Sugar Alternatives Chart: How to Swap Sweeteners

Cane sugar is an effective and easily sourced sweetener, but there are plenty of other options for sweetening your favorite ice cream and frozen dessert recipes. Honey, maple syrup, pitted dates, low-calorie monk fruit or liquid stevia — all these and more can be swapped in for traditional sugar, each providing its own unique flavor and properties.  

The key to getting delicious results is to understand the properties of your substitute and adjust your recipe accordingly. This simple nutribullet Chill™ alternative sweetener reference chart gives you the conversions for a wide array of popular options, so you can choose what feels best for your recipe—and for you. 

Sugar Substitutes

Most sweetener swaps are as easy as a 1:1 substitution, but others require different ratios. Certain ingredients also require a small amount of preparation. Here’s our cheat sheet on how to substitute sugar in your recipes for the best results.

Ratios:

• If you prefer not to use cane sugar, the following can be used in equal volume: agave nectar, maple syrup, honey, simple syrup, granulated or powdered Monkfruit with Erythritol, pitted, soaked Medjool dates. 
• For concentrated substitutes like liquid stevia, check the packaging instructions for best practices. These usually only require a few drops for optimal sweetness.

Prep notes:

Medjool dates: 

• Remove the pit, then soak the fruit in warm water for 15 minutes. 
• Drain before adding to your recipe and blend dates with your other base ingredients until smooth. 

Monkfruit/Erythritol and other powdered/granulated sugar substitutes:

• Gently heat your ice cream base and whisk in your sweetener to ensure it’s fully dissolved before freezing. Skipping this step may result in poorly-distributed sweetener or textural issues.

Reminders:

• Each sweetener offers its own unique flavor and sweetness level. Dates may lend a caramel flavor, while agave nectar and monk fruit with erythritol, and simple syrup have a milder flavor. 
• Using concentrated sugar sweeteners like stevia drops will impact the final recipe volume and your Chill cup may not get filled to the Max line. You may need to increase the quantities of other ingredients to account for volume loss.