Groceries - Baking

Pros:

• Affordable
• easy close zip lock bag
• gluten free
• vegan
• organic
• all natural

Cons:

• has a few more carbs than almond flour

When to use it:

Coconut flour is great for baking. I like to use coconut flour in sweet recipes because some coconut flour can taste strongly like coconut and some have a more subtle tast. I find this one to have a more subtle coconut taste to it but this still doesn't mean you can't use it for savory recipes, because you can! If you add herbs and spices and only add a little coconut flour to your recipe you won't even notice the mild taste of coconut, if at all. Coconut flour soaks up the moisture in recipes making the texture a bit more dry and crumbly. Coconut flour is a great substitute flour for recipes such as Lemon loaf, Cinnamon crumble cake and Pancakes

Pros:

• Affordable
• easy close zip lock bag
• gluten free
• blanched almonds (less carbs)
• all natural

Cons:

• only sold at costco

When to use it:

This is my go to flour for baking. I find almond flour best for savory dishes but it also works great for sweet dishes too. When baking with almond flour you will notice that your recipes will come out moist rather than dry like coconut flour will make recipes. This is because coconut flour absorbs the wet ingredients resulting in a dry and crumbly finished texture. Where as with almond flour, if you add any moisture your recipe will turn out more damp and heavy like a bread or muffins. Almond flour is a great substitute flour for recipes such as my Pizza bread or Almond bread  

Pros:

• a little goes a long way
• organic
• natural
• no artificial ingredients
• no carbs
• no glycemic response
• purely organic stevia

Cons:

• a bit expensive
• can not be substituted one to one for sugar

When to use it:

This stevia is great for on the go if you like to add a little bit of sweet to your coffee or morning yogurt. It is convenient, fits easily into your pocket and makes no mess but it is very sweet so I would suggest using a little at a time until you find your preferred sweet spot. Do not use in recipes that call for monk fruit, erythritol or swerve ect. stevia is much more sweet and will not give you the bulk the other sweeteners will. If you want to add a bit of stevia to your recipe, that already has another sweetener in it, to make it a bit more sweet you can do so without compromising the recipe.

Pros:

• a little goes a long way
• organic
• all natural
• gluten free
• no artificial ingredients
• vegan
• no carbs
• no glycemic response
• non gmo
• good price 

Cons:

• can not be substituted one to one for sugar
• has natural flavours in the ingredients

When to use it:

This stevia is comparable to the sweet leaf stevia brand. The only difference is that this brand adds organic erythritol and natural flavours. Organic erythritol is a great sugar substitute like stevia but natural flavours can be any chemical compound that is made from "natural" food sources and can contain chemical additives. They are highly processed to give you the taste of a specific flavour such as lemon, cherry or banana.

Pros:

• no mess
• no alcohol
• easy to use
• great for baking
• no sugar added
• vegan, gluten free and non-gmo
• all natural
• tasty

Cons:

• a bit expensive
• can not be substituted as sugar in recipes 

When to use it:

Great for baking or adding to a speciallity drink. This alcohol free vanilla is a great addition to your sweet recipes. 

Pros:

• no mess
• no alcohol
• easy to use
• great for baking
• no sugar added
• vegan, gluten free and non-gmo
• all natural
• tasty

Cons:

• expensive
• can not be substituted as sugar in recipes 

When to use it:

Great for desserts and breakfast. French vanilla is another one of my favourite extracts to use in a specialty latte or tea latte. It also goes great in baked goods or even yogurt cereal. 

Pros:

• no mess
• no alcohol
• easy to use
• great for baking
• no sugar added
• vegan, gluten free and non-gmo
• all natural
• tasty

Cons:

• expensive
• can not be substituted as sugar in recipes 

When to use it:

I use this cinnamon vanilla sweetener in my yogurt in the morning for a nice little sweet kick. Usually, I add cinnamon to my yogurt but this adds the vanilla and makes it slightly sweeter which I really enjoy. I also use it in a quick nightly pudding snack or tea latte. Just 1 one or 2 drops are sweet enough for a whole pudding snack for two! (sweetness levels differ). 

Pros:

• no mess
• no alcohol
• easy to use
• great for baking
• no sugar added
• vegan, gluten free and non-gmo
• all natural
• tasty

Cons:

• expensive
• can not be substituted as sugar in recipes 

When to use it:

Great for maple cookies or a maple pecan pie. I really enjoy it in a specialty latte or tea latte on a cool autumn day. There is something about maple that makes me feel all warm and cozy inside, maybe it's the Canadian in me. 

Pros:

• no mess
• no alcohol
• easy to use
• great for baking
• no sugar added
• vegan, gluten free and non-gmo
• all natural
• very sweet

Cons:

• expensive
• can not be substituted as sugar in recipes 

When to use it:

In coffee, smoothies, yogurt, pudding or whatever you would like to have a  bit more sweet. I love adding this sweetener to different dishes when want something sweet because a little goes a long way. As long as you don't use this in replacement to sugar in a recipe. Although, it does a great job as sweetening and might taste the same as 1/4 of a cup of monk fruit, for example, the 1/4 of a cup adds to the overall amount and therefore if you substitute 1/4 of a cup for 1 or 2 drops your consistency/recipe will be very off. With that said, you could use 1 or 2 drops on top of your 1/4 cup monk fruit if you like your recipes sweeter. 

Pros:

• tastes great 
• comes in different sorts
• all natural
• vegan, gluten free and non-gmo
• low glycemic
• low carb
• 1:1 sugar replacement

Cons:

• it is not as sweet as other sweeteners 

When to use it:

This is one of my favourite sugar substituted to use while backing. I really like how I can use it one to one in regular recipes that call for sugar. I also think the taste is great and have fooled several people, even non keto eaters, into thinking it was regular sugar. Also, I haven't found it to produce gas like other sweeteners but if you eat too much, you know it will.

Pros:

• great sugar replacement
• natural 
• low glycemic
• vegan, gluten free and non-gmo

Cons:

• some people don't like its after taste
• can give some people gas and bloating

When to use it:

As a sugar replacement. I enjoy using pure erythritol more than swerve because personally I tend to have a lot of gas and bloating when I eat swerve but not as bad with just erythritol. I have heard from people say, though, that they can taste a weird cooling after taste with erythritol. Again, I don't taste this and usually I don't use that much anyways so this isn't something that would sway me away from this product. I still enjoy using it in my sweets every now and then.

Pros:

• non-glycemic
• natural
• measures like sugar
• gluten free and non-gmo
• convinent bag

Cons:

• may cause gas if you have too much 
• has a different after taste

When to use it:

Incorporate it into your baking, because it can be measured one to one in replacement of sugar it makes for a simple low-carb switch. Although, some people don't like the after taste of swerve and it can cause bloating and gas when you consume to much in one sitting. These things don't bother me as I tend not to use as much as most conventional recipes but again it's a preference. 

Pros:

• no mess
• easy to use
• great for baking
• no sugar added
• vegan, gluten free and non-gmo
• all natural
• tasty

Cons:

• contains organic soy lecithin
• if it is hot out the heat could melt the chips if ordered online

When to use it:

Whenever you want to bake with chocolate chips these are make a great low-carb substitute. Deliciously sweetened with stevia, inulin and erythritol they make great chocolate chip cookies, loafs or muffins. The only real draw back for me is the soy lecithin that is added but it is organic so I don't mind it every once in a blue moon.

Pros:

• different kinds to choose from
• produced in a peanut free facility
• great snack for on the go
• taste great 
• easy to transport
• doesn't need to be refridgerated

Cons:

• it's tough to get out all the contents
• bit expensive

When to use it:

Anytime, snack time, when you're on the go, in a rush or travelling it is a great source of fat for a quick fix. I really enjoyed this "butter" when my partner and I are travelling and have nothing to eat. I just take it with and some of my handy "pizza" bread spread it on and voila breakfast or snack its great where ever you are, even an airport or plane. It is so handy too, unless you want to get every absolute drop out then you may need to cut it open. As well, it can be a bit expensive so I wouldn't plan on eating it everyday just for those special occasions where you can't make a meal.