The Best Keto Sweeteners + 4 Easy Desserts To Make With Them

What Is The Keto Diet?

The ketogenic diet is enormously popular and with good reason: it works. The keto diet has health and weight benefits across the board.

You've probably heard people at work, at the gym, and on TV—especially on the news or even celebrities themselves—talking about “keto” this and “keto” that, leading many to believe it is a fad diet. But in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. The ketogenic diet, which is high in fat, moderate in protein, and contains very few carbohydrates, has been around for over 100 years and was originally developed to help treat and cure epilepsy. When drugs for this condition came along, the keto diet faded into the background.

Fast forward to today, when we now have an abundance of research showing the powerful impact ketosis has on the body—and on every aspect of health. Ketosis is the key to the ketogenic diet. When you are in a state of ketosis and following a ketogenic nutrition plan, you are creating ketones such as beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) that promotes a reduction in inflammation and trains the body to use its fat stores for fuel instead of storing it on our bodies. 

Lower carb eating, such as with the ketogenic diet, promotes lower glucose in the body and this has a powerful impact. The ketogenic diet requires 25-50 grams of carbohydrate intake daily. This is a very low amount for those who have been used to consuming dramatically higher amounts. For example, the average American ingests 300 grams of carbs daily leading them to what I refer to as being a “sugar burner.” Reducing carb intake allows you to become a “fat burner”—you become metabolically flexible, and this is considered a marker of optimal health. 

What Are The Benefits of Keto?

Why is the ketogenic diet so effective and healthy? Here are a few potential benefits:

• Fat loss
• Improved fitness and athletic performance
• Better cognition and mental health
• Boost to immune system function
• Promotes longevity
• May promote heart health
• Better respiratory function
• May offer some protection against cancer
• And much more! 

Many people believe that being on a keto diet is challenging due to the lack of carbohydrates. They believe that all the delicious decadent foods we are used to eating are long gone. I'm here to say that this is not true. You can enjoy your favorite foods just made more mindfully. Some great examples are the dessert recipes shown below. They are made with healthy sweeteners that actually promote better health and weight and the good news? These desserts are actually delicious!

The Best Keto Sweeteners

The sweeteners used in the recipes such as monk fruit sweetener, stevia, and erythritol are going to help balance blood sugar. A special sugar mentioned as an alternative is allulose. This sugar is relatively new and gaining popularity. Research shows allulose may help with weight loss, reduce the risk of heart disease, may benefit type 2 diabetes, and is suitable for those with diabetes. One other benefit is it measures and tastes just like sugar!

If you love delicious, decadent brownies, cookies, or chia seed puddings, the following recipes are must-try. And the best part is you do not need a special celebration or holiday as an excuse. Why? Because they are healthy. They are packed with healthy fat, quality protein, and fiber to help optimize health. Remember that sugar-free doesn't mean tasteless!

Healthy Keto Dessert Recipes 

Dark Chocolate Keto Brownies

 Ingredients

• 1 cup fine almond flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 Tbs. Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 3 Tbs. water or vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup monk fruit sweetener
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine all your dry ingredients and mix well.
3. In a separate large bowl, add your eggs, and using an electric mixer, beat the eggs until slightly frothy and the whites and yolks and combined.
4. Slowly add the butter mixture to the eggs and continue mixing.
5. Add the dry ingredients slowly, and continue mixing until you are left with a thick, glossy brownie batter. 
6. Spread mixture evenly into the pan and smooth down.
7. Bake 20-25  minutes on the center rack, then let cool completely and they will continue to firm up. The brownies are delicious with or without frosting.

Easy Dark Chocolate Keto Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 4 tsp. butter
• 1 8-oz package stevia or monk fruit-sweetened dark chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoons vanilla 

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and let chocolate chips melt slowly over medium-low heat.
2. When melted, cool, and then spread frosting over cooled brownies.

Almond Shortbread Cookies 

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups of finely ground almond flour
• 7 Tbs. butter softened
• 1/2 cup erythritol or allulose
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With an electric mixer, mix the butter and erythritol or allulose until fluffy.
3. Mix in the vanilla extract and almond flour.
4. Scoop rounded tablespoons of batter onto cookie sheet, then flatten to about 1/2 inch thick.
5. Bake for 12 minutes until golden brown on the edges.
6. Let cool in pan and harden before eating.

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

 Ingredients:

• 4 Tbs. chia seeds
• 4 Tbs. monk fruit sweetener or erythritol
• 4 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened chocolate almond milk 

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients, and mix well with a whisk.
2. Refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight before eating.