Low-sugar and spice and all things nice

How Bake Off star Stacey Hart, spurred by her husband’s sugar intolerance, cooked up a delicious range of healthier festive favourites

FrOm boozy puddings and tins of sweets to calorieladen Christmas drinks, temptation is everywhere at this time of year. And as a former contestant on The Great British Bake Off, you might expect my household to be worse than most.

I’ll admit it: we’ve had mince pies on the go since October, there’s something festive baking in the oven most days, and, as a busy mum to three boys aged 15, 11 and eight, I don’t need much of an excuse to sit down with a gin and tonic in the evenings.

But for the past 18 months, our family has been almost entirely sugar-free. We still tuck into our usual Christmassy treats — mince pies, plum pudding, gingerbread and sloe gin (for the grown-ups) — but I make them all myself, with clever sugar substitutes so they turn out much better for us, without compromising on flavour.

It sounds impossible — we’ve all tried those ‘sugar free’ desserts that look and taste like cardboard — but I guarantee my bakes are truly delicious. They all get the thumbs up from my boys! And they’re so simple you can make them at home for family and friends, without anyone knowing the difference.

my low-sugar obsession started back in 2016. I applied for Bake Off, failed, and spent the next 12 months practising like mad to get a spot in the tent the following year. When I did get on, there was even more to do: I made each bake up to 15 times to get it just right. At home, the cakes, biscuits and pastries started piling up — and my husband, James, and the boys were more than happy to be my taste-testers.

However, after a while, James started feeling really nauseous and unwell. It went on for weeks and we couldn’t work out what was causing it. Having done some research online, he decided to quit sugar — and his symptoms disappeared almost overnight. He’s never looked back.

my first reaction was, ‘Oh great, now no one’s going to eat my cakes.’ But I love a challenge, so, I decided to take my baking in a new direction.

An alternative to sugar made sense: I don’t want my sons getting hooked on it, and there’s a history of diabetes in my family, so if I could cut out the white stuff, all the better.

It was tough for the first few months. I tried sugar alternatives, replacements and additives, and hated most of them. A dentist friend then recommended xylitol — a natural sweetener that comes from birch trees. It occurs naturally in fruits and vegetables, is low in calories, doesn’t raise blood sugar levels — and, most importantly, tastes great in baking.

As I experimented, I came up with more low-sugar tricks: using apples instead of raisins in pies and puddings; adding unsweetened nut milk; even making my own marshmallows. Spices such as nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon can really jazz up a cake, while dark chocolate, rather than milk, gives a lovely rich flavour.

Unlike other bakers, I don’t use sugary alternatives such as honey, sugar or dates just to claim my bakes are ‘sugar free’. Instead, I’m transparent about exactly what they contain.

You’ll find me whipping up new recipes at all hours. On a wintery evening, I’m happiest in my kitchen, with the Christmas candles lit, rustling up a batch of my handheld chocolate pies or my festive Swiss roll.

All the family — parents, aunts, uncles, nephews and nieces — come to me for Christmas Day, so the pressure’s on to cook a low-sugar feast without anyone feeling like they’re missing out. After all, this time of year is about indulgence, not depriving yourself of the things you love.