs sugar's bulk: 24 packets fill only a few tablespoons, so cakes and cookies lose volume and texture.
Half Splenda granulated, half sugar
very close to the original
The fix for most of what goes wrong in baking with Splenda alone. Half the sugar is enough to brown, spread and keep the crumb moist.
- Best for
- chewy cookies, cakes that should rise and brown, yeast doughs
- Where it fails
- Not sugar-free.
Splenda in fudge, caramel or hard candy
not applicable
Candy is sugar cooked to a set temperature so that it crystallizes or hardens in a controlled way.
- Best for
- nothing here: keep the sugar, or use a candy recipe written for a sugar-free sweetener
- Where it fails
- Fudge will not harden with Splenda in place of the sugar. Sucralose and maltodextrin do not form the sugar crystals that set fudge, and they do not reach soft-ball, hard-crack or caramel stages.
Tips for substituting sugar
5 tips- Check which Splenda you have. Granulated in a bag: 1 cup per cup. Packets: 24 per cup. Sugar Blend and Brown Sugar Blend: ½ cup per cup. Splenda also sells stevia, monk fruit and allulose products with their own charts.
- Bakes made with Splenda Granulated cook faster. Start checking cakes 7 to 10 minutes early and cookies 3 to 5 minutes early, and judge by a skewer or set edges, since they stay pale.
- Cookie dough does not spread with Splenda Granulated. Flatten each ball to the thickness you want before baking.
- In yeast bread, keep at least 2 tsp of real sugar in the recipe so the yeast has something to feed on.
- For jam and jelly, use a pectin labeled for no-sugar or low-sugar recipes and follow its instructions. Regular pectin needs sugar to set, and a tested canning recipe should not have its sugar changed.
Questions
5 questionsHow much Splenda equals 1 cup of sugar?
1 cup of Splenda Granulated, 24 Splenda packets, or ½ cup of Splenda Sugar Blend. For ½ cup of sugar, use ½ cup Granulated, 12 packets, or ¼ cup Sugar Blend.
Will my fudge harden if I substitute Splenda for sugar?
No. Cooked fudge sets because dissolved sugar forms fine crystals as it cools, and Splenda does not do that. Use a fudge recipe written for a sugar-free sweetener, usually one that sets with chocolate, butter and condensed or evaporated milk in the fridge, not on the stove.
What is Splenda made of?
The original yellow Splenda is sucralose, a zero-calorie sweetener made from sugar and about 600 times sweeter, mixed with maltodextrin and, in packets, dextrose to give it bulk. Those fillers add a small amount of carbohydrate, under 1 gram per packet.
Can I bake a cake with Splenda in place of sugar?
Yes, with Splenda Granulated cup for cup. The cake will be paler, lower and drier than the sugar version and done 7 to 10 minutes sooner. Replacing only half the sugar, or using the Sugar Blend at ½ cup per cup, gives a cake much closer to the original.
Can I swap Splenda for sugar by weight?
No. Splenda Granulated is much lighter than sugar, so a recipe that lists sugar in grams needs converting to cups first: 200 grams of sugar is 1 cup, so use 1 cup of Splenda Granulated.