The Sugar-free Snack Challenge: Week 1 – Blueberry Muffins

A zoomed-in view of blueberry muffins in white traditional muffin cups as they lay across a wooden cutting board and onto a blue and white striped cloth that reinforces the blue of the blueberries. Light illuminates the closest muffin to the viewer, at the edge of the cutting board. Blueberries are scattered amongst the scene. TruSugr sugar replacement reduces the dependence on sugar in the batter by at least 70%

Bites from the Bench: As part of a series of testing of sugar replacement in everyday snacks with TruSugr™, we will be posting weekly results.

 

Week 1: Blueberry Muffin Snacks

The sugar replacement TruSugr™ challenge series kicks off with a classic snack, the blueberry muffin. Enjoyed by adults and children alike, available in bakeries and in CPG snack-size packs, the humble American blueberry muffin is sweet, tart, and filling. The sweetness comes from both the inclusion of fruits and/or sugary additions like chocolate chips, as well as from the bread-base recipe itself. For our testing, we focused on diminishing and/or eliminating the sugar from the muffin batter.

 

Sugar-free: Our Food Scientists started with a sugar-free rendition which tastes quite natural and delicious, though not as sweet or as moist as a comparison name brand snack pack of blueberry muffins. The color of the muffin remained lighter despite the baking time remaining the same.

 

Reduced Sugar: The team then tested to meet that same level of sweetness, and developed a successfully sweet, absolutely delicious blueberry muffin at 70% reduction of sugar. The texture was cake-like; moist and sweet. The toasted browning looked comparable to the name brand muffins. This ratio was the across-the-board winner of the taste panel in terms of balanced sweetness, blueberry flavor, and mouthfeel.

 

Healthier snacking has become an essential part of our wellness routine. For children and adults alike, sugar-free and sugar-reduced options are avenues to lose weight, decrease sugar dependence, and keep energy levels more stable.

TastesNatural™ is concerned with the recent news of aspartame and sucralose causing serious health issues in consumers, as well as the rapidly growing rates of diabetes globally. Similarly, we are seeing the growing demand for healthier, sugar-free and sugar-reduced food and beverage products.  TruSugr™ is a safe and healthy alternative to artificial sweeteners like aspartame or sucralose. It has zero calories and does not cause spikes in blood sugar levels, making it an ideal choice for people with diabetes or those who are watching their weight. TruSugr™ is a blend of high quality stevia with our all-natural bitter blockers and is listed as Stevia Leaf Extract and Natural Flavor. Usage rates are low, allowing food and beverage companies to save while making products healthier.

 

Test it for yourself (for free) and experience better taste, naturally.

Our Sales team works with our in-house R+D team to help you achieve your goals. Save time and money, while making products healthier in one fell swoop.

 

Previous Results of Sugar-free and Reduced Sugar Testing:

 

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