Natural Sweetener for Desserts and Baked Goods

Do you have a sweet tooth? Have you tried alternative sweeteners from agave to stevia? Do you like any of them? Well I have an unlikely sweetener option for you. This one is low in calories and provides protein. It is the pistachio also referred to as the skinny nut.

Pistachios are not just for snacking.

After eating a few raw pistachios one day, I noticed that they contain a slight sweet flavor. I asked myself,  “What if pistachios could be used as a natural sweetener?” I had to put my question to test in the kitchen.  In order to add pistachios into a baked good or dessert, I had to grind them into a powder. I decided the best way to do this was a spice grinder. I added raw shelled and skinned pistachios into a spice grinder and the end result was a powder. I tasted the pistachio powder. Wow! It was sweet.

You will find pistachios being used as a natural sweetener in recipes featured in my cookbook, New Southern Table like cinnamon-pecan granola bars, a little “nutty” banana pudding, and mint pesto. Try substituting half or a fourth of the sugar in a recipe for pistachio powder. Pistachio powder works great as a sweetener in brownies, granola bars, puddings, muffins, and breakfast breads.

Pistachio Powder

A Little “Nutty” Banana Pudding