Honey Garlic Meatballs with Jaca

By Jaca Kitchen · · Updated

These honey garlic meatballs skip the brown sugar and honey entirely and use Jaca allulose instead, so you get the same glossy, sticky, sweet-savory glaze with no added sugar. They come together in one pan in about 40 minutes and work as a party appetizer or an easy weeknight dinner over rice.

This is a Jaca-adjusted, healthier version of the classic. The ¼ cup brown sugar in the original glaze is doubled to ½ cup Jaca allulose (Jaca is about 70% as sweet as the sugar we grew up with, so you use a little more), and the ½ cup honey is swapped for Jaca allulose plus a splash of water. Allulose caramelizes beautifully, so the glaze still turns deep, glossy, and sticky — just without the sugar spike.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs (about 32 oz) frozen or homemade meatballs (beef, turkey, or chicken)
  • 1 cup Jaca allulose, divided (replaces ¼ cup brown sugar + ½ cup honey)
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • ½ cup ketchup (use no-sugar-added ketchup to keep it fully sugar-free)
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • Sesame seeds and sliced scallions, for garnish

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
  2. In a bowl, whisk together the Jaca allulose, water, ketchup, soy sauce, and minced garlic until smooth.
  3. Add the meatballs to a large bowl, pour the sauce over them, and toss until every meatball is coated.
  4. Spread the meatballs and sauce in a single layer in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  5. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the meatballs are heated through and the glaze is caramelized and sticky.
  6. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced scallions. Serve warm with toothpicks as an appetizer, or over rice or noodles as a main.

Prep time: 10 minutes  |  Cook time: 30 minutes  |  Total: 40 minutes  |  Serves: 4

Why Jaca: Jaca is 100% pure allulose, a rare sugar that tastes and caramelizes like the sugar we grew up with but is excluded from added and total sugars on the Nutrition Facts panel. Swapping out the brown sugar and honey takes this glaze from roughly 50+ grams of sugar per serving down to about 5 grams — all from the ketchup — with no sacrifice in that sticky, glossy finish.