Truvia Sweetener Review + How to Make Your Own Truvia Substitute in Bulk (Much Cheaper!)

The holiday giveaway winners have been contacted. Thank you for participating, everyone!

School is back in full swing, but fear not, readers - I am going to continue blogging while taking classes this year! In addition to recipe posts, I'll be doing reviews of products that are buzzworthy. An item I've received questions about is Truvia, sweetener that became widely available in grocery stores in 2011.




Truvia is a blend of stevia extract and erythritol, the two sweeteners I have been using since 2008 in the dessert recipes on this blog.

Scroll down for my recipe for cheaper, tastier homemade Truvia substitute + photos of how to make it! I came up with a sweetener blend that's a one-for-one substitute for Truvia after purchasing the real deal a few times (@ $7.99 per 9.8 ounces, yikes!) to test it. A premixed blend of stevia and erythritol is convenient for smoothies and coffee, but I still prefer to use stevia and erythritol and separately.

So, how does Truvia stack up with similar sweeteners? Read on for my review!

Sugar-Free Sugar Cookies for a Healthy Christmas Treat (+ a GIVEAWAY!)

At the request of a reader, I wanted to share with you my sugar-free, gluten-free Healthy Sugar Cookies. That sounds like an oxymoron, right? Stay with me here. These cookies smell and taste just as good as the cut out cookies I've made every year since I was little using grandma's recipe. The aroma of sweet cookie dough (i.e. buttery vanilla-y goodness!) filled the kitchen as I gingerly rolled out the dough.

I used my grandmother's antique cookie cutters to cut the familiar shapes that remind me of so many past Christmases. The dough I worked with was sugar-free, but the steps for making the cookies, and the accompanying feelings of nostalgia were the same.

Healthy Chocolate Whoopie Pies are here! Sugar-free, gluten-free, and finger-lickin' good.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Healthy Indulgences readers! School's out and baking season is here. After a semester of new beginnings during which I moved back home to Florida and started my post-baccalaureate coursework, it's time to get back in the kitchen and go on a baking spree. I'm trading in my calculator for my camera and ditching the library for the kitchen these next few weeks, bringing you holiday sweets and a couple of GIVEAWAYS!

Update: The lemon curd post and Gary Taubes summaries are on hold until the new year. We have many seasonal goodies to make over! Stay tuned...

To kickstart the baking bonanza, here are some sugar-free, gluten-free Healthy Whoopie Pies to satisfy your sweet tooth.



They're all the rage, and perfect for an easy, kid-friendly holiday dessert. My version of these cakey cookie sandwiches with a sweet buttercream filling tastes every bit as good as the traditional dessert chock full of flour, sugar, and shortening! Made with ground almonds, a little oat flour, pure unsweetened cocoa powder, and natural sweeteners, you can feel good about indulging in these treats after your holiday feast. Actually, they're wonderful any time of the year. In fact, you should make these right now. You need fuel to get through all that gift-wrapping and baking, right?!

Healthy Decadent Chocolate Mousse - Sugar-Free and Incredibly Easy!

This healthy chocolate dessert is rich, decadent, and ridiculously simple to prepare. You might just find yourself eating chocolate mousse for the next few weeks. Don't say I didn't warn you...

Did I mention this mousse is sugar-free, low carb, and so easy a caveman [with a blender] could do it?

Many thanks to the Pioneer Woman for developing the method for this fabulous recipe. She even has photos showing how to make this dessert, although there are no chocolate chips in my version since it's sugar-free. She calls it Pots De Creme. I call it Chocolate Mousse. Whatever you call it, it's a surefire hit with company, or any time you want to indulge.

Secret Recipes Club: Sweet Chili Green Beans with Bacon (A Healthy Low Carb Side Dish!)

I have a new favorite healthy side dish. Not surprisingly, it involves bacon.

Sweet chili greens beans, topped with sesame seeds, caramelized onion, and bacon crumbles. Mm-mm good!

Peggy over at My Fiance Likes It So It Must Be Good (isn't that a fun blog name?) came up with this gluten-free decadent veggie side dish featuring bacon and onion with an Asian flavor twist. Crisp-tender cooked green beans get their mild heat and sweet flavor from a couple of fresh poblano peppers, minced ginger, and a dash of Thai chili sauce. It's an addictive fusion of flavors that will have you coming back for more!

Sugar-Free Vanilla Ice Cream + the Comprehensive Alternative Sweeteners Information Post!

As promised, here's my printable guide and Question and Answer post for baking with sugar-free sweeteners! Thank you for submitting your sugar-free baking questions through Facebook and email.



I created this sugar-free baking tips sheet with reminders of how you use sugar-free natural sweeteners and a couple of widely available low carb artificial sweeteners. Feel free to post this chart on your own website, or link back to the chart as a reference. The more people who have access to information explaining how to use these healthy sweeteners, the better! I'll update the body of this post (not the comments) with answers as more questions come in. You are welcome to provide your own feedback and answers to questions in the comments. I'd love to hear about your experiences with sugar-free baking, and any information you might have to add!  Hopefully we can all collaborate to make this a helpful post for both fledgling and veteran sugar-free bakers.

Review (and a Giveaway!): Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made With Almond and Coconut Flour by Elana Amsterdam

Update: The winner of the giveaway is commenter #54. The publisher will be contacting you shortly. Thanks for participating, all!

Now that school's out for summer an indefinite period of time (yay, graduation!), I am attending to blog-related matters that have been shelved for months. It's great to be able to spend more time connecting with readers and fellow bloggers. A few books that have been sent my way for review will be featured in upcoming posts. I'll be discussing the content, layout, and of course, the recipes for you guys!

 First up is Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made With Almond and Coconut Flour, a dessert cookbook and ode to the beloved title pastry by Elana Amsterdam, the blogger and almond flour chef extraordinaire who runs Elana's Pantry.

Bread, made healthy! Tasty Grain-Free and Low Carb Rolls, perfect for sandwiches.

Bread! Yes, bread. The sweet aroma of yeast-y dough filled up my kitchen while I was shaping and baking these promising mounds into the perfectly browned, crusty n' soft rolls you see below. 

To my readers, who've wrapped their burgers in lettuce, their sammies in gluten-free wraps, and have grown accustomed to using a knife and fork for formerly handheld entrees - this one is for you guys. You who have dutifully forgone high carb, refined foods to avoid allergens, take charge of your health, and eat like Grok (Mark Sisson's paleolithic alter ego) can eat bread again without fear. Go ahead... take a bite!

Healthy Peanut Butter Cups - Homemade Treats that are Low Carb, Primal, and Nearly Sugar-Free!

This healthy version of everyone's favorite peanut buttery candy is quick and easy to make. Check 'em out!




Yes, we can eat peanut butter cups following a healthy, whole foods eating plan. These delicious candies melt in your mouth, and give you a dose of antioxidant rich chocolate and immune system boosting coconut oil. This recipe is pretty nifty since you can shape and flavor your chocolates any way you'd like! The possibilities are endless...



This is going to be the first in a series of quick and easy desserts that can be made with primal (or paleolithic diet-friendly) ingredients. I'll include a low carb (sometimes sugar-free) version for each of these recipes as well, of course.

Healthy, Homemade Granola Bars (pssst... they're Sugar-Free!)

Quick announcement: Healthy Indulgences now has a Twitter @ indulgehealthy (add me, er... follow me?) 

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These are not your typical granola bars. What's so special about 'em? Look closely...

You don't see any oats, do you? Or sugar. I know you can't see there's no sugar, but I promise you it's not there (okay, so there's 1 tiny teaspoon of honey in the whole recipe!). Low carbers and gluten-free eaters, take heart. These snack bars are sure to satisfy your craving for this formerly forbidden treat.