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Sugar Substitutes

Artificial Sweeteners

Saccharin

Saccharin (E954) is 200–700× sweeter than sugar and the oldest artificial sweetener.

• ✅ Heat-stable, cheap
• ❌ Bitter aftertaste - usually combined with other sweeteners
• 🩸 Glycemic index: 0 - no effect on blood sugar
• 📦 Form: powder (sachets), tablets, liquid

Aspartame

Aspartame (E951) is 200× sweeter than sugar and a classic in diet drinks.

• ✅ Tastes closest to sugar, almost no aftertaste
• ❌ Not suitable for baking (not heat-stable). Not suitable for people with phenylketonuria (PKU).
• 🩸 Glycemic index: 0 - no effect on blood sugar
• 📦 Form: powder (sachets), tablets - almost exclusively as an ingredient in finished products

Acesulfame-K (Ace-K)

Acesulfame-K (E950) is 200× sweeter than sugar and almost always used in combination with other sweeteners.

• ✅ Heat-stable, long shelf life
• ❌ Bitter aftertaste at higher amounts
• 🩸 Glycemic index: 0 - no effect on blood sugar
• 📦 Form: white powder - almost exclusively as an ingredient in finished products, rarely as a household sweetener

Sucralose

Sucralose (E955) is 600× sweeter than sugar and made from real sugar.

• ✅ Versatile (including for baking), barely any aftertaste, very sugar-like
• ❌ Can affect gut flora at very high consumption
• 🩸 Glycemic index: 0 - no effect on blood sugar
• 📦 Form: powder, liquid, tablets - widely available (e.g. as Splenda)

Cyclamate

Cyclamate (E952) is 30× sweeter than sugar and is often combined with saccharin.

• ✅ Milder taste than saccharin alone; well tolerated in blends; heat-stable
• ❌ Not approved in the USA; in the EU/UK only allowed up to defined maximum levels; almost always combined with other sweeteners
• 🩸 Glycemic index: 0 - no effect on blood sugar
• 📦 Form: powder, tablets - mainly as an ingredient in finished products (drinks, table sweeteners)

Neotame

Neotame (E961) is 7,000–13,000× sweeter than sugar and is structurally related to aspartame but more heat-resistant.

• ✅ Extremely small amounts needed; more heat-stable than aspartame; no PKU labelling required
• ❌ Barely available as a household sweetener; like all high-intensity sweeteners, needs bulking agents for solid foods
• 🩸 Glycemic index: 0 - no effect on blood sugar
• 📦 Form: exclusively as an industrial ingredient in drinks and desserts

Sugar Alcohols (Polyols)

Erythritol

Erythritol (E968) provides only 0.2 kcal/g and is especially popular in low-carb cooking.

• ✅ Very well tolerated, barely any bloating
• ❌ Slight cooling effect in the mouth (noticeable e.g. in chocolate)
• 🩸 Glycemic index: ~1 - no meaningful effect on blood sugar
• 📦 Form: crystal powder (1:1 substitute for sugar) - widely available

Xylitol

Xylitol (E967) is as sweet as sugar and best known from chewing gum and toothpaste.

• ✅ Actively inhibits cavity-causing bacteria
• ❌ Can cause digestive issues at higher intake. Warning: life-threatening for dogs.
• 🩸 Glycemic index: 9 - very small effect on blood sugar
• 📦 Form: crystal powder (1:1 substitute for sugar) - widely available

Maltitol

Maltitol (E965) is 75–90% as sweet as sugar and often found in sugar-free chocolate.

• ✅ Gives chocolate a creamy, sugar-like consistency
• ❌ Can cause digestive issues at higher intake
• 🩸 Glycemic index: 35 - noticeably raises blood sugar, caution for diabetics
• 📦 Form: powder or syrup - mainly as an ingredient in finished products

Sorbitol & Mannitol

Sorbitol (E420) and mannitol (E421) are inexpensive, versatile sugar alcohols used widely in the food industry.

• ✅ Cheap, heat-stable, keep foods moist
• ❌ More laxative than other polyols - enjoy with care if you have a sensitive stomach
• 🩸 Glycemic index: sorbitol ~9, mannitol ~2 - very small effect on blood sugar
• 📦 Form: powder or syrup - mainly as an ingredient in finished products

Isomalt

Isomalt (E953) is about 50% as sweet as sugar and the classic for hard candies and sugar decorations.

• ✅ Very heat-stable and easy to work with; barely absorbs moisture (ideal for candies and decorations); not cariogenic
• ❌ Significantly less sweet than sugar - larger amounts needed; can cause digestive issues at higher intake; mainly an industrial ingredient
• 🩸 Glycemic index: ~2 - no meaningful effect on blood sugar
• 📦 Form: granules or tablets - mainly as an ingredient in sugar-free candies and lozenges

Lactitol

Lactitol (E966) is about 40% as sweet as sugar and is derived from milk sugar.

• ✅ Good texture and bulk properties; not cariogenic; inexpensive in food processing
• ❌ Significantly less sweet than sugar; can cause diarrhea at higher intake; mainly an industrial ingredient
• 🩸 Glycemic index: ~6 - very small effect on blood sugar
• 📦 Form: powder or syrup - mainly as an ingredient in sugar-free chocolate and baked goods

Plant-Based High-Intensity Sweeteners

Stevia

Stevia (E960) is 200–400× sweeter than sugar and is extracted from the stevia plant.

• ✅ Natural, zero calories, heat-stable
• ❌ Often a slightly bitter or licorice-like aftertaste. Newer extracts (e.g. Reb M) taste considerably more pleasant.
• 🩸 Glycemic index: 0 - no effect on blood sugar
• 📦 Form: powder, liquid, tablets - widely available. Caution: many products contain bulking agents like erythritol.

Monk Fruit

Monk fruit is 100–250× sweeter than sugar and comes from a Southeast Asian fruit.

• ✅ No bitter aftertaste, zero calories, heat-stable - often better tasting than stevia
• ❌ More expensive and harder to find than stevia
• 🩸 Glycemic index: 0 - no effect on blood sugar
• 📦 Form: powder, liquid - available in well-stocked supermarkets or online

Sweet Proteins

Thaumatin

Thaumatin (E957) is 2,000–3,000× sweeter than sugar and is extracted from the West African katemfe fruit (Thaumatococcus daniellii).

• ✅ Natural, masks bitterness in other ingredients very well
• ❌ Long, licorice-like aftertaste - therefore used more as a flavor enhancer than as a primary sweetener
• 🩸 Glycemic index: 0 - no effect on blood sugar (pure protein)
• 📦 Form: powder - mainly as an ingredient in finished products, rarely available on its own

Brazzein & Monellin

Brazzein and monellin are new sweet proteins that have been available via fermentation since 2025/26.

• ✅ Clean, sugar-like taste, heat-stable
• ❌ Still barely available in everyday products
• 🩸 Glycemic index: 0 - no effect on blood sugar (pure proteins)
• 📦 Form: no consumer-standard form yet - exclusively as an industrial ingredient

Rare Sugars

Allulose

Allulose is a rare sugar that occurs naturally in small amounts in figs and raisins and is 70% as sweet as sugar.

• ✅ Browns during baking like real sugar, very similar texture
• ❌ Noticeably more expensive than other alternatives
• 🩸 Glycemic index: ~1 - no meaningful effect on blood sugar; may even slightly lower the post-meal blood sugar rise
• 📦 Form: crystal powder - mainly available online (especially imported from the US)

Tagatose

Tagatose is a rare natural sugar derived from lactose and is about 90% as sweet as sugar.

• ✅ Almost as sweet as sugar with a sugar-like texture; small effect on blood sugar and insulin; not cariogenic; approved in the EU as a Novel Food
• ❌ Can cause polyol-like digestive issues at higher amounts; more expensive than common alternatives; in the EU only permitted in certain food categories
• 🩸 Glycemic index: ~3 - very small effect on blood sugar
• 📦 Form: crystal powder - mainly available online or in health food stores

Caloric Natural Sweeteners

Yacon Syrup

Yacon syrup is a prebiotic-rich sweetener from the yacon root with a very low glycemic index.

• ✅ Very low glycemic index, supports gut health
• ❌ Not suitable for baking (heat destroys the valuable fibers), limited use
• 🩸 Glycemic index: ~1 - no meaningful effect on blood sugar
• 📦 Form: syrup - mainly available in health food stores or online

Recommendations for Beginners

Sugar Substitutes by Glycemic Index