Does anyone know if you can use Splenda or another sweetener in Kool aid? I watched Tricia Yearwoods show last week and she made lime Kool aid with ginger ale and pineapple juice but she also used 2 cups of sugar. We are having a little brunch this Sun and quite a few of us are diabetics so that would not be good.

Judy

You can substitute diet ginger ale for the regular and unsweetened pineapple juice. If pineapple juice is a problem then use a sugarfree punch. I don't know about your diabetic friends, but some people do not tolerate Splenda.

I have used Splenda in Kool Aid as well as stevia, and they are OK. However, for me the issue isn't necessarily Splenda, it's the fillers they use.

Splenda is extremely sweet, and they cut it with fillers for home use. When companies making huge, huge batches of commercially prepared beverages, there is no need for the fillers.

So, the commercially prepared Splenda products are easier to use for SOME folks, but not all, if it's the fillers that are causing issues.

I don't tolerate anything with Nutrasweet/aspartame, homemade or commercially prepared.

Indexlady, I've never put a package of Splenda in anything, I only had it in commercially prepared products. The one time I knowingly consumed a product with it I had a very bad reaction. The next time I was served it by well meaning people who did not know I could not consume products with it in it. The last time I had any it was in an unmarked product.

It is not a safe product and I would never serve it to an unsuspecting guest.

DJKIM, if you are concerned, you can always put a label on the beverage listing the ingredients. I frequently do this, including brand.

Charming thanks for the idea about diet ginger ale and unsweetened pineapple juice, hadn't thought of that. I only mentioned Splenda because I have some in my cabinet...was just wondering if any artificial sweetener could be used to make Kool aid. IL, thanks for your suggestions.

I mix Kool-Aid with half sugar and half powdered Sweet and Low (saccharrine) all the time. I find that these proportions give the best flavor; more artificial sweetener than that doesn't taste good to me.

Still... In your recipe, I think you'd do better to use the diet soda and unsweetened juice for your guests.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: nettiejay,

You can also buy Kool-Aid that is presweetened using an artificial sweetner.

Thank you Cocok! I seldom buy Kool aid any longer since my kids are grown, didn't realize you could buy pre-sweetened.

You can buy it sweetened with sugar and artificial sweetners, probably even Splenda.

For your recipe it probably be too sweet to use the presweetend mix.

This is a tricky problem on what to offer groups when there are dietary concerns. My rule of thumb when offering beverages:
one no calorie
one cold
one hot
one with caffeine
one no caffeine
one kids will like (juice or occasionally soda)
Sometimes you can get that down to 2 or 3 things to offer.

Iced tea, plain or with only lemon flavor (cold, and little to no calories), coffee and fruit punch.