How do I convert a sugar recipe to a dextrose recipe?

By popular request, this week we are answering the questions you’ve been sending us about cooking with The Sugar Breakup Dextrose. With some simple changes, cooking with dextrose is easy. Read on for cooking success!

Is cooking with The Sugar Breakup Dextrose the same as cooking with sugar?

Dextrose has about 70% the sweetness of sugar.

Once you are sugar free you no longer need its extreme sweetness but if you are cooking for sugar lovers then recipes with a little more dextrose work well for them.

The Sugar Breakup Dextrose converts cup for cup with sugar

For example:
– If the recipe says use 1 cup of sugar then use 1 cup of The Sugar Breakup Dextrose.

It’s a simple 1:1 conversion when using cup measurements.

Weight matters

The Sugar Breakup Dextrose is lighter than traditional sugar.

A cup of sugar weighs 250g, a cup of The Sugar Breakup Dextrose 180g.

So if a recipe is done by weight not cups then multiply the sugar weight by 0.72

For example:
125g of sugar = 90g of Dextrose
60g of sugar = 43g of Dextrose

A little more liquid can help

The Sugar Breakup Dextrose soaks up more fluid then sugar.

Add a little more of the liquid ingredients.

For example,
– if the recipe recommends 125g of butter, then increase this to 140g.

Use large eggs

All The Sugar Breakup recipes use large eggs, 55-60g in weight or the 700g per dozen at the supermarket.

Large eggs are always the best to bake with, really great for bringing the batter together.

Don’t go too hot

In cakes dextrose can cook faster than sugar so we recommend you turn the oven down 10C from the sugar recipe temperature. Eg: If the sugar recipe says 180C, then turn the oven down to 170C and keep an eye on your cake as you approach the anticipated cook time.

Double line with baking paper

For best results put 2 layers of non-stick paper in your cake and biscuit tins.

This is really important when cooking with dextrose.

Double lining actually helps the cake to cook evenly.

Also, there’s nothing worse than a fabulous looking cake becoming stuck!

If creaming butter, dextrose and eggs, don’t over mix

This rule applies when cooking with sugar but we thought we’d mention it for dextrose as well. If you are adding eggs to creamed butter and dextrose, ensure the eggs are at room temperature and don’t over mix. Be gentle, add each egg separately to combine and once they are combined stop.

Don’t keep mixing as your batter can split (not a pretty sight).

Will a recipe converted from sugar to dextrose be the same as the original?

Yes and no… Your baking will still be delicious but now it will be fructose free and have less calories as by weight you are using less dextrose than the original sugar recipe.

Now that we have shared all our simple cooking tips, you must visit our fabulous Recipe page for delicious cake, biscuit and dessert ideas ready to go with The Sugar Breakup Dextrose.

Happy baking and and we would love to see your sugar free cooking so feel free to share your photos with us on Facebook.