In addition to compensating for taste when decreasing the sugar content in sweet baked goods, bakers must replace its bulk and functionality, including mouthfeel, browning and more.

“The greatest challenge posed by sugar reduction in baked goods is effectively replacing the three key functions that sugar provides: rising, browning and binding,” said Michelle Yin, technical sales, Howtian. “Sugar is pivotal in the rising of cakes and breads, so by simply removing sugar, it results in a denser texture with the product losing fluff. If sugar is replaced by other sweeteners, these substitutes may have different melting points, and this could also reduce the rise.”

She said that sugar plays a key role in binding and requires the correct ratio of sugar, flour and butter. Removing sugar requires adding the missing volume back with other ingredients, which may affect the product’s texture and moistness.

“Lastly, sugar caramelizes when baked, enhancing the appearance, scent and taste of the baked good,” Yin added.

Polyols are cost-effective bulking agents that reduce sugar but must be used judiciously to avoid digestive discomfort, said Eric Shinsato, senior project leader, innovation, Ingredion Inc.

“Crystalline maltitol is considered a one-for-one replacement for sugar and has good digestive tolerance,” he added. “Erythritol, which is present in nature in fruits such as pears, melons and grapes, as well as mushrooms and fermentation-derived foods, is another bulk sugar replacer. Erythritol provides functional bulking and is 70% as sweet as sugar with only 0.2 calories per gram.”

Thom King, chief executive officer and chief food scientist, Icon Foods, identified volume as the top challenge for reducing sugar in sweet baked goods as it can make up 13% to 14% of the total product weight or more.

“You could replace sugar one-to-one with an allulose blend, meaning an allulose-stevia-monk fruit blend, which would be on parity with sugar,” he said. “Your limitation in sweet baked goods is allulose, which has a tendency to burn faster than sucrose, so you may have to increase your bake time and decrease your temperature slightly. I would say decrease your temperature by 25%, and increase your bake time by about 20%.”

He cautioned that allulose is not well-metabolized by yeast, so formulators must work around that. Also, while allulose, which is about 70% as sweet as sugar, has been approved by the FDA, it has not been approved for use in Canada and the European Union. 

Sugar, or sucrose, acts as a tenderizer in sweet baked goods, imparting a tender crumb, said Julia DesRochers, senior principal scientist, Tate & Lyle. 

“The solubility of sucrose in the aqueous phase changes the ‘bulkiness’ of the formula water which in turn affects many aspects ranging from starch gelatinization temperature, cookie spread, moisture retention and water activity, just to name a few,” she said. 

Sugar also helps with the Maillard reaction, or the browning that contributes to their flavor and appearance.

“Sugar contributes to the beautiful golden brown color and rich flavor we associate with baked goods,” said Casey McCormick, vice president of global innovation at Sweegen. “Finding alternative ways to achieve desirable browning and flavor without relying on sugar can be a complex task requiring adjustments to baking techniques and ingredient combinations.”

He also mentioned the importance sugar plays in the shelf life and stability of sweet baked foods.

“Sugar helps preserve the freshness and extend the shelf life of baked goods by reducing water activity and inhibiting microbial growth,” McCormick said. “When reducing sugar, bakers must explore alternative preservation methods or packaging solutions to maintain product quality over time.”

This article is an excerpt from the May 2024 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Sugar Reduction, click here.