Can I caramelise sweetener?

[Sally W]

Does anyone know of a sweetener that will caramelise?
I’ve got a fab Nigella recipe that involves heating sugar in a pan with water till it caramelises...I’ve got Sukrin brown sugar.
Hopefully someone @markparrott might know?

 

[Kaylz]

From what I've just had a look at on google, sweetener isn't easy to caramelise at all but hopefully someone will be along with an answer soon 🙂 xx

 

[Mark Parrott]

Hmmm. Well, I've never managed to get sweetener to caramelise, but there is this stuff called Inulin. I've got some but haven't used it yet. There is a recipe in Tom Kerridge's Dopamine Diet book where he makes a creme caramel & uses Inulin to caramelise the top with a blowtorch. So by this assumption, Inulin should caramelise. It is very low GI so shouldn't affect BG's much (in theory) & I don't know how sweet it is so not sure how much you should use. It's available online.

 

[trophywench]

If you make crème caramel in individual ramekin dishes, using a blowtorch it takes less than half a teaspoon of sugar to obtain a more than satisfactory crust - No 1 chef daughter has tried sweetener (but not inulin Mark) and it doesn't.

Even with sugar, if you only have the grill to caramelise - you need more than double the amount.

Cut out a few grams of carb elsewhere to accommodate it would be easier I think?

 

[Sally W]

Hmmm. Well, I've never managed to get sweetener to caramelise, but there is this stuff called Inulin. I've got some but haven't used it yet. There is a recipe in Tom Kerridge's Dopamine Diet book where he makes a creme caramel & uses Inulin to caramelise the top with a blowtorch. So by this assumption, Inulin should caramelise. It is very low GI so shouldn't affect BG's much (in theory) & I don't know how sweet it is so not sure how much you should use. It's available online.

I have some inulin. It’s not too sweet.
The recipe is caramelised croissant pudding where you caramelise sugar, pour eggs and whiskey over croissants and bake. Very naughty! I so want to do it for a dinner party. Maybe I’ll just have a taster. Ps made the coconut flatbreads dopamine diet book for curry and they’re fab. Thanks Mark!

 

[Sally W]

If you make crème caramel in individual ramekin dishes, using a blowtorch it takes less than half a teaspoon of sugar to obtain a more than satisfactory crust - No 1 chef daughter has tried sweetener (but not inulin Mark) and it doesn't.

Even with sugar, if you only have the grill to caramelise - you need more than double the amount.

Cut out a few grams of carb elsewhere to accommodate it would be easier I think?

Thanks. I may just have it as my treat of the week instead then 🙂