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Almost Calorie Free Caramel

Filed Under: Candy, Condiments and Spreads, Desserts, Erythritol, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Low Carb, No Bake, Paleo, Recipe Makeover, Recipes, Sugar Free, Under 50, Vegan

By 69 Comments Jump to Recipe

What if I said you can eat a vat of sweet, sticky, and amazing caramel sauce for almost no calories?

You’d laugh, right?

And then you’d tell me to stop mocking you, because I know how much you love caramel.

I understand, because I used to have dreams about swimming in a pool of rich caramel and having to eat my way out. That was a nice dream.

But in all seriousness, I am not kidding. For only 20 calories, you can eat about 1/2 cup of caramel sauce.

And not that fake, aspartame loaded junk that tastes like liquified, carbonated cardboard.

I don’t think I’ve had a better caramel, healthy or not since, well …ever .

If you’re still having your doubts, I’m going to give you a few seconds to get over them.

And now you’re over them.

You know why? There is a vat of the most delicious caramel that just happens to be almost calorie free that’s calling your name.

Just thank me later.

Almost Calorie Free Caramel Sauce (Sugar Free, Vegan, Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Fat Free)

If I could live on this stuff, I would. Be careful if you are sensitive to xylitol, because you may experience some side effects. Just be aware…

Ingredients

1/2 cup xylitol (I bet erythritol would work, but I haven’t tried it.) *Update: Yes, xylitol does contain calories. If you want to keep the caramel calorie free, please use ERYHTRITOL. Sorry for the confusion!*

1 teaspoon of agave nectar

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a pot over medium heat. Stir constantly until the xylitol is completely melted, as it burns easily. Keep stirred and cook until mixture is a dark amber color, about 5 minutes. Make sure to not over cook. Let cool for a bit, it gets really hot!

Serve on a latte, ice cream, oatmeal, cake, or just about anything else (like a spoon)!

Note: The sauce may seem a little thin at first, but just stick it in the freezer for a few minutes, and it’ll thicken right up!

Enjoy!

-Kelly M.

 

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Comments

  1. Wow this is interesting!! I didn't know you could use xylitol to make caramel. I was just reading yesterday about how xylitol was one of the best options for sweteners. This just gives me another reason to buy it! Looks awesome!!
    Reply

  3. Good thing caramel is only one of my favorite things in the world! This is so cool, I need to try it. It seems like my favorite option for consumption on any post is with a spoon ;)
    Reply

      • You're welcome! I quit using agave syrup because I have read that it is basically just like high fructose corn syrup. Not sure if that's true or not...but since it comes from Mexico it's impossible to know for certain how it is manufactured. Probably best to avoid it....but that's just me.
        Reply

        • Thanks again for the info! I love hearing from you. ;) I don't know as much as I'd like about agave, but since I've been low carbing I really don't eat much of it, or other substances like it, because they're too carby. But that's so interesting about it being like high frustose corn syrup! Thank you for sharing your knowledge! ;)
          Reply

          • Can't wait to try this with honey. I would avoid agave nectar like the plague and go with honey if it works. HFCS is reputed to be at most 55% fructose. Agave is 97% fructose. Setting aside the corn industry propaganda since we can all agree it is ridiculous, the way fructose is metabolized, it is immediately sent to fat stores instead of entering the muscles first, and the byproducts formed are the same as that of drinking alcohol. No room here for specific citations but if you search mercola.com and marksdailyapple.com, you will find plenty of relevant info to make your own decisions.

  6. Wow, what an awesome idea! I love caramel but don't like the way sugar makes me feel, so this is a great alternative. I've never had xylitol before, but I'm a huge fan of stevia. Do you prefer one over the other?
    Reply

    • Thank you so much, Mandiee! You are so sweet. ;) Okay, so here's what I think. I LOVE both stevia and xylitol. I think xylitol tastes better and can be used for more things, but the problem with it is that you need to know how much you can tolerate. If you eat more than your limit, your stomach will not be happy with you. Also, in a raw state, xylitol is very granular, for better or for worse. I really like stevia, but I've had some issues with it not being heat stable and/or being bitter. I hope this helps!
      Reply

  7. Hello Kelly, When I read the title of the recipe I was "What ? Really ?!" For lent this year I am giving up sugar (at least added sugar I still eat fruits, and apple/pear sauces without added sugar, and also dried fruits). However I thought that agave syrup, like rice syrup were sugars... So could you explain what sugary substances are "allowed" in sugar free diet please (stevia forexample ?) ? It would help me a lot. Thanks, And I need to find some Xylitol now !
    Reply

    • You are so sweet, and thank you so much for the question! I am not officially on a "sugar free" diet, nor am I an expert on the subject, but I will tell you what I know and what I've been doing. First off, going sugar free is such a wonderful thing to do for Lent! I applaud you. ;) So here's my understanding, things like sugar alcohols (xylitol, erythritol, sorbitol), stevia, and artificial sweeteners are definetly allowed on a SF diet. I don't eat artificial sweetners, but I do eat xylitol and stevia in moderation (they can cause stomach problems consumed in large amounts). I am under the impression that things like agave, maple syrup, rice syrup, and honey WERE allowed because they weren't technically sugar, and some have a lower glycemic index. So if you are going sugar free for the sake of going sugar free, then I THINK you are free to eat the syrups, again, in moderation. But if you are doing sugar free for health reasons, then I'm not sure if I would eat the syrups. I eat a mostly sugar free diet as a result of eating low carb, but I don't really go way out of my way to avaoid all kinds of sugar, as long as whatever I'm eating doesn't have too many carbs. But really, I personally, do NOT eat things like agave or maple syrup almost at all because they are very carby and sugary, even if they aren't considered sugars. Okay, this is a monster comment. I hope it helps! If you have any other quesions or just want to chat, just email me at foodiefiasco@gmail.com. Thanks, and I hope you have a wonderful day!
      Reply

      • Thanks for clearing some things up. Actually I thought it would be worst than that, but I have got the motivation and it is only 5 weeks so ... The hardest is to bake and cook (because for example my soy cream has sugar in it erf !) without trying what I make. But besides that I am okay. And I will for sure go back to normal afterward, but for now then I just keep it really strict. Although I do it not because I am sick but because I want to, after what you wrote I think I will juste keep away the things that can increase my glycemic level (like syrups) and will stay with my dried fruits and fruits. It definitely helped me because on the web you read pros & cons for everything and in the end it is hard to decide who is right. Thank you Have a nice day too
        Reply

        • Maybe this will aid your decisions as well. The reason to avoid sugar in the first place is the effect it has on your insulin levels. This is what stresses out your pancreas eventually resulting in diabetes and what gives you unstable blood sugar resulting in highs and sugar crashes, making you more hungry for the quick acting stuff (more sugar) to get your blood sugar back up. Sugar spiral = no fun. So the question you want to ask when evaluating what sweeteners may be safe when trying to avoid sugar, is what is the effect on my insulin. Agave, rice syrup, all that stuff is still straight sugar, just not from sugar cane or sugar beets. Xylitol, erythritol, aspartame, stevia, all the other stuff ending in -tol are not sugar at all, they just taste sweet and some like my favorite xylitol have more or less of the physical characteristics of sugar making them useful in faked goods. To determine which is which, look at the label on the sweetener. Purely for reference point, Atkins encourages only 20 net grams of carbohydrate a day for most effective weight loss. So by that standard, if the label has a lot of carb, it is sugary and if it doesn't, it isn't. The label will mention sugar alcohols if there is any. Subtract that number from total carbs to reach your net carbs. Those are the things that have no sugar per se. The only question after you've figured out what to avoid on a SF diet, is the safety of the sweetener in other regards. No matter what Monsanto says, aspartame seems really really questionable for a host of other reasons and is by many anecdotes, quite addictive. I imagine the more compromised the individual, the more problems it can cause. That might be why the studies are inconclusive although so many people are so passionately positive that it is the worst stuff on earth.
          Reply

      • Agave will cause bigger spikes in blood sugar than almost anything--and it is very processed. Just thought you might want to know it is not a natural sugar like maple, and honey. Agave would not be a good choice for someone on a sugar free diet. Speaking as a diabetic that thought it was a good sugar--then I learned it was Not. :)
        Reply

        • Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, Shonnie! It's so interesting to know more about the ingredients I work with, although I porbably won't be working wth agave anymore. ;) As for this reipe, you could easily sub in maple syrup or honey for the agave. Thanks again!
          Reply

  8. How this almost calorie-free? Xylitol has 10 calories per teaspoon. Fewer than sugar, yes, but not calorie-free.
    Reply

    • Hi Allison, and thank you so much for the question! I feel very badly for not discussing this in a post sooner, but you really brought up a good point. I’m going to be completely honest: I’m human. I made a mistake. I have a package of xylitol that says zero calories on it, and I just took it for face value without doing more research. I’m sorry. So between my RD friend and my new research, I have an answer for you. Xylitol does have calories, and it’s about half the amount found in sugar. HOWEVER, xyltiol also has a very low clycemic index, it barely, if at all, touches your blood insulin, and your body only partly absorbs it, so you can’t really account for all the calories, anyway. So that’s why I did not include xylitol in the calorie count. Plus, even if xyltiol really does have 10 calorie a teaspoon, you can’t eat more than one or two brownies anyway because xyltol will make you sick if you eat too much. So you really can’t take in too many more calories than you thought you were. PLus, I have been eating a lot of xylitol, not been counting it as anything, and my weight loss has not been hindered by it. If you’re still skeptical (which I totally understand) just use erythritol, which actually does have next to no calories. I hope this helps!
      Reply

  9. I'm curious about making this in advance and storing in a fridge. What's the texture when it stays in a fridge for an extended period of time? I'm basically looking for something that could remain in the fridge that I could pop out now and then to add over the waffles you just posted :)
    Reply

    • Thank you so much for the question, Jebus! I have never tried to keep this caramel for extended periods of time because I usually manage to eat it very soon after making it. I've noticed that it starts to harden very quickly, and I know if you did try to keep it in the fridge, you would DEFINITELY have to heat it before you eat it. If you do try to keep it in the fridge, could you let me know how it goes? Thanks again, and I hope this helps!
      Reply

  10. Drooling... and crying... my keyboard will soon give up on me I'm sure. But not before I say THANK YOU for the information - I'm definitely using this. and experimenting with adding cream/coconut oil to see what evil delights I can conjure up. Thank you again!
    Reply

  11. This recipe is so useful! I used it over the summer when I made coconut oil/coconut flour brownies for the office and they needed something extra so I made up this caramel and stirred chopped almonds through and decorated each brownie piece with the caramel almond mixture. It was really pretty! And everyone loved it. Since then I've made it with erythritol instead of xylitol, which works just as well. I also often use a little molasses instead of agave nectar, I think it deepens the caramel flavour and I need less. I do find though that if I eat a whole batch of it, like with your banana dish, I get a tummy ache. But in small amounts - wonderful! Thanks!
    Reply

  12. I'm so glad you posted this! I thought it would be a difficult process, with ingredients I'd never heard of. But it's so simple! And I have both ingredients! THANK YOU! Sounds like I might be able to use this as a substitute for honey, and pancake syrup, too. ;)
    Reply

  13. I thought Xylitol has calories in it though? Like 10 per tsp or tbsp wouldn't that mess up the whole almost calorie free recipe?
    Reply

    • Hi Taylor! I do want to apologize for the confusion. Yes, xylitol contains calories, so if you want to keep the caramel nearly calorie free, please use erythriol. I have updated the recipe to reflect this. Thanks, and I hope this helps!
      Reply

  14. Hi Kelly! I was looking at the calorie count on the xylitol and it said 10 cal a tsp. I'm confused because there are 24 tsps in a 1/2 cup making the xylitol 240 calories?!?! How is this caramel only 20 calories if this is true??
    Reply

  15. So is erythritol easier on your stomach than xylitol? I've read things about both having adverse affects on the stomach, but that's the truth with just about every artificial sweetener and so far they seem fine to me. Does it have a taste comparable to another sweetener? I am definitely not a fan of some but I love Splenda. Thanks for all of the awesome recipes, btw. I just pinned like 20 of them and I'm not even finished. :)
    Reply

    • Hi Jess! Your blog rocks. Just sayin'. Anyway, I personally think erythritol is the best. It is actually a natural alternative sweetener with a more sugar-like texture, and is fine on your stomach when not eaten in large quantities... which is sometimes hard to do. ;)
      Reply

    • Erythritol is reputed not to cause any stomach issues. Your mileage may vary. It is however, more expensive.
      Reply

  16. Guys, Xylitol is not really healthy http://www.naturalnews.com/022986_xylitol_health_sugar.html http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/xylitol-not-as-sweet-as-its-cracked-up-to-be/ just saying...
    Reply

  17. Oh my!!! I made this tonight!! Yummy! I altered the recipe a bit after reading that people had a hard time getting it to brown. I added a cap of vanilla and a dash of pumpkin pie spice since I was dipping apples in it. Thanks for sharing this!! I feel way better eating this as a treat!
    Reply

      • No it doesn't work with stevia I tried, it also doesn't work with sorbitol but oh my god!! Tonight I bought xylitol (a bit expensive) and tried again WOW!! I am beyond content, I am hooked! This was truly amazing and one of the best substitutes I have ever tried. I've already started promoting the recipe lol
        Reply

  20. Interesting. I have not tried this with xylitol, but I have with erythritol. I think Xylitol might be much better, as erythritol has a habit of crystallizing again after heating.
    Reply

  22. Will sucralose (splenda) work? This nis corncerning he recipe and anyother can i substitute sucralose?
    Reply

  23. Do you think that i can use Stevia? Also, do you think that i can use Stevia instead of all the other kinds of sweetener that you use for your recipes? Thank you very much ^_^
    Reply

  24. This didn't work for me & ive cooked caramel many times. It crystallized as it cooled & I wasted a lot of good product. Thoughts?
    Reply

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