With the rise in popularity of low-carb and keto diets, many people are looking for sugar-free alternatives to traditional baking ingredients. Lily’s baking chips have emerged as a potential option, advertising themselves as a sweetener free chocolate chip. But are Lily’s chips truly sugar-free? Do they contain any sneaky added sugars or sweeteners? This article will take an in-depth look at the ingredients and nutrition facts of Lily’s baking chips to determine if they live up to their sugar-free claims.
What are Lily’s Baking Chips?
Lily’s baking chips are a brand of chocolate chips made by Lily’s Sweets, a company that specializes in dark chocolate and no sugar added confections. Lily’s offers a few different styles of baking chips:
- Original Style – Made with stevia and inulin fiber
- Salted Caramel – Made with stevia and inulin fiber
- Peanut Butter – Made with allulose and inulin fiber
All varieties are advertised as containing no sugar alcohols and no artificial sweeteners. The chips are marketed towards low-carb and ketogenic dieters as a way to bake sweet treats without added sugars.
Do Lily’s Chips Contain Any Sugar?
Upon inspecting the ingredients lists of Lily’s baking chips, it is evident they do not contain any added sugars like sucrose, dextrose, or high fructose corn syrup. However, some varieties do contain natural sweeteners stevia and allulose.
Stevia
Stevia is extracted from the leaves of the stevia plant. It contains steviol glycosides that provide a natural sweetness around 200-300 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia has no calories and does not spike blood sugar levels. The Original Style and Salted Caramel chips use stevia leaf extract as a sweetener.
Allulose
Allulose is a low-calorie monosaccharide sugar that occurs naturally in small amounts in certain fruits. While it provides a sweet taste comparable to sugar, it contains just 0.2-0.4 calories per gram and does not impact blood glucose levels. The Peanut Butter chips use allulose as the sweetener.
Inulin Fiber
Inulin fiber contributes to the texture of Lily’s chips. It is extracted from chicory root and acts as a soluble dietary fiber and prebiotic. Inulin has a minimal impact on blood sugar. It also helps provide bulk to the chips to prevent a gritty texture without needing to add sugar.
Based on these ingredients, Lily’s baking chips live up to their promise of being free from added sugars. The sweet taste instead comes from natural, low-calorie sweeteners stevia and allulose that do not spike blood sugar.
Nutrition Facts
Looking at the nutrition label of Lily’s baking chips also confirms their lack of sugar:
| Serving Size | 1/4 cup (28g) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 140 |
| Fat | 12g |
| Carbohydrates | 9g |
| Sugars | 1g |
The nutrition facts show only 1 gram of sugar per serving. This sugar is naturally occurring from the cocoa and does not include any added sweeteners. The low sugar content combined with 14 grams of fat and 5 grams of protein makes these chips perfectly tailored for low-carb/keto diets.
Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load
The glycemic index (GI) measures how much a food spikes your blood sugar on a scale of 1-100. The glycemic load takes into account the carb content per serving.
Lily’s baking chips have an extremely low glycemic index and glycemic load:
- GI: 13 (Low)
- GL: 1 (Low)
This means Lily’s chips cause an insignificant rise in blood sugar, making them safe for diabetics and low-carb diets.
Other Health Benefits
Beyond being sugar-free, Lily’s baking chips provide some additional health benefits:
High in Antioxidants
The cocoa in Lily’s chips contains flavanols, potent antioxidants that reduce inflammation and protect cells from damage. Dark chocolate is especially high in antioxidants compared to milk chocolate.
Prebiotic Fiber
The inulin fiber in Lily’s chips serves as a prebiotic that feeds the good bacteria in your gut. This improves digestion and overall health.
Keto-Friendly
With just 9 net carbs and no added sugar, Lily’s chips can fit into a ketogenic diet. They provide sweetness without disrupting ketosis.
Downsides of Lily’s Chips
While Lily’s chips have many benefits, there are a few potential downsides to consider:
- Higher in fat – Each serving packs 14g of fat, so portion control is key.
- Higher price point – Specialty chips come at a higher cost than regular chocolate chips.
- Laxative effects – Some report digestive issues from sugar alcohols and inulin fiber until tolerance builds.
- Cooling effect – The stevia extract has a slight aftertaste.
How to Use Lily’s Baking Chips
Lily’s baking chips can be used in place of regular chocolate chips in recipes. Keep in mind a few baking tips:
- Reduce baking time – The lack of sugar means faster baking.
- Add binders – For chewier cookies, add xanthan gum or an egg.
- Combine with sugar – Mixing Lily’s with a small amount of sugar helps texture.
- Scoop dough – The chips may melt more than regular chocolate.
Here are some recipes that work well with Lily’s sugar-free chips:
Desserts
- Chocolate chip cookies
- Fudge brownies
- Blondies
- Chocolate chip muffins
- Chocolate chip scones
Fat Bombs
- Coconut chocolate fat bombs
- Chocolate peanut butter fat bombs
- Chocolate cheesecake fat bombs
Are Lily’s Baking Chips Healthy?
Lily’s chocolate chips are considered a healthier alternative to conventional chocolate chips due to their lack of added sugars and use of low-glycemic sweeteners. However, moderation is still key given their high fat content.
Here are some tips for healthy use of Lily’s chips:
- Stick to small servings – 1/4 cup provides 2g net carbs and 140 calories
- Avoid daily use – Enjoy as occasional treat for best health
- Pair with protein – Add nuts or seeds to baked goods for more nutrition
- Watch saturated fat – Cocoa butter contributes some saturated fat
Overall, Lily’s baking chips can be part of a healthy diet when used sparingly by those monitoring blood sugar levels.
Cost of Lily’s Chips
Lily’s baking chips come at a premium price point compared to regular chocolate chips. Here is how the costs breakdown:
| Chips | Price Per Ounce | Price Per Cup |
|---|---|---|
| Lily’s | $0.53 | $2.12 |
| Regular | $0.14 | $0.56 |
The higher cost reflects the specialty ingredients in Lily’s chips. Buying in bulk packages can help lower the per-ounce price. Coupons may also be available to help offset the cost.
Where to Buy Lily’s Baking Chips
Lily’s baking chips can be found in the baking aisle at many grocery stores including:
- Whole Foods
- Sprouts
- Kroger
- Publix
- Safeway
- Stop & Shop
- HEB
Lily’s chips are also available from online retailers like Amazon, Netrition, Vitacost, and Thrive Market.
Check your local store’s website to see if Lily’s baking chips can be ordered for delivery or in-store pickup. This can help when they are out of stock on shelves.
Lily’s Baking Chips Review
Here is my full review of Lily’s sugar-free baking chips:
Taste – 4/5
Lily’s chips have an excellent chocolatey taste. The stevia has a slight cooling effect, but it’s not overwhelming. Overall flavor and sweetness is very close to regular chocolate chips.
Texture – 3/5
The chips have a nice smooth, creamy meltability when baked. However, the texture fudginess in cookies may suffer slightly without the added sugars. Be sure to bake for less time and add binder ingredients to get a chewy cookie texture.
Nutrition – 5/5
For sugar-free, keto, and low carb diets, you can’t beat 1g of sugar with no artificial sweeteners. The tradeoff is the higher fat and calorie content, so portion control is important.
Price – 2/5
The price is the biggest drawback, costing nearly 4X as much as regular chips. But this reflects the cost of specialty ingredients. Buying in bulk can help trim costs.
Availability – 3/5
Lily’s chips are easier to find than ever before, but still may not be stocked at every local grocery store. Purchasing online is a safe bet for availability.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- No added sugars
- Low glycemic index
- Natural sweeteners
- Keto and paleo friendly
- Great chocolate taste
Cons
- Expensive compared to regular chips
- Higher in fat
- May cause digestive issues
- Slight cooling aftertaste
- Difficult to find in stores
Bottom Line
Lily’s offers an impressive sugar-free chocolate chip that largely mimics the taste of regular chocolate chips. A few tweaks are needed when baking to nail the texture perfectly. While not cheap, Lily’s chips are worthwhile for low-carb baking and providing sweet chocolate flavor without any added sugars or artificial sweeteners.
For those monitoring blood sugar levels or following diets like keto, Lily’s baking chips can be a tasty way to bake up sugar-free chocolate treats. Just be mindful of portion sizes given the high fat content. When used occasionally and in moderation, Lily’s chips offer a delicious guilt-free chocolate fix.
