Sweet Tips for Better Kids Treats

While school this year looks a little different, one thing hasn’t changed: snacks. Whether your kids head to the classroom or clock-in for lessons from home, they’re going to want something to eat at the end of the day. 

And, kids love sugar. Unfortunately, sugar doesn’t always love them back. Sugar is a multi-billion-dollar industry, but it’s also not the best ingredient for humans. Sugar intake contributes to diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer and a host of other problems for kids later in life. 

Black Garlic North America’s products are certified organic (our certifications can be found here), and we heavily focus on quality. We are North America’s largest producer of Black Garlic and all of our black garlic products are made with only one ingredient: Garlic. That’s something to brag about! We also offer a sweet and delicious product that your kids will love as part of their afternoon snack, or even as a standalone treat right out of our convenient and snack-able tubs!

That’s right, black garlic isn’t strong like fresh garlic. After the fermentation process, our garlic becomes soft, chewy, black and sweet. And we are confident your kids will love it on their pizza, spaghetti, eggs, and more. But black garlic isn’t the only way to help kids stay sweet without adding sugar!

Let’s talk about stevia

Stevia, for example, is a great alternative to sugar. Stevia is a plant that can produce a fine powder that is 350 times the sweetness of sugar and contains none of these negative side effects. 

The best part? Stevia has a very low glycemic index – meaning your kid won’t get that spike in blood sugar that can cause them to act wild then crash. 

Is stevia safe for kids? 

The short answer: absolutely – if you choose the right product!

Stevia can actually be a better-for-you choice for your kids, especially if you’re using it instead of processed sugar. It matters, however, which stevia brand you choose. Not all stevia is created equal! 

Stevia is a highly sustainable plant that is part of the sunflower family. It’s native to South America, but there are more than 250 species of stevia worldwide. Pyure Organic is the No. 1 organic stevia brand in the country, and it’s easy to see why. They focus relentlessly on quality, using a single-source, high-quality species and only take the sweetest part of the Stevia leaf. They avoid chemicals, additives and any artificial processes that would make Stevia something you’d want to avoid –and they are certified organic and non-GMO project verified. 

How to swap Stevia into your recipes

Looking to try Stevia in your recipes, instead of sugar? Swapping sugar for stevia in your kids’ treats depends partly on the recipe, and partly on the product that you’re using. Pyure products are a great substitute for table-top sweeteners, liquids, extracts and bulk stevia blends. Substitute their Organic Sweeteners for all or part of the sugar your recipes call for using the easy conversion chart below:

For baking pros, note that in some instances you may need to adjust your recipe to account for the loss of mass associated with the reduction of sugar.

Great ideas for kid’s treats

Every kid has a sweet tooth! Here are some recipes for tasty treats you can make using stevia. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is keto-friendly and only takes about 15 minutes to put together! Check out Pyure Organic’s tasty peanut butter chocolate chip cookies here. 

Tropical Splash Popsicles

If you’re missing the summer sun, give your kids one of these refreshing snacks at the end of a long day at school. Check out this fruit-filled recipe here. 

Pumpkin Spice Bars

Not just for autumn, these pumpkin bars are guilt-free, with none of the processed, artificial flavoring found in many coffee chains’ pumpkin spiced lattes. Plus: frosting! Get the recipe here.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Whipped Cream

If kids are allowed to bring Valentine’s treats to school, these cupcakes are a great option! They’re sugar-free, using Pyure Organic All Purpose Stevia Blend and Pyure Organic Liquid Stevia Blend, but the class will never know it. Get the recipe here. 

Spiced “Sugar” Cookies

These cookies make great holiday – and every day – treats, with nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice in addition to Pyure Organic All-Purpose Stevia Blend. Check out the video for how to make spiced “sugar” cookies here. 

Pyure has oodles of recipes that use stevia in place of processed sugar. Read more and explore their products – they’ve even got brownie mix and chocolate chip cookie mix for those days when you’re not feeling super inspired to test out a new recipe.

Like Pyure, Black Garlic North America also has a great library of recipes. And, if you are looking for a sweet black garlic recipe for your kids’ after school snacks, look no further! Grab some of our black garlic (no minimum order + free shipping) and try one of the recipes below:

Strawberries with black garlic & balsamic vinegar

This fruity and sweet recipe has only six ingredients (and one of them can be substituted for stevia!) Whip up this little dish for a treat that both kids and adults alike will appreciate. Get the recipe here.

Maple Black Garlic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cut the white sugar but keep the sweetness by using flavorful maple syrup with black garlic in your chocolate chip cookies. Get the recipe from BGNA Kitchen here.

Luxury Black Garlic Hot Chocolate

For those long winter days, cuddle up with the kiddos after class for a warm mug of Hot Chocolate made with sweet Black Garlic! Try the recipe from Garlic Matters here.

GLUTEN-FREE, DAIRY-FREE BLACK GARLIC CHOCOLATE DOUGHNUTS (with maple syrup!)

If you have a little more time, get busy with donuts that are sweetened with maple syrup and black garlic instead of sugar! Try the recipe from Savory Spice here.

For more black garlic recipes that will please a crowd, check out our Black Garlic Recipes Table of Contents. 

This article was originally published at pyureorganic.com.