Lucuma Fruit Powder Guide: How to Use Lucuma as a Sweetener

Lucuma powder is a low-sugar natural sweetener made of dried, ground lucuma, a fruit that grows on lucuma trees native to the Andean valleys of Chile, Ecuador, and Peru. While fresh lucuma fruit isn't widely available outside of South America, lucuma powder is available worldwide in many health food stores and Latin grocery stores.

Due to lucuma powder's sweet taste and purported health benefits, it has become a popular natural substitute for refined sugar and artificial sweeteners. Lucuma is naturally gluten-free and vegan, and you can even find brands that produce certified organic lucuma powder.

The pulp of a raw lucuma fruit has a subtly sweet flavor and is somewhat dry with a mealy texture. In powder form, lucuma tastes like butterscotch and sweet potato with undertones of maple syrup or caramel.

Lucuma powder is not as sweet as table sugar, honey, or stevia. As a flavoring agent, lucuma powder adds a hint of sweetness and a distinct maple-like flavor to food. It's popular in smoothies, ice cream, yogurt, oatmeal, chia pudding, nut milks, and Peruvian lucuma ice cream, and it works as a sugar substitute in many baked goods.

Lucuma fruit also has more vitamins and minerals than artificial sugar substitutes. Lucuma powder is a natural source of vitamins, antioxidants, carbs, and dietary fiber. It includes vitamin C, vitamin B3 (niacin), beta-carotene, calcium, iron, and potassium. However, one tablespoon of lucuma powder generally only contains about one percent of the recommended daily value of those vitamins and minerals, which means you likely won’t consume enough to improve your immune system or reap other health benefits.

Lucuma powder doesn't require any special preparation—you can take it right out of the package and mix it directly into everyday foods or drinks.

1. 1. As a sugar substitute in baking: Lucuma powder works best as a substitute for brown sugar since it tastes somewhat similar. The general rule of thumb is to substitute double the amount of lucuma powder for the necessary amount of brown sugar (e.g., one cup of lucuma powder equals half a cup of brown sugar). Since lucuma powder doesn't absorb water as well as sugar, your batter or dough may end up drier than intended. If this is the case, add more water or milk in small increments until the moisture level becomes satisfactory.
2. 2. In beverages: Stir lucuma powder into your beverage as you would regular sugar. The slightly sweet taste of lucuma pairs well with more bitter herbal teas or coffee. To sweeten a single-serving smoothie, use one to two tablespoons of powder.
3. 3. As a flavoring: Mix the desired amount of lucuma powder into oatmeal or yogurt, topped with cacao nibs, coconut shreds, almonds, or cashews. Lucuma powder is also a unique flavoring agent for homemade ice creams and sorbets.

Store lucuma powder in an airtight bag or container out of direct sunlight. Lucuma powder does not need to be refrigerated and will typically keep for about two years when stored at room temperature.

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