Sugar-free Chocolate Cake

This is a family favorite that I've modified for a sugar-free diet. Works great! You can also easily substitute a gluten-free flour mix (like Bob's Red Mill) to create a gluten-free cake. It's very moist and slices well.

Note: Double amounts for a 9x13 pan or 2 round layers.

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For 8x8 pan

Stir together dry ingredients:

• 1 c. flour (can use gluten-free or part whole-grain)
• 4-6 packets of stevia (1/2 c. sugar in the original recipe)
• 3/4 tsp soda
• 2-3 T. cocoa

With electric mixer, blend in:

• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 c. oil (can use melted coconut oil or butter)
• 3/4 c. buttermilk

Pour into greased 8x8 pan and bake for 20 minutes @ 350 degrees.

Frost with your favorite frosting or sugar-free whipped cream (recipe HERE)

Jellied Vegetable Salad (a.k.a. Perfection Salad)

This is a really old salad recipe, going back I suppose to the time powdered gelatin and refrigerators came into being.  I found a version in a 1942 cookbook, with variations in two other cookbooks I have, both of which are called "Perfection Salad."

I was delighted to discover that it has all ingredients I can have on the candida diet, with the exception of sugar, which I substituted stevia for.  A very refreshing change on a limited diet, and a new taste for summer.  I might add that this would be a good way to get some extra veggies in your kids' diets!
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• 2 packets powdered gelatin
• 1/2 c. cold water
• 1/4 c. cider vinegar*
• 2 T. fresh  lemon juice
• 2 c. boiling water
• 2 tsp. stevia or to taste (original recipe:  1/2 c. sugar)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 c. finely shredded cabbage
• 2 c. finely sliced celery
• 1/4 c. chopped green pepper
• 1/2 c. thinly sliced radishes
• (Optional:  1/4 c. cooked green peas, 1/2 finely chopped cucumber)

In a medium bowl, soak gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes to soften.  Add the vinegar, lemon juice, salt, stevia, and boiling water, stirring well.  Chill in the refrigerator until slightly thickened, then stir in all the vegetables.  Pour into an 8x8 pan or 2-quart mold and chill until firm.  Cut into squares and serve on lettuce leaves with *mayonnaise spread on top.  Serves 6 to 8.

* Organic apple cider vinegar, raw and unfiltered (like Braggs), is permitted on a candida diet if you have no reactions to it.
**I make my own mayonnaise that has no vinegar or sugar.  Many cookbooks have recipes for this.

Cooking with stevia cookbook

I checked out a great cookbook from the library this week and thought I'd give it a recommendation here.  It's called Low-Carb Cooking with Stevia by James Kirkland. 


You're sure to get a lot of your stevia questions answered here--from all the various forms it comes in to how to use this sweetener as a sugar substitute in baking and cooking.  Having checked a number of other stevia cookbooks before, I'd have to say this is one I'd like for my kitchen.  Kirkland not only takes the guesswork out of substitutions, but uses some ingredients I wouldn't have thought of to bring the carb counts down on favorite dishes.


He has authored another, more basic, cookbook called Sugar-Free Cooking with Stevia which I'd also recommend.

Eggplant French toast

This is a great substitute for the real thing (desperation drives one to new creativity in the kitchen!).  It's gluten-free, milk-free, and great for a low-carb candida diet and can be sugar-free.  I've been discovering some different ways to cook and eat eggplant, not one of my favorite veggies, and this is one of the better ones.


This first step can be done ahead of time and frozen or just before you make the recipe.   I freeze individual portions in freezer bags and just do a quick thaw in the microwave when I want to use one.


Peel and slice an eggplant 1/2 inch thick, then bake them on a stovetop griddle or frypan on a lightly oiled surface, several minutes on both sides until golden and tender when pierced with a fork.  (Or, peel, cube, and saute in coconut or olive oil in skillet until tender.)


Arrange baked eggplant slices in a non-stick, oiled skillet.  Heat skillet on medium.


Beat together 2 or more eggs (your choice) with 1/2 tsp. vanilla, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, dash salt, and 1/4 tsp. (or more to taste) stevia OR 1 tsp. sugar.


Pour carefully over eggplant, lifting each piece to allow egg mixture to run a bit underneath.   Cover and cook for a few minutes, then turn whole thing like an omelet.  Cover again and cook until done.


Serve hot with butter and syrup or your favorite topping.  (I use a bit of liquid vegetable glycerine mixed with maple flavoring as a sweet, non-sugar substitute--tastes just like maple syrup!)


M-m-m-m!  Yummy.

Stevia Coleslaw and variation

Sounds like a still life, huh?

This recipe can be modified easily, depending on your taste.
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Stir together until well mixed:

• 2 c. chopped cabbage (green or green/red combo)
• 1/2 finely cut bell pepper
• 1 grated carrot
• (optional:  some finely sliced green onion)

Stir together and add to veggies:

• 1/2 c. (or more according to taste) plain yogurt (whole is best; you can also use part mayonaise)
• 1 T. fresh lemon juice
• one packet of Stevia or 1/4 tsp. (or to taste)

Chill and serve.  Very refreshing!

Variation:  Omit green pepper and onion.  Instead, add 1 chopped red delicious apple, 1 can mandarin oranges or one seeded orange cut into bite-sized pieces, 1 can or equivalent fresh pineapple chunks.  Not sugar-free because of the fruit but delicious!

Breakfast Rice with Stevia

Here is a favorite breakfast recipe we do with stevia.  It's great to make ahead of time and microwave in a dish for a quick meal.
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Blend well together in a mixing bowl:

• 4 c. cooked brown rice (1 1/2 c. raw cooked with 3 1/2 c. water)
• 4 or 5 large eggs
• 1 lg. can (13.5 oz) coconut milk rinsed with 1/2 c. water (or 2 c. milk)
• 1 tsp. good vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 packets (1 tsp.) powdered stevia

Pour into greased 9x13 glass cake pan.  Dot with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Bake at 325 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a knife comes out clean in the middle.

Great served warm with milk on top.  Enjoy!

(Note:  For sugar users, substitute 1/3-1/2 c. brow sugar, honey, or maple syrup for stevia.  You can also add grated apple, dried fruit, and/or nuts for a heartier dish.)

Stevia Blueberry Sauce

This sauce is a delicious replacement for syrup on pancakes and waffles, or to make plain yogurt a bit nicer.  The blueberries aren't one of the sweeter fruits so this works well to cut down on that old sugar!
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In a large glass bowl, combine 2 c. frozen blueberries, 1 c. water, 1 tsp. lemon juice, and one packet (1/2 tsp.) stevia.  Microwave on high for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, mix 1 1/2 T. cornstarch with 1/8 c. water to a smooth consistency.  Stir this mixture carefully into the cooked blueberries, then microwave for 2 more minutes.  Stir well to mix.

This thickens when cooled but can be microwaved a bit to thin again.

Store in a glass jar in refrigerator.


NOTE:  You can cook this in a saucepan, following the same procedure.  It splashes blue everywhere so make sure to cover it!

Crockpot Granola with Stevia

Now a heads-up about this recipe.  It's not as sweet as you're used to and adding too much stevia to something actually makes it taste chemical-ly.  But as I've said earlier, when you cut back on sugar, you find you don't need things to be as sweet and can enjoy the subtlety of other flavors and textures.  An added benefit of this recipe is the CROCKPOT!  Great to save on electricity and keeping your kitchen cooler in the summer.  This recipes makes enough for the large crockpots.
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In a large bowl, mix well:

• 7 c. oatmeal
• 1 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 c. raw sesame seeds
• 1 c. raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 c. raw sunflower seeds
• 1/4 c. flax seeds
• 1 c. nuts of your choice
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 3-4 packets stevia (1 1/2 - 2 tsp.)

With a whisk, blend 1/2 c. oil (we used melted coconut oil) with 2 tsp. vanilla.  Stir into dry mix and blend well.

Pour into crockpot, set on low, and slightly prop open the lid to let steam escape.  After half an hour, stir every 10 or 15 minutes--once it starts to brown it seems to go pretty fast.  Mine is usually done in an hour or so.

Cool.  Store in airtight container.

Green Custard

Got your attention, didn't I?   Well, this is a yummy recipe and a really great way to get some VEGGIES into your kids.  It's a sweet comfort food, super simple to make, and very nutritious.  What a combo!  Good for breakfast or a snack.
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ZUCCHINI CUSTARD

In your blender, combine:

• 2 medium zucchini, cubed
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 c. honey (or 3/4 tsp. stevia)
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 T. butter or coconut oil

Blend on high for 1 minute until well blended.  Pour into a greased 8x8 glass pan.  Dot with butter (optional) and sprinkle with more nutmeg.  Bake  in a 350-degree oven for 35 minutes or until a knife comes out clean in the middle.

Cooking with stevia

Some health issues in our family have driven me to explore the somewhat uninviting world of eating without sugar.  Now before you click me off, let me say that we're finding it quite satisfying to modify recipes using stevia, a very healthy and natural sugar substitute.

I could probably discuss at length the bad stuff sugar does to your body, but you can check that out yourself.  Even substituting stevia now and again can help enhance your overall health.  Did you know that stevia actually enhances the work of probiotics--good bacteria--in your body?  I've found that when you cut back on sugar, you begin to lose your taste for it.  (I know this is hard to believe!)

If you're going to start using stevia, I would recommend doing some research on the different forms.  The best information I found were in stevia cookbooks from the library.  My favorite brand is by NuNaturals, "NuStevia" White Stevia Powder that comes in premeasured packets and doesn't have a bitter aftertaste that some brands do.  I get it at our health food store but you can order it online and read about stevia at their website.

For starters, here's a quick recipe:


Sugar-free Whipped Cream

With your mixer, blend 1 pint whipping cream, 1 packet of stevia, and 1/4 tsp. real vanilla until it forms peaks.   This works great as a substitute for frosting.  Voila!  How easy can that be?!

Options:  cocoa powder for chocolate whipped cream, cinnamon for spiced. 

Crockpot Granola

I've had some friends request this recipe so I'll share it here since it's so great.  Yes, granola even gets brown and toasted in the crockpot!  Another plus is the electricity savings from not using the oven.


Basically, you can take any recipe you like for granola and bake it in the crockpot.  Turn it on low and prop the lid open a bit so that the steam escapes.  After 45 minutes or so, stir and replace lid as before.  You'll need to stir it every 10 or 15 minutes after that until it's done to your liking.  Mine is usually done in an hour and a half or so.


I have the large-sized crockpot and my recipe is as follows.


Mix together:

• 7 c. oatmeal
• 1 c. coconut
• 1/2 c. each pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame seeds
• 1/4 c. flax seeds
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. or less sea salt

Blend in a small bowl:

• 1/2 c. oil or melted coconut oil
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 c. honey or to taste (I use stevia powder)

Mix all together well and bake.  Add dried fruit of your choice.

Mystery Chocolate Mousse

This recipe is amazing!  Everything in it is good for you...it's sweetened with stevia...it's perfect for a candida-control diet...it freezes beautifully...and it's DELICIOUS!!  I've adapted the recipe from one I found on a candida forum, and you'll never believe with the "mystery" ingredient is!...Avocado!

This is good enough to serve to company (I have)--just don't tell them what's in it until after they've eaten it.  So mix up a batch and ENJOY!
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Avocado Chocolate Mousse

• 2 c. (2 large) ripe avocadoes
• 1 tsp. stevia powder (or more to taste)
• 2 T. melted coconut oil
• 1 1/2 tsp. good vanilla
• 1 tsp. Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. Braggs Liquid Aminos
• 1/2 c. cocoa or roasted carob powder (or a mixture)

Blend all ingredients well in a food processor until smooth, creamy, and lump-free.  Spoon 1/3-1/2 c. into dessert dishes and chill well.  Can serve with a dollop of whipped cream (sweetened with stevia!).

NOTE:  This freezes well, too.  I either freeze it in small serving-size containers, or in an ice-cube tray, then put the mousse-cubes in a large container for quick snacking.