Effects of Alternative Sweeteners with or without Xanthan Gum on the Physicochemical Properties of Scones

If you formulate baked goods, you know sugar does more than sweeten. It adds bulk, drives browning, and holds moisture. Remove it, and your product changes in ways you cannot predict. This study tested stevia, sucralose, and allulose in scones, with and without xanthan gum. One formulation stood out: 30% allulose plus xanthan gum.

Why scones are a tough case

Scones need structure. Sugar contributes to that structure, and it also creates the surface color customers expect. When you substitute sugar, you have to manage three things at once: sweetness, browning, and texture. Xanthan gum can support texture by adding viscosity and water binding. But it does not fix sweetness. The study separated those variables, and that is why the results are useful.

What the researchers did

The team used stevia, sucralose, and allulose as replacement sweeteners. The replacement ratios were 30%, 70%, and 100%. They made scones with and without xanthan gum. Then they measured color and other physicochemical properties. They also ran sensory acceptance tests. The control was a sucrose-only scone, labeled CON.

Allulose got special attention. That makes sense. Allulose is the sweetener most likely to mimic sugar in a baked system. It browns, it caramelizes, and it gives bulk.

Key findings

Color was the clearest difference. Allulose scones had lower L* values and higher a* and b* values. In plain terms, they were darker, redder, and more yellow. Both Maillard reactions and caramelization drove those changes. That is useful if you want a baked color without sucrose.

The most interesting sample was AL30G. This was the 30% allulose formula with xanthan gum. Its physical properties came close to the sucrose control. That is a big deal. It means you can replace a portion of sugar with allulose and keep the scone’s appearance and structure. But AL30G did not score well in acceptance. The problem was sweetness. It simply did not taste sweet enough.

Here is a quick summary of the samples that mattered:

Sample	Sweetener system	Xanthan gum	What happened
CON	Sucrose control	No	Reference for physical and sensory properties
AL30G	30% allulose	Yes	Physical properties close to CON; low acceptance due to insufficient sweetness
Allulose scones	30%, 70%, or 100% allulose	With or without	Lower L*, higher a* and b* due to Maillard and caramelization

The study used 30%, 70%, and 100% replacement levels. That gives you a clean map of how far you can push allulose in this application.

What this means for your formula

Start with physical performance. If you need a scone that looks and feels like the full-sugar version, 30% allulose with xanthan gum is a solid baseline. You get the color and texture. But do not stop there. You also need to fix sweetness. Pair allulose with a high-intensity sweetener such as stevia or sucralose, or adjust the sweetness system separately.

Be careful at higher replacement levels. More allulose means more Maillard browning and caramelization. Your crust may get too dark before the interior is baked. You might need to reduce oven temperature or shorten baking time. The browning is not a defect. It is a tool. You just need to control it.

Xanthan gum helped AL30G match the control’s physical profile. But the sensory data show you cannot rely on it for sweetness. Texture and taste are separate jobs.

Frequently asked questions

Why did allulose scones brown more than the control?

Allulose participates in Maillard reactions and caramelization in these conditions. The result was lower L* and higher a* and b* values.

Does xanthan gum make scones taste sweeter?

No. Xanthan gum changed the physical properties. In AL30G, it helped the sample match the control’s structure. The sample still failed on sweetness.

What is the best replacement level to test?

Start with 30% allulose plus xanthan gum. It gave the closest physical match to the sucrose control. Then add sweetness back and run your own acceptance test.

Allulose is not a drop-in sugar replacer. But at 30% with xanthan gum, it gets you surprisingly close. Use it for browning and bulk. Use something else for sweetness. That is the practical path forward.