Sugar does four jobs in a baked good: it sweetens, it bulks, it holds moisture and it browns. Replacing it with a single high-intensity sweetener handles only the first, which is why so many early sugar-free bakery launches came out pale, dry and crumbly.
The browning problem
Maillard browning needs a reducing sugar. Erythritol is not one, so cookies made with it come out of the oven looking underbaked no matter how long they stay in. Allulose is a reducing sugar and browns readily, which is why it has become the default bulking base for sugar-free bakery.
The texture problem
Sugar also lowers the freezing point and binds water. Allulose replicates both behaviours closely, which is why it transforms not only cookies but also ice cream — a mix containing allulose stays scoopable straight from a domestic freezer where an erythritol-only mix sets like concrete.
A working starting formula
Replace the sugar in a standard recipe with 60% allulose, 35% erythritol and 5% monk fruit blend, adjusting the high-intensity fraction to hit your sweetness target. In most cookie, muffin and sponge applications this lands close enough that consumers cannot pick the sample. Bake times may need to come down slightly because allulose browns faster than sucrose at high oven temperatures.
When tagatose is the better answer
Tagatose crystallises with the snap chocolate needs and is non-cariogenic, so it earns its premium where the product carries a dental health claim or where confectionery structure is the constraint. It is also a prebiotic, which supports gut-health positioning at the same time.