Stevia leaves on a plant.
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You won't find a more effective sweetener than stevia -- it has 30 times the sweetening power of sugar -- but when you cook with it, you have to substitute for more than sweetness. Sugar adds color, moisture, caramelization, aroma and volume to food, so you have to use stevia in conjunction with a thickener or bulk ingredient. You get the most from stevia when you process the dried leaves yourself into a form suited for the application. Ground stevia works well in baked goods, stevia extract provides a boost to glazes, and stevia syrup works as a finishing ingredient.
Ground for Use in Baked Goods
Step 1
Rinse the stevia leaves in cold water and lay them flat on paper towels. Pat the moisture from the leaves and let them sit out for a few minutes.
Step 2
Break off any stems. Grind the dried stevia leaves to powder using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
Step 3
Scale, or portion, out the dry ingredients -- except for sugar -- for the recipe. Portion 1 tablespoon of ground stevia for every cup of sugar called for in the recipe.
Step 4
Scale out the wet ingredients for the baked good and add an extra 1/3 cup of the primary liquid for every tablespoon of stevia used. For example, if you're making a hot-milk sponge cake -- which calls for 2 cups of sugar -- you would add an extra 2/3 cup of milk because you are using 2 tablespoons of ground stevia to replace the 2 cups of sugar.
Step 5
Mix the batter and examine the consistency. If the batter is too loose from the additional liquid or bulk ingredient, add flour, a teaspoon at a time, until it stiffens to the desired consistency. Bake the baked good at a temperature up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Extract for Sauces and Glazes
Step 1
Rinse the dried leaves in cold water and pat them dry with paper towels. Break the stems off and crush the leaves in your hand. Put the crushed leaves in a glass jar.
Step 2
Cover the stevia with vodka and seal the jar. Keep the jar in a cupboard for two days.
Step 3
Strain the vodka through a mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth and into a saucepan. Reduce the extract on the stove over low heat until syrupy, about 30 minutes.
Step 4
Transfer the extract to a dark bottle that has a dropper; you're going to use stevia extract by the drop. Keep the extract in a dark pantry or cupboard until you're ready to use it.
Step 5
Prepare the glaze, dessert sauce, fruit sauce or other liquid-based sweetened dish until the point when you would add the sugar. Substitute 2 drops of extract per teaspoon of sugar; substitute 6 drops of extract per tablespoon of sugar; substitute 1/4 teaspoon of extract per 1/4 cup of sugar; substitute 1/3 teaspoon of extract per 1/3 cup of sugar; substitute 1/2 teaspoon of extract for 1/2 cup sugar; substitute 1 teaspoon of extract for 1 cup of sugar.
Step 6
Mix the glaze or sauce and heat it to 180 F in a saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon of powdered agar for every 2 cups of sauce.
Step 7
Stir to incorporate the agar and remove the saucepan from the heat. The glaze or sauce will thicken when it cools to 100 F.
Syrup for Finishing
Step 1
Rinse the stevia and remove the stems. Pat the leaves dry and crush them by hand into a food container or jar. Use 1/4 cup of crushed stevia leaves for 1 cup of simple syrup.
Step 2
Cover the stevia leaves with 1 cup of tepid water. Steep the leaves at room temperature for 24 hours.
Step 3
Strain the syrup through a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Add the stevia syrup to taste to drinks, sauces, glazes or any other liquid that needs sweetening at the finish.
You can find stevia leaves and agar at health-food stores and some supermarkets.
Stevia extract and simple syrup keeps for 30 days. Store extract in a dark place, such as a cupboard, and store syrup in the refrigerator.
FAQs
You can also grind stevia leaves into a fine powder for baking or cooking. This can be done with a coffee grinder or a blender. I don't recommend using the powder in drinks unless you want it floating at the top of your coffee–not nice. The last way to enjoy stevia is by infusing it and using it as a liquid extract.
How do you use stevia in recipes? ›
If replacing sugar with stevia in baking you will need to use the equivalent amount of something else to make up the volume, such as apple fibre.
- 1 tsp sugar = 2 to 3 liquid drops of stevia OR a 1/4 tsp powdered stevia.
- 1 cup of sugar = 1 tsp of liquid stevia OR 2 tbsp of stevia powder.
Bring 1 cup of water to a near boiling, add 1/2 cup of lightly crushed stevia leaves. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 40 minutes. Strain through cheese cloth or a coffee filter and pour into a sterilized dark colored jar. Store your stevia extract in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
Is it safe to use dried stevia leaves? ›
The FDA approved only the highly purified steviol glycosides from stevia leaves as safe to use. Products thought to be safe contain words in their ingredient list such as stevia extract or Stevia rebaudiana. If you see whole stevia leaves or crude stevia extracts at your local natural foods store, don't buy them.
How do you take the bitterness out of stevia leaves? ›
Surprisingly, it has now been found that sodium gluconate is able to reduce or mask the bitterness emanating from natural sweeteners such as stevia extract and erythritol without at the same time affecting the sweetness.
Can you bake with stevia leaf? ›
Yes, Stevia can be used as a substitute for white sugar in baked goods, but there are some important considerations to keep in mind. Stevia is a natural sweetener derived from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant.
How much stevia do I substitute for sugar in baking? ›
Stevia Conversion Chart for Naturally Sweet Stevia Blend and SweetLeaf Stevia
| Natural Sugar | Naturally Sweet Blend | SweetLeaf Stevia Plus |
|---|
| 1 tsp | 1 tsp | 1/8 tsp |
| 2 tsp | 2 tsp | 1/4 tsp |
| 1 tbsp | 1 tbsp | 3/4 tsp |
| 1 cup | 1 cup | 1.5-2 tbsp |
1 more rowStevia tastes sweet. The sweet taste comes from naturally occurring compounds within the stevia plant called steviol glycosides. There are over 70 recognized steviol glycosides in the stevia plant, which can be used to sweeten food and beverage products.
How do you use stevia leaves in desserts? ›
Add wheat vermicelli to the boiling milk. Once Vermicelli comes to boil after 8-10 mins, add 40g of Magic leaf stevia sweetener to the boiling milk and mix it well. When the vermicelli softens and floats on the top, add the ¼ teaspoon of cardamom powder and mix it well. The vermicelli kheer is ready to serve.
What is the difference between stevia leaf and stevia? ›
Stevia products found on grocery store shelves, such as Truvia and Stevia in the Raw, don't contain whole stevia leaf. They're made from a highly refined stevia leaf extract called rebaudioside A (Reb-A). In fact, many stevia products have very little stevia in them at all.
It's considered 300 times sweeter than sugar and has zero calories. In fact, a teaspoon of stevia leaf is equal to about a cup of sugar. To use stevia leaf, simply put one leaf in a cup of tea or coffee to sweeten it and taste the magic.
What are the negatives of stevia leaf extract? ›
Possible side effects include nausea, bloating, low blood pressure, and hormone disruption. Stevia is a non-nutritive or zero-calorie sweetener made of steviol glycosides. These are compounds extracted and refined from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant.
What are the side effects of using stevia leaf? ›
When taken by mouth: Certain chemicals in stevia, including stevioside and rebaudioside A, are likely safe when used as a food sweetener. Side effects might include bloating, nausea, dizziness, and numbness.
What are the cons of stevia leaf extract? ›
Stevia's potential side effects can include nausea, bloating, decreased blood pressure, and potential impacts on the liver. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers stevia leaf extract safe for consumption, however, and it is unlikely to cause side effects in most people.
How to replace stevia for sugar in baking? ›
One packet of stevia is equivalent to about two teaspoons of sugar. Twenty-four packets equal one cup of sugar. If you're using pure powdered stevia, the stevia-to-sugar ratio is even lower. A half teaspoon of powdered stevia equals ¾ cup of sugar.
What are the benefits of dried stevia leaves? ›
And according to a 2009 study, stevia leaf powder may help manage cholesterol. Study participants consumed 20 milliliters of stevia extract daily for one month. The study found stevia lowered total cholesterol, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and triglycerides with no negative side effects.
