Sugar Alternatives

I'm researching about Stevia and other sweeteners:

1.  Best Alternative Natural Sweetener: Monk fruit (aka lo han sweetener), Erythritol, Xylitol, and stevia Huffingpost

2.  Glycemic Index of different sugars/sweeteners-
   A. Organic Lifestyle
   B.  Sweetener Guide

3.  Different forms of Stevia (powder, packets or liquid)
   A. SugarFreeMom

  B. 3 types: Green Leaf Stevia (least processed), Stevia Extracts, Altered Stevia and Truvia (stay away from b/c too many additives and ingredients).  He recommends brands names- Sweet Leaf Stevia and Organic Traditions   Draxe

4.  five recipes with Stevia in them
   A.  SugarFreeMom

Pumpkin Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lemon and Basil

Use a food processor-
2c garbonzo beans pureed in food processor (I have done pinto beans also)

Then add all the following to the food processor-

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• ¼ cup natural peanut butter or any other butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4c xylitol
• 1/4c coconut sugar
• 2 tablespoons flax meal
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp allspice
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp salt
• chocolate chips

Then fold in chocolate chips and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (longer is fine).  i found out, If you don't refrigerate them, when they are cooked they will spread out.  Just spread them farther out apart from each other.
Sounds crazy but they aren't that good right out of the oven b/c the base is beans (so they have a beany/grainy texture), they are best if you put them in the fridge and eat them cold

375 degrees 18-20 minutes 

3/2/15 Variations-
I used pinto beans instead
1/4 c honey and 1/4c stevia
Left out flax, b/c I forgot

next time add 1/2-3/4c cacao or 1/2-3/4c cocoa to the mixture to make double choco cookies