NuNaturals Stevia Review, Giveaway, and Brownies!
[No sugar? Who cares! Just look at these fudgy, dense squares--and stevia-sweetened!!]
PLEASE NOTE: THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. But you can still enjoy this review and recipe! 
A while back, I received an email from Ron at NuNaturals offering samples of some of their all-natural stevia products. Now, I had been using stevia for years, of course, and I was rather attached to the brand I’d been using since my first bout with the ACD about a decade ago; trying out a new brand wasn’t something I’d really thought about. Still, flavored stevia remains a relative novelty here in Toronto (at least where I live), so I thought the vanilla flavor would be mildly interesting, and agreed to give their products a try.
A couple of weeks later, I received a massive parcel in the mail (and I do mean massive–this package was practically as big as Kanye West’s ego), brimming with a variety of NuNaturals products, from their pure liquid stevia to a No Carbs stevia blend to vanilla flavored to quick-dissolve Tabs and one-for-one NuStevia Sweetener Baking Blend. I was, truly, overwhelmed by the generosity of the company and determined to give everything a try so I could write up a thorough review of my experience with the products.
[. . . only a small sampling of the bounty I received!]
The first thing I did was try the one-for-one baking blend (a stevia-based blend that can be used in equal amounts as sugar). In fact, the initial version of my Lemon-Blueberry muffins contained this sweetener. And while the texture and flavors using the product were, quite honestly, fantastic, I’m afraid that my ACD wasn’t as receptive to the mix (or, perhaps, it was too receptive: the maltodextrin–used as a filler–seemed to feed the yeast. I wouldn’t recommend it for those with severe candida symptoms.). If you’re not concerned about candida, however, this is a marvelous product and one that produced a really tender, moist crumb in my baked good–without any other sweeteners added.
I turned back to the varieties of pure stevia they had provided. My kitchen became a stevia-based dessert bakery and café for a time: I concocted more muffins, a beet-based mousse, fudge, and several other goodies along the way with the vanilla flavor; I added the plain stevia to salad dressings and breakfast cereals; and I tried out the tablets in my morning tea.
Well, I will tell you, NuNaturals has developed their reputation as the company that produces non-bitter stevia for a reason! Like so many others, I was incredibly impressed with their products. The flavor and sweetness level is, to quote that golden-haired thief of ursine breakfasts, just right; neither too sweet, nor with any aftertaste that I could detect.
I’ve really enjoyed playing with the liquid and coming up with new recipes such as the brownies, below. Even in these treats (where quite a bit of the sweetener is necessary), the flavor is rich, chocolately and intense–but not bitter. These are a dense, moist type of brownie (if you’ve had bean brownies before, you’ll know what I mean)–don’t expect cakelike nibbles from this recipe. In addition, the squares are best refrigerated before eaten, as this allows the coconut oil to firm up and render the sweets really fudgy. I have had to start cutting them very small (or baking in mini-muffin tins) to ensure that I stop myself after two. Okay, three.
In fact, I’m quickly running out of my bottle of vanilla and will be bereft when it’s gone (Ron, can you bring NuNaturals in Toronto? Please?). I find myself reaching for it whenever I want to sweeten–well, almost anything. And although I realize that the vanilla flavor is perhaps a tad expensive, I reasoned that I could simultaneously omit the actual vanilla extract when using it, thereby saving the cost of the pure vanilla (itself a rather pricey ingredient).
My major regret is that I wasn’t able to try out the other flavors (since they combine stevia in an alcohol base, apparently Canadian customs won’t allow them to be shipped across the border. Silly Canadian customs! And also, waaa!).
If you’ve never tried stevia , you can read more about this amazing, natural, zero calorie, zero glycemic herbal sweetener here.
Thanks again, Ron, for the opportunity to try what is truly a wonderful product. You’ve made my life that much sweeter!
AND NOW FOR A GIVEAWAY! [Note: the contest is now closed.]
I was so impressed with the products that I asked Ron if I could hold a giveaway of some NuNaturals stevia on my blog. And, generous as ever, he said “yes!” I decided to restrict the prizes to products I have actually tried and would use regularly. If you’d prefer to try out some of the other products (such as the one-for-one baking blend), do take a look at the NuNaturals website!
The Rules:
For this giveaway, there will be THREE lucky winners of stevia products from NuNaturals! How generous is that? (PLUS an added prize, from yours truly. . . read on!)
Each of the first 3 winners will receive one bottle of NuStevia PURE EXTRACT, 1 oz. Size, and one box of NuStevia 50 packets, plus one bottle of Alcohol Free Vanilla Stevia Liquid, 2 oz. Bottle. I’ve tried all three products and recommend them highly. (This is real stevia, not the processed, extracted stuff that contains only part of the stevia rebaudiana plant). What a great prize package to get started with stevia–or to find new ways to use it!
The contest is open to all residents of the US and Canada. However, I know how disappointing the North America-only contests can be, so I’ve decided to throw in my own prize–a copy of my ACD cookbook, Anti-Candida Feast, which will be awarded to one overseas entrant (and that way, you can at least create some stevia-based recipes at home)!
To enter, simply leave a comment on this page telling me about your own experience (or wish to experience) stevia as a sweetener. Do you have a great recipe? Do you add stevia to something that we wouldn’t normally consider? Did stevia help keep you from developing health problems? Whatever your feelings on this herb, please let us know!
Be sure to include your name and location in your comment, and a valid email address (if it’s not already included in your comment header). North American winners will be required to provide a mailing address as well (and Canadians, a telephone number) so that NuNaturals can ship your prizes to you. For overseas winners, all I’ll need is a valid email address.
You can gain extra entries by mentioning and linking to this page on your blog, by tweeting about it (and please include @rickiheller in your tweet so I’ll see it), by Stumbling this page or adding it to Facebook. Then come on back over here and leave a comment letting me know that you’ve done so (that way, I’ll have one comment per entry–easier to tally up the entries that way).
On WEDNESDAY, April 28, I’ll choose four names at random and let you know who won!
Update, April 29: The winners have been announced! Check this post to see who won.
Thanks, all, for participating, and good luck! I hope you love using NuNaturals stevia as much as I do. And here’s a great recipe to get you going.
Dense and Fudgy, Stevia-Sweetened and ACD-Friendly Brownies
[Update, April 23: Based on the comments so far from those of you who've never tried stevia, I feel I must reiterate: these do not taste like conventional brownies! They are dense and moist and almost like fudge in texture (and totally addictive in their own right). For your first stevia-based recipe, I'd suggest something like this apple-pumpkin crumble, or the Crimson Mousse--then come back and make these brownies next!]
I found the inspiration for these from the now-ubiquitous black bean brownies that I first saw on Heidi’s blog and my favorite sweet-potato based brownie from Simple Treats . The result is an ACD-friendly bar that’s yummy enough for anyone to enjoy. Because unsweetened chocolate requires quite a bit of stevia to achieve the desired sweetness, I combine it here with a touch of carob for a final product more like a bittersweet chocolate bar.
4 ounces (115 g) good quality unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup (80 ml) tahini (sesame paste) or smooth natural almond butter
2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin coconut oil, preferably organic
1/4 cup (60 ml) carob powder
1/4 cup (60 ml) coconut flour
1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder
1/4 tsp (1 ml) baking soda
1/8 tsp (.5 ml) fine sea salt
2 cups (480 ml) very soft cooked black beans, rinsed and drained well
1 cup (240 ml) unsweetened chocolate or vanilla almond milk, or unsweetened soymilk
1/2 cup (120 ml) yacon syrup OR agave nectar
1 Tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce, tamari or Bragg’s OR 1/2 tsp instant coffee powder OR 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) wattleseed (these all help to intensify the chocolate flavor–thanks for the wattleseed, Johanna!)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup (180 ml) packed sweet potato purée
1/4 cup (60 ml) finely ground flax seeds
35-45 drops plain, vanilla or chocolate stevia liquid (I used NuNaturals vanilla, but if you can get the chocolate, I bet it would be fantastic in these)
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Line an 8″ (20 cm) square pan with parchment, or spray with nonstick spray.
In a small, heavy-bottomed pot over very low heat, melt together the chocolate, tahini and coconut oil, stirring constantly until the chocolate is almost all melted. Remove from heat and allow to sit another minute or so; stir again to melt all the chocolate. Set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together the carob powder, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt (if using wattleseed, add it to the dry ingredients as well). Set aside.
In a high-speed blender, mix together the beans, almond milk, yacon syrup, soy sauce, vanilla, sweet potato purée, flax and stevia; blend well, pushing the mixture down toward the blades as necessary, until smooth. Add the chocolate mixture and blend again until well combined. (Note: if using a conventional blender, do this: blend together the beans, almond milk, yacon syrup, soy sauce, vanilla and stevia until very smooth; add the sweet potato and blend again. Turn the mixture into a bowl and stir in the flax and chocolate mixture by hand until well combined before proceeding.).
Turn the blended mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until combined; do not overstir. Turn the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in preheated oven 45-55 minutes, rotating pan about halfway through, until a tester inserted in the center comes out moist but clean. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold before cutting. Makes 25 small squares.
Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. May be frozen.
Of course, I can’t resist including these babies in Amy’s weekly Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays lineup! Hop over to Amy’s blog to see what everyone else cooked up.
Last Year at this Time: Update: Diet and Dessert
Two Years Ago: Frugal Frittata
© 2010 Diet, Dessert and Dogs
Hello from Quebec!
I haven’t tried stevia yet, but I’m becoming increasingly interested in it; my sweet tooth and the rest of my body don’t seem to get along very well…
(Ricki, those brownies look almost too good to be true! I love that your recipe is so versatile.)
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I’ve just tweeted about your giveaway (@Deleilan).
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I love Stevia! I love making sweet omelets…1 egg + 1 egg white mixed with a sprinkle of cinnamon, a splash of vanilla extract and a packet of Stevia. Cook that in a pan, top with 1 TBSP almond butter and 1/2 TBSP jelly, fold over to make an omelet and serve! YUM! It’s my current favorite breakfast
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Those brownies look SO good! I can’t believe they were made with stevia and came out that beautiful and fudgy. I have never baked with stevia, but I love using it in my morning coffee.
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wow I am just commenting not for a prize but because I saw you had included wattleseeds ever so casually in the recipe and was thrilled to see them there – the recipe looks pretty amazing – a bit challenging for me but while I don’t have yacon syrup and stevia I do love the chocolate and sweet potato combo and maybe I need to give the black beans another try
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Oops – I accidentally commented on the front page of your post. *embarrassment* I’ll repeat it here…
What a fantastic giveaway! Both you and the folks at NuNaturals are so generous.
As for stevia… well, I’ve never used it. That’s more because I’m a cheapskate than anything, really. But I’d absolutely love to try it!
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Those brownies look delicious! Must try immediately. I’d love to try NuNaturals too! Because Stevia can have a bitter aftertaste, I like to use it in things with a savory aspect anyhow, like in my coffee or in collard greens.
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Those brownies sound terrific! Tamari as a chocolate-flavor enhancer? I have to give that a try!
My only experience with stevia so far has been making tea with the fresh stevia leaves of my poor stevia plant that succombed to a bug invasion (oh! that reminds me I should be able to get a new one soon, yay!). I’d be really curious to use it for baking.
(Another Quebecer here!)
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Hi from Tennessee! I haven’t used stevia, but I get a crazy sweet tooth in the summer and I’d love to have a way to keep my bathing suit bulge in check!
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hi from USA. I would love this. I’ve just bought my first bottle of liquid stevia and have not tried the powder yet, though I’ve contemplated purchasing some several times. do you use the white or green powder?
I’ve added it to smoothies, cookies, and fruit sauces.
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Hi from Texas.
Those brownies look AMAZING. I use Stevia all the time in my tea and coffee and when making hot chocolate (Cocoa or carob powder + stevia + milk or water) but I’ve never been brave enough to try it in baked goods or other cooked things…I would love to try but I’m just afraid no one would eat them but me
I’d love to try NuNaturals, I think that might make me a little more confident rather than afraid of the bitter aftertaste! 
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Here’s my tweet about the giveaway!
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Those brownies look like the ultimate fudgy decadence! You know, I look at the little vials of stevia extract everytime I go to Trader Joe’s (I’m in CA, by the way), but I never buy any because it’s a bit pricey for me. But as I hear more about, I am more and more tempted to try it.
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I use the NuNaturals white stevia powder ALL THE TIME! I love using it in my coffee, tea, oats, cereal, and even to sweeten homemade marinara sauce! It’s the only stevia I’ve tried that doesn’t have a funky aftertaste. Yay
- Grace from California
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Those brownies look soooooo good! I love stevia and use it in everything I can. I love to make sugar-free hot chocolate with stevia. I haven’t gotten too good at using it in baked goods yet though. I can’t wait to try these brownies.
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i still haven’t tried stevia!!! i’ve been wanting to give it a shot in baking, as that’s primarily where i use sugar
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Ahoj from Brooklyn!
I haven’t tried stevia at all yet, but I certainly hope to try it soon, especially if I can use it to make these amazing brownies! There is so much goodness in this recipe, I can’t even imagine how the brownies could be anything but delicious.
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I’ve only had stevia packets in coffee. A little bit has been okay, but I’ve always noticed a bitter aftertaste, which is why I’d be excited to try a new brand!
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Wow, I keep hearing about these NuNaturals!
I really love stevia, but the Trader Joe’s brand that I have right now tends to have a bitter taste. I’d love to try a new brand
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I am so excited to see these brownies! You are a recipe genius! I have been wanting to make the black bean brownies I see everywhere, but they are always either not vegan, not GF, etc. So now I finally have a recipe to try!
My history with stevia is a bit different. Back in ’98 my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and I took a year off college to help her through her treatment. She saw a great integrative oncologist who had her doing intense lifestyle and diet changes along with chemo and radiation. I was her “personal chef” that year, preparing all the crazy stuff he wanted her to eat (who in the US knew about quinoa in 1998?). They wanted us to cut out all sugar, which was tough because my mom is a total chocoholic. In exchange they gave us little packets of this strange stuff called Stevia. I kept tasting it, trying to figure out what to do with it, but it was disgusting! So bitter I remember tasting was like chewing tinfoil – that awful zingy feeling. Needless to say, those packets languished unused. My mom has been in remission for over ten years (yay!), but we can’t credit the stevia with that success story (and yeah, she never did give up chocolate completely!).
I had no idea there was decent stevia out there, and of course so many recipes and guidelines for what to do with it. Reading what you’ve written here makes me very interested to try it again!
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Those brownies look super fudgy! That’s such an interesting recipe- I’ll definitely have to try it.
I’m a huge fan of Stevia (though the only kind I can find is the processed kind in packets). I’ve started adding it to my oatmeal in the morning, or iced coffees in the afternoon- it’s perfect!
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Great giveaway! I’ve tried stevia but found it bitter with an aftertaste. I use sweetener rarely so stick with sugar. Would love an alternative, and would try your brownies. Dense fudgy chocolate? Heavenly…
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I have a HUGE sweet tooth — and a family history of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease — so I try my hardest to stay away from it if I can. I would LOVE to be able to try this brand of stevia to bake up some yummy goods to satisfy my sweet tooth — especially those brownies – wow!
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Ooo, yum! I love stevia and have been wanting to try some new things with it. My latest addiction is to melt 1 oz of an unsweetened pure cocoa bar and mix in ten drops of liquid stevia. I let it cool and I have a mini chocolate bar! So tasty.
Awesome giveaway, can’t wait to try this brownie recipe!
~Aubree Cherie
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I bought one of those “stevia products” that isn’t pure stevia and I was totally bummed to find out when I got home that it was not vegan!
So I have never tried stevia in any shape or form and would love to!
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I recently made balck bean brownies from a recipe on Affairs of the living’s website. This was my first using stevia in my baking, until now only in my morning coffee. I look forward with great anticipation of success of Ricki’s recipe with the NuNaturals brand. I’d love to win the giveaway and give a try with my picky tastbuds. I origianllly tried stevia with fear from memories of grammas sacharine to be happily surprised…always looking for the best of a good thing.
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Those brownies look fabulous. I tried the famous (infamous?) black bean brownies once, but they didn’t turn out AT ALL. Wrong texture, bitter, ick! I’ve been reading so much about them lately, though, that I’ll have to give them another try.
I’m afraid that my palate has become used to stevia, so that I don’t notice its aftertaste as much anymore. Whenever I make anything sweetened with stevia, my sweetie will take one bite and refuse to eat any more, saying he can taste the stevia (even if it’s only a couple of drops!). I’ve tried to fool him and say it doesn’t have stevia, but he can always tell.
I’m using the NOW brand right now (I have the pure powder and the unflavored liquid), but maybe I need to try NuNaturals next.
Thanks for the thoughtful review here.
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This I have to try! Last week I made a batch of your fab Chocolate Mystery Cupcakes from Sweet Freedom converting them to flours that are not from the grass family. They turned out so good my husband claimed some as his. However, they really were a bit dry as the ingredients only made 10 instead of 12 cupcakes (but sooo chocolaty & tasty). Now it looks like another week of chocolate – poor Ricki, how you suffer for your fans
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Hi Ricki, I’d love to win the stevia prize! I’ve been using stevia in my coffee for about a year now and I’d love to branch out and use it in baking… it can be expensive though, especially the flavoured variety! Thanks!
PS: I live in Calgary.
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The brownie recipe in Simple Treats is my favorite! When I gave up sugar and gluten the last thing I did was make a batch of those brownies, and gobble them up. I’ve been looking for a replacement brownie for a long time, and I may have just found it!
I use steiva, but have never baked with it. I usually add it to something like quinoa flakes cereal or a green smoothie that is a bit too “green” in flavor.
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Okay Ricki, I am throwing my hat in the ring. So here’s the truth, I am an RHN with my own healthy eating blog and I have NEVER tried stevia. Never! Can you believe it? Neither can I, therefore there are so many recipes in both your great cookbooks that I have yet to try. I think it’s time I give it a try and your contest is a good way to start!
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Great brownies, and great giveaway! I have tried one version of black bean brownies but they used banana and I wasn’t super keen on that flavor in the mix. I really like that you used sweet potato, I can totally see that working perfectly.
I have only been using stevia for a couple of months now, and mostly just in very-green smoothies that need something to take the edge off. I am VERY interested in trying to bake with it, and obviously I’m in the right place to explore that
I have eyed that exact vanilla liquid stevia at the store many a time, but passed it up because of the price and uncertainty that I would like it. I am happy to have your endorsement, I am more comfortable shelling out the cash now.
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Tweeted! (@ordinaryveg)
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I am just learning to use Stevia – as I am now on an Anti-Candida diet. I am also learning that Candida causes ALL of my most strange symptoms. I do really crave some sweets though – maybe this will help! THANK YOU for posting such great recipes and stories!
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My only experience with Stevia was in a tea basket gift set I was given. I loved it!
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I’ve used stevia for 2 years now and love it in my morning cup of water with lemon
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I used to be the kind of person who could spot a sugar substitute after one bite. I wouldn’t eat anything that was sweetened with a sugar substitute. Then I was experiencing some health struggles and started on an anti-candida diet. With the help of some wonderful gluten-free and/or sugar-free blogs (including this one), I started cooking with Stevia and Truvia. What a blessing that I can still have sweet treats occasionally! I now love Stevia and enjoy cooking with it and eating things that make me feel a little more normal.
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I posted a link to this giveaway on Facebook.
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I’ve used stevia in making chocolate sauces but it was tricky! I’d love to experiment more with it.
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Oh wow, those look GOOD! I haven’t tried Stevia yet, because I haven’t seen it around here, and wouldn’t know which kind to get! But I’d certainly LOve to make those brownies with some
Sam- PEI/Canada
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And….I tweeted
sammysammich
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What an awesome awesome recipe and giveaway. Thank you for entering me
I have only recently started using Stevia – sometime in the last two months – and so far have had good luck with using it in chia pudding, smoothies, and in salad dressing (instead of agave). I have only tried the SweetLeaf brand so would love to try NuNaturals too!
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Also, I just tweeted the giveaway.
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I also sent out a tweet!
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I have not used Stevia before, but have been looking for a safe sugar replacement-this sounds great. The brownies are making my mouth water right now.
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Tweeted. http://twitter.com/amt946/status/12718630571
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Ricki: are we, your followers from outside US and Canada, eligible for this give away? I read in your post that the contest is only for US and Canada …. buuuuuuaaaaaahhh (crying out loud!) LOL. Please, don’t forget us! At least, include Portugal in it. I don’t have a recipe to share, because I can’t find it here, in Lisbon
(. I’ve been looking everywhere, in the most specialty stores (normal groceries stores don’t carry much of items suitable for vegans/vegetarians) and I would love to try it, because your recipes in which you use Stevia, make my mouth watering! look at these brownies… so delicious! 
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I’ve never used stevia in baking as I’m fearful of the after-taste. I have used some powdered stevia to sweeten my Green Smoothies and hot lemon drinks.
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Oh my goodness Ricki, where to start?!? First of all–those brownies! Wow. That is it. Wow. They look and sound purely decadent and amazing…
Second of all, I have been wanting to try NuNaturals for so so so so soooooooooooo SO long. Seriously! It is just *SO* expensive and I haven’t been able to justify the cost without even knowing if I would like it…I would be thrilled to win some! You don’t even know how happy that would make me, lol.
Courtney
MN, USA
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Don’t know if this counts for this give away or not, but in the past you had said if we e-mail a friend about the give away that could count as an entry (I don’t have twitter/face book/or a blog)? Well, if so–I just did
Courtney
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I’ve used stevia in baked goods along with other sweeteners (agave, date puree) because of the “off-taste” I found my own (cheaper) stevia produced on its own. It would be nice to try a higher/better quality stevia and skip all other sweeteners.
Ricki: I was wondering if grinding shredded coconut into a powder would be a suitable substitute for coconut flour? Or is coconut flour a different type of product altogether (the same way potato flour and potato starch differ)?
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I’m so in! Boston wants some Stevia lovin’!
I’ve tweeted AND facebook linked to you
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The only stevia I consume is in my electrolyte water tablets (and they are infinitely better than the artificially sweetened ones…)
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I love NuNaturals stevia and use it all the time. I’d love to win some more.
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I haven’t tried stevia yet and reading your blog has caused me to be more and more interested in doing so. Thank you for the continual inspiration to eat better and live better!
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I’ve never tried Stevia on my own! I remember my dad trying it a long time ago when it wasn’t very well known and it had such a weird taste to it. Since you recommend this stuff so highly I’m considering giving it another try. Awesome giveaway, thanks for the chance!
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I used stevia in my vegan pumpkin cheesecake recipe, and although lovely for the most part, I thought it had a tiny chemical aftertaste (I used stevia powder). I, however, often use it in my home-made sparkly lemonade and it ROCKS! I also like it in herbal teas.
Surprisingly enough, my husband (the anti-vegan) thought the cheesecake was perfect.
What I would like is to try it in a home-made peanut butter chocolate cups — I hope it works out just the way I wan it to! I’ll be blogging about the results.
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i’m so impressed by how creative your desserts are — sweet potato brownies?!?!? yowza. i’ve never cooked with stevia before and, as i continue to explore alternative, natural sweeteners, it’s next on my list. i’m surprised you needed both agave and stevia in this recipe. anyway to just use the stevia? or, do you think brown rice syrup could substitute for the agave? thanks for the great ideas!
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Your earlier posts on Stevia got me to try it! I had been on the fence for a while, being tempted to lump it in with other no-calorie sweeteners like Splenda that I am not entirely sold on. Being a fellow Canadian, NuNaturals isn’t available for me to purchase locally, so I obtained a different brand, and while it is good and I am pleased at the versatility of Stevia in general, it does have that bothersome aftertaste if you use too much of it. Would love to try the NuNaturals stuff after hearing so many good things about it!
Also, those brownies look fabulous! I am all about fudgy brownies.
-K
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I have been using stevia for years to sweeten my tea — altho I only recently tried liquid stevia, but rapidly became a fan!
I must admit I’ve never been brave enough to bake with it.
But brownies that taste like fudge? I’m there! Except so many recipes, so little time . . . I’m so in awe of all of you who actually create recipes.
And “Simple Treats” is one of my fave cookbooks. But then I have many.
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Oh my gosh!!!! I am drooooollllliinnnggg. Those brownies are lookin good to me.
I do use Stevia….all the time but I have never tried the NuNaturals brand. People that have only tried one brand of Stevia have no idea that not all Stevia is the same or is good for your Candida. Some stevias have hidden ingredients in them. In fact, I just posted about stevia on my blog.
http://myjourneywithcandida.blogspot.com/
Thanks for a chance to win this great prize
Terry Macri
Hermitage, Pa USA
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Tweeted the giveaway. http://twitter.com/SuperApronQueen
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I love using it in peanut butter cookies. Thanks for the great giveaway!
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I’ve just started using stevia in the past year, but I love it. I usually use it in pumpkin pie smoothies, oatmeal and sometimes coffee or tea. Recently I had it in a chocolate avocado pudding, and it was yummy!
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You never cease to amaze me Ricki
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Although I don’t have any health issues, I am the resident ‘baker-person’ among friends and have had 2 requests this month to please,pretty please bake some gluten free, sugar free recipes. What better way to start than with this awesome sounding product. Thanks for the giveaway!
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Hello from Seattle, Washington!
My name is Diane and i’m so glad i stumbled upon this post/ recipe! I have not tried ANY of the Stevia products, yet. And i am hoping to soon!
I am an extremely healthy person (just as you are, Dr. Ricki and other men and women who follow this site) and would love to try Stevia in any of the recipes I would use! As in baked goods, ice creams, cookies, and so on.
It would be great to win the Stevia prize – or even the cookbook! – because honestly I’m 15 years old. I have been baking and cooking healthy recipes for me, my sister, friends and family because of all kinds of dietary issues and health issues. I love to support them because they are worth it!
So, it would be very cool to win a gift to continue my healthy baking and cooking for them.
Thank you so very much for this opportunity, Ricki. Hopefully soon, I will visit Canada and the bakery you have begun!
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I start my mornings in LA by mixing greek yogurt, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, stevia, and fresh berries—and then top with creamy almond butter! YUM
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i love that you combine sweet potatoes, tahini, ‘n carob, Ricki – and the texture of your brownies sounds absolutely perfect! i looooooove fudgy brownies – and being dense and moist makes them even more awesome. so yum! i never thought to try out a different brand of stevia either. the kind we use works for us, but i have seen the NuNaturals around, so when we run low i’m gonna have to check them out. thanks for the review, the giveaway, and the gloriously great recipe! triplew00t!
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I have been searching for a recipe like this forever!!! One of my favorite things to put stevia in are smoothies. My all time favorite is an avocado smoothie. 2 Tbs large avocado, juice of 1/2 lemon, 6 oz silken tofu, 1/3 cup soy milk, 1/2 frozen banana, 1/3 cup spinach, 10 drops of Stevia. Sometimes I’ll throw a little flaxseed in there as well! Blend it up and enjoy!
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I’m fairly new to Stevia – have used it sparingly in green smoothies, cereal and tea. I haven’t baked with it or tried the liquid or flavored versions so far. Thanks!
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I’ve wanted to try this sweetener snce i went vegetarian last year. That’s when i started watching what I eat and what i’d be feeding my daughter. It’s just normally so expensive, especially since the only stores here that have the real stuff are way overly expensive.
p.s. those brownies look amazing! fork worthy!
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Hello from Avondale, AZ
I use stevia for coffee, tea and to make my own soda (i have used grape and root beer so far) I have a baking with stevia cookbook, but haven’t attempted anything so far. Can’t wait to try the brownie recipe. Thanks for the giveaway!
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Another Seattle-ite here!
It’s funny, because my first encounter with Stevia definitely put me off it due to its bitterness. I am glad to see there is a product now that doesn’t have that bitter aftertaste and can be used in baking! This brownie recipe looks amazing (the fudgier the better, I say) and I can’t wait to try it!
Over the summer I volunteered on a farm that actually grew stevia, and it was really exciting to make a sweet tea with the leaves. Apparently it’s illegal to sell in Italy (where the farm was located), though!
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I have a little bottle of NuNaturals stevia (I’m in Canada, but my boyfriend lives in the States and brought me some – it’s the plain alcohol based variety. (Dear Canada customs: please don’t come and arrest me!) I really wanted to try NuNaturals because my only other experience with stevia (in stevia sweetened pop Zevia) led me to believe that I was ultra-sensitive to the not-so-good after taste of stevia. However, the NuNaturals brand is fine tasting, even to me! I’ve only used a few drops to sweeten tea+milk so far, but I think this brownie recipe might be the perfect first baking experiment for me. I absolutely can’t resist that *rather* unusual looking list of ingredients – I have black beans soaking right now so I can bake ‘em tomorrow! Thanks for the giveaway, and the recipe!
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I really like Stevia. I have not used it in baking yet, but I have used it in drinks that I like to have sweetened and in our smoothies. I have noticed a different taste depending on the brand as well.
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I love stevia in my Greek yogurt with a little cinnimon and ginger.
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Wow, these must be really sweet with all the stevia AND agave! I need to soak some beans so I can give them a try. I love stevia but it’s expensive for a student, so I rely on my mom sending me packets of the dry kind every once in a while. Wonderful giveaway, thank you
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What a cool giveaway, Ricki! I’m Kay from Toronto. I have tried to get my hands on Nunaturals stevia in the stores around here and haven’t found it yet.
I have had bitter experiences with stevia extract and green powder is good only for herbal teas. I tried a sample of nunaturals and loved it, unfortunately haven’t been able to get it after that. Would be lovely to find nunaturals in TO.. Is the company listening?
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Great Giveaway Ricki! I’m Melinda from Georgia- I love stevia in my coffee, teas and in desserts- it’s helped me to keep off the extra pds
I am following you on twitter and tweeted about your giveaway and will blog about this giveaway as well! Thanks for the giveaway!
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those brownies look soooo awesome… and cute!
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[...] Diet, Dessert and Dogs (I literally just type in Diet, Dessert and Naps- I think I need some rest lol) [...]
Though I’d like to try stevia, I haven’t because I have never seen it here in Finland.
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It’s mostly just a sigh of relief to stumble upon your blog. Having had several years of candida bouts and numerous food allergies, the words ‘fill-in-the-blank’ -free almost stop my heart and bend my knees in gratitude.
So, of course Stevia is on my grocery list. My friends know me for carrying it around in my purse; I find folded half-used packets in my back pocket all the time. Though, I have yet to try the liquid vanilla rendition. And the alcohol-free part has me just about in tears
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These look super yummy! To tell you the truth I’m kind of intimidated with baking with stevia. Have been attempting to go cane sugar free and I’m feeling so much better. Made my first batch of stevia sweetened cookies this past week and had to throw the horrible little things out. So gross! I’m desperately in need of a non-poison tasting stevia for baking!
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Oh, those brownies look amazing. I’ve actually never had stevia, but you’ve convinced me I need to try it!
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I have never used stevia but my mom loves it. I’m excited about trying to bake with it. ^_^ Darcy – Baton Rouge
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I am from Toronto and I have never tried Stevia! Too expensive for my student budget, would love to try.
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Those look awesome, Ricki! I tried stevia long ago and didn’t care for it then, but definitely want to try it again. )(Read more on my blog tomorrow.) Your post is timely. I got both your books last week as you know (and am thrilled with them!), but I would love to add one to my support group’s library.
Thanks!
Shirley
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Those brownies look amazing! I still haven’t tried stevia, so would love to win this giveaway, and make these brownies! I’ll tweet too!
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Stevia is the only sweetener that my body tolerates, so I am very grateful for it! I’ve used it in muffin recipes, cookie recipes, and most recently have been using it in an avocado-based carob pudding. Thanks for offering the giveaway!
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Stevia is my godsend! As well – Stevia is the only sweentener my body tolerates. I use it in everything from my tea to my baking. I usually carry Stevia packets in my purse to use in tea while out and about. I make sweet potato teff muffins using Stevia instead of brown sugar. I also use a few drops in flavor seltzer to make it taste like ‘soda.’ I’ve used it in my black bean chili, my butternut chili, and a chix soup in order to round out the flavor – it’s delicious!! I can’t wait to try this brownie recipe. It’s always refreshing to find great baking recipes using Stevia. I’d love to win this getaway. I use Stevia every day!! Also, I’ve linked to this in my facebook status.
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I haven’t tried it yet…but I would really love to!
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I don’t know if it’s too late to share, but I use stevia… constantly. If I’m making something to impress people with, I use agave or turbinado, but if I’m making healthy food posing as treats or if I want to sweeten something that doesn’t REALLY need sweetening (coffee, oatmeal, etc), I’ll use stevia. It’s really, really helped me cut back on sugar and tame (albeit only slightly) my sugar monster.
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Oh, and I’m in Savannah, Georgia.
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I use Stevia a lot in the form of Truvia. I’ve been wanting to try liquid Stevia, however!
I love that it’s non-nutritive and all-natural. So much bad has surfaced about aspartame, we need to revamp our sugar-free options and I think Stevia is the way!
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Hope I’m not too late. I’ve just added a link to this page on my FB page.
I discovered your site today and have totally enjoyed it, but must get back to work!
The anti-candida diet I began two months ago would have been torture had it not been for stevia. Wish I’d found your site sooner. After reading through many of your luscious recipes, I’m almost embarrassed to mention this, but in desperation I began making a bedtime snack of plain yogurt, ground flaxseeds, stevia and cinnamon, to which I’m now addicted. And on Easter, I made a “bark” of melted, unsweetened carob chips, butter, and stevia.
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I’ve used the packets in my morning drinks, but I’ve never tried to bake w/ it. This would give me a great opportunity!
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what a great giveaway! i’ve enjoyed using stevia in recipes, but find it harder to experiment with because it’s so quick to turn bitter if you use too much… would love to try another brand!
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love stevia, usually powdered, usually in combination due to fear of the bitterness. I’d love to broaden my horizons!
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