When is granular erythritol as good as powdered?
Is there any recipe for which granular erythritol (i.e., crystals) is at least as useful as powdered erythritol (i.e., very finely ground)?
Cooking with granular erythritol usually requires dissolving it. In my experience, erythritol doesn't dissolve in fat at all, and it barely dissolves in water: a saturated solution tastes only mildly sweet.
Best Answer
The crystals are only really useful when you want a crystalline form, for instance sprinkling on top of sugar cookies where you want that crunchy sugar texture. I sprinkle raw sugar crystals on top of some cocktails as well (when there's a froth on top to support them) as a garnish, I imagine you could use them that way as well for a lower calorie version.
For any application where you want it mixed in the crystals are not better than powdered, as you point out they are hard to mix in.
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Which is better erythritol granules or powder?
Powdered erythritol dissolves faster than granulated and tends to cost more. Only Now Real Food and SoNourished are certified organic. So Nourished powdered erythritol does not clump as it contains an anti-caking agent.Does granulated erythritol dissolve?
Erythritol does not dissolve quite as well as sugar. It's still possible, just a little more difficult. For any uses where a smooth texture is important, you can use a powdered (or confectioners) version instead for a good end result or grind the granulated Erythritol yourself into a powder using a nut grinder.Can you bake with granulated erythritol?
The sweetener is also available in granulated and powdered form for baking and cooking at home. Erythritol's unique qualities make it a good choice as a sugar substitute for some people. 1 There are pros and cons you'll want to consider before including the sweetener in your diet.Can I substitute powdered sugar for powdered erythritol?
Powdered erythritol works beautifully anywhere you need a smooth texture, such as frostings, sauces, topping, sprinkling, and more! Because erythritol is 70% as sweet as sugar, you'll need 1 1/3 cups powdered erythritol to replace each cup of powdered sugar.What Is Erythritol? – Dr.Berg
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Answer 2
I have found that granular erythritol gives a pleasant crunch to pie crusts. GdD also pointed out that it's good for garnish.
The main problem with erythritol is that it doesn't dissolve well in cold water. But it turns out that you can dissolve a lot of it in boiling water: almost a 1:1 volume ratio (e.g., one cup of erythritol dissolves in one cup of boiling water). And much of the erythritol stays dissolved even after it cools.
Granular erythritol is also great for melting, so you can pour it over something (e.g., candied fruit). Erythritol has a relatively low melting point of 121°C, just a little hotter than boiling water.
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