Date Syrup in Baking: Sugar Swap

Introduction

Date syrup is a nutritious sweetener made from dates. This post will help you convert your recipes to use date syrup instead of white sugar, brown sugar, and powdered sugar.

Why Avoid Refined Sugar?

Refined sugar is not great for any diet, and we cover that in this article.

Conversions

Don't worry if you don't like math. I made a tool to do it for you. Try my Sweetener Swap Calculator

White Sugar:

• Multiply sugar weight by 0.7 to get the date syrup weight.
• Increase flour weight by 1.25 to adjust for moisture.

Brown Sugar:

• Multiply sugar weight by 0.65 to get the date syrup weight.
• Increase flour weight by 1.2 to adjust for moisture.

Powdered Sugar:

• Multiply sugar weight by 0.55 to get the date syrup weight.
• Increase flour weight by 1.15 to adjust for moisture.

Example Conversion:

• Original Recipe: 100g sugar, 200g flour.
• Converted Recipe: 70g date syrup, 250g flour (for white sugar).

Baking and Leavening Adjustments

• Baking Temperature: Lower by 25°F to prevent over-browning.
• Leavening: Add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda for every cup of date syrup to neutralize acidity.

Health Benefits of Date Syrup

Date syrup is rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It has a low glycemic index and supports digestive health.

Scholarly References

1. Nutritional and Medicinal Properties of Dates: A Review - This paper highlights the nutritional benefits of dates and date syrup.
   • PubMed: Nutritional and Medicinal Properties of Dates
2. Date Syrup: A Promising Antioxidant and Antimicrobial - This study discusses the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of date syrup.
   • PubMed: Date Syrup as Antioxidant and Antimicrobial