What Can I Substitute for Allulose?

You're baking a cake, muffins, brownies or cookies from an allulose recipe and nobody eating it needs it to be sugar-free.

• white sugar — 75 g for every 100 g allulose

Sugar covers all of allulose's jobs (sweetness, bulk, browning and moisture). It is sweeter, so you need only about three-quarters of the weight. Expect slightly paler tops at the same time and cookies that spread a little more.

You're baking a cake or muffins that has to stay sugar-free or keto, and the allulose has run out.

• xylitol — 75 g for every 100 g allulose
• erythritol and monk fruit blend — 75 g for every 100 g allulose

Xylitol gives the same sweetness and bulk and holds moisture well, so the crumb stays soft, but it barely browns, so test with a skewer rather than waiting for colour. An erythritol and monk fruit blend also builds the crumb, but the cake will be drier, paler and slightly cooling on the tongue, so it is the second choice.

You're churning ice cream or a frozen dessert and want it to scoop straight from the freezer.

• xylitol — 75 g for every 100 g allulose
• white sugar — 75 g for every 100 g allulose

Allulose stays dissolved and lowers the freezing point, which is what keeps the ice cream soft. Xylitol does the same job reasonably well and keeps the ice cream sugar-free, while sugar does it fully if sugar-free doesn't matter. Erythritol-based sweeteners recrystallise and freeze hard, so avoid them here.

You're making a caramel-style sauce, a glaze or a syrup that needs to stay smooth and glossy as it cools.

• honey — 60 g for every 100 g allulose
• xylitol — 75 g for every 100 g allulose

Honey browns quickly, stays liquid and won't crystallise, so it gives the same smooth, coloured finish, although you will taste the honey and it is not sugar-free. Xylitol keeps a sauce sugar-free and smooth, but it won't take on caramel colour.

You're making a baked cheesecake or a creamy set dessert where the sweetener mostly needs to sweeten and dissolve into the filling.

• erythritol — 100 g for every 100 g allulose
• erythritol and monk fruit blend — 75 g for every 100 g allulose

A cheesecake needs sweetness and bulk but little browning, so erythritol's weak points matter less here. Erythritol is about as sweet as allulose and swaps by weight, while the blend is sugar-strength, so use less. Powder either one in a blender first so the filling doesn't turn gritty.

You're stirring a spoonful of sweetener into coffee, tea, a smoothie or a dressing.

• white sugar — about 4 ml for every 5 ml allulose (¾ tsp)
• erythritol — 5 ml for every 5 ml allulose (1 tsp)

Only sweetness matters in a drink, so sugar (slightly less of it) or erythritol (spoon for spoon) both work. Check any tablespoon amounts, because an Australian tablespoon holds 20 ml, not 15 ml.

Your cake or biscuits taste far too sweet after swapping in sugar.

Why: Sugar was used at the same weight as the allulose, but sugar is about 30% sweeter, so it should have been about 75 g for every 100 g.

Can't be fixed — next time: You can't take sweetness out of a finished bake, but serving it with plain yoghurt, unsweetened cream or tart fruit will balance it. Next time, use 75 g sugar for every 100 g allulose.

Your sauce, glaze or caramel was smooth when hot but turned grainy or crunchy by the next day.

Why: Erythritol, or the erythritol in a monk fruit blend, recrystallises as it cools, which allulose doesn't do.

Fix: Warm the sauce gently with a splash of water or cream, stirring until the crystals dissolve, and serve it warm. For a sauce that has to sit, switch to xylitol or honey next time.

Your ice cream is frozen into a hard, icy block that a scoop can't get into.

Why: Erythritol-based sweeteners and stevia don't keep the mixture soft the way allulose does, so more of the water freezes solid.

Fix: Leave the tub on the bench for 15–20 minutes or in the fridge for about 30 minutes before scooping. Next time, use xylitol or sugar at 75 g for every 100 g allulose.

Your drink, dressing or sauce is sweeter than expected even though you scaled the amount down.

Why: The recipe was written with 15 ml tablespoons (UK, NZ, US or Canadian), but you measured with a 20 ml Australian tablespoon, which adds a third more sweetener.

Fix: Thin a sauce or dressing with more of its liquid or a squeeze of lemon juice, or top up a drink. Next time, use three level teaspoons for each tablespoon in recipes from those countries.

Is allulose the same as erythritol?

No, they are different sweeteners that behave differently in cooking. Allulose is a rare sugar, while erythritol is a sugar alcohol. Erythritol has a cooling taste, barely browns and recrystallises as it cools. Allulose browns readily, keeps bakes moist and stays smooth in sauces and ice cream.

Is psicose the same as allulose?

Yes, psicose and D-psicose are older names for the same sugar. You may also see it listed as D-allulose on ingredient labels and in recipes.

How much sugar do I use instead of allulose?

Use about 75 g of white sugar for every 100 g of allulose, or ¾ cup for every cup. Sugar is roughly a third sweeter, so a straight swap by weight makes the result too sweet. Expect slightly paler tops at the usual baking time and cookies that spread a little more.

Can I use allulose instead of sugar in a regular recipe?

Yes, but you need more of it, about 130–140 g of allulose for every 100 g of sugar. Because allulose browns faster than sugar, check the bake early and cover the top loosely with foil if it colours before the centre is cooked.

Why is my allulose cake browning too fast?

Allulose takes part in browning reactions more readily than sugar, so crusts colour well before the inside is done. Lower the oven temperature slightly or lay a sheet of foil over the top once it reaches a golden colour. Always test the middle with a skewer rather than judging by colour.

Can I use a tablespoon measure from an American allulose recipe?

Not directly if you are using an Australian 20 ml tablespoon. American recipes use a 15 ml tablespoon, so measure three level teaspoons for each tablespoon to avoid adding a third more sweetener.