We do alot of baking around here, especially this time of year. I'm trying to make adjustments to some of the cookies and pastry recipes our family has, but I'm finding it difficult to break away from white sugar. We tried Splenda and it was just awful! 
Is there a way to replace processed white sugar in baking and still keep the flavor and texture? What do you use?
Try maple sugar! I have a friend who makes the most amazing vegan cakes and she always uses maple sugar.
Here are a couple of no-bake dessert recipes that you might like as well:
http://sneakyvegan.blogspot.com/2010/11/avocadoholics-and-chocoholics-unite.html
http://sneakyvegan.blogspot.com/2010/12/mascarpone-clouds.html
Hope that helps :)
PLEASE don't use splenda. Stay away from the splenda!!!!!!! And all other artificial sweetners. They are made from chemicals and SO bad for you.
Try:
Rice syrup
maple syrup
agave nectar syrup
dates
I'm still looking into the stevia plant sweeteners. I hear some have added chemicals and some are more pure. But the stevia plant in general is still a topic of debate so I am not using the stevia seeteners myself.
Anyway, good luck!
-L
Great suggestions Lindsay! You're right on - Splenda and other artificial sweeteners are downright nasty!
Have you used the syrups successfully as baking substitutes? I never thought I'd be able to get the same consistency - not so much flavor, but texture-wise? Baking can be pretty unforgiving that way so I'd love to find some good substitutes too!
Incidentally, these are all great substitutes for honey. Never really thought of bees as "animals" but I've recently been corrected that honey is technically not vegan. That one hurt. But yay that there are good subs out there - thanks!!
Thank you so much for the help! The recipes look amazing!
I was running into the same texture issues, too, so I can't wait to try the maple sugar.
Most of the negative info I find on Stevia is dated but I did find this:
http://healing.about.com/cs/uc_directory/a/uc_stevia_jones.htm
I am going to try and kick my sugar addiction a little later after I figure out what else to eat but I heard this on Doctor Oz. Its supposed to be easier to eliminate cravings with these supplements! I'm definitely gonna give it a try!
Step 1: Replace grains with broccoli or cauliflower for one week, and eat garlic, chives and leeks.
Step 2: For withdrawal, take a Vitamin B complex and 1,000 mg a day of chromium picolinate.
Step 3: Eat meat in a 4:1 ratio, limiting it to a quarter of your protein. Also eat leafy greens and citrus.
Step 4: Address emotional eating: Emotional hunger is sudden, while physical hunger is gradual.
Hey there Kay! I just posted a soya free sugarless brownie recipe on my blog. You might like to try it - my Husband and I absolutely loved it. In fact he's been taking a piece to work with him all week. I substituted sugar for date syrup, maple syrup and molasses. If you have trouble finding date syrup you could try agave nectar or perhaps brown rice syrup. Also, molasses are a great source of iron so these are definitely a healthier alternative!
http://peasoupeats.wordpress.com/2011/02/02/soy-free-sugarless-vegan-brownies/
Hey, I just got an email from Sweet Freedom which is a bakery near us in Philly. Anyway, they do not use any refined sugars and list all of their ingredients. I saw that they use coconut sugar. Not sure I have ever heard of it but it may be an option if you can find it. Their stuff tastes great so it must be good!
Natural pure sugar cane
Aine, those look INCREDIBLE! I have your blog saved into my favorites and I'm definitely going to give some of these recipes a try! Thank you!!
catconsrv, I have never seen coconut sugar, but I think I'm going to try to find it now. And I LOVE their website!! I am going to be SO well prepared come next holiday season! Thank you!!
Mark, does the pure cane sugar have a lower glycemic index? Or is it unprocessed? Does it digest differently? (I know... Incredibly dumb questions. LOL! My mother is diabetic and we're working on her diet, but sugary stuff is her Achilles heal)
Thank you for your input! :)
ASBheart, I'm planning on asking mom's doctor if she could add chromium picolinate as a suppliment. It worked for our son when he was having sugar issues when he was very young. I didn't think about the B-complex, though! Her doc had recommended B-complex for the nocturnal leg cramps shes been having, so its on the 'definitely gotta pick this up' list. Thank you for the tips!
Thankyou Kay:)
I also bought some malt syrup the other day and am looking forward to using it in my baking. I'll let you know how I get on. Has anybody used malt syrup before? It has the vegan society seal of approval but I've not seen many recipes that use it.