Keto-Friendly Sweeteners and Sugar Substitutes

Keto-Friendly Sweeteners are a big part of our Low Carb Lifestyle Kitchen Pantry. It is very important to have some knowledge of and effects of various Keto Sugar Substitutes. Learn and discover, which ones to use for baking, cooking or sweetening our drinks. The best and the worst to use. 

Keto Pantry

As a part of our Kitchen Pantry Collection articles, Sugar sweeteners and Substitutes are added on top of the priorities to learn about.

Of course, after Keto and Low Carb Flour Substitute and just before various Milk Alternatives and probably Pasta Alternatives. 

You choose. 

Ultimate Guide to Keto Sweeteners

Want to know what is Monk Fruit? Is stevia natural? 

What is the best Sweetener in Keto Lifestyle?

In this article you will discover all:

• 6 Sugar Substitutes
• 3 Forms of Sweeteners
• 3 Types of Sugar Substitutes
• 5 Popular Keto Brands
• 9 Worst Keto Sweeteners

6 Keto-Friendly Substitute Sweeteners

1. Stevia
2. Erythritol
3. Allulose
4. Monk Fruit
5. Yacon Syrup
6. Xylitol

6 Sugar Substitute Sweeteners

Stevia

Stevia is the most natural and pure sugar replacement derived from a plant called Stevia Rebaudiana.

It is the best and the healthiest sweetener you can find.

Stevia sweetness intensifies once the leaves get dried and powdered. 

With its 0 calories and our body not metabolizing glucosides, it is one perfect sugar substitute, especially for diabetics. 

How does Stevia taste?

Once you pick stevia leaves while fresh, you will get that slightly sweet flavor into it, which is perfect if you would like to use it for your Freshly Brewed Coffee or Infused Iced Tea. 

Immediately after you let the leaves dry, the sweetness gets to the point of 30 to 150 times sweeter as a normal sugar does. 

This gives you the advantage of using just a pinch to sweetened with. 

The taste of Stevia is sweet with a slightly bitter aftertaste if you do consume a bigger amount. 

Therefore it is not advisable to use the only stevia for baking or cooking. 

A mixture of other sweeteners such as Erythritol together with stevia gives you a great combination of extra volume and taste. 

One of my go-to favorites and the only sweetener mixture used to be Sukrin Plus for its pleasant and natural sweetness. 

How to make your Stevia sweetener?

Used as a sweetener for many centuries by some of the nations such as Paraguay or Brazil, it is one sweetener, you can grow in your garden and make use of. 

We have one or two plants always in our garden. 

At the end of the summer, I pick all the leaves ( that are left and not eaten by my daughter or neighbors cat). 

I clean them, let them dry naturally and then grind them either with a Magic Bullet or Coffee Grinder. 

This way I have a Stevia powder always in my Pantry. 

The most important is, I know where it came from. And I know it is as pure as one can have.

Recipes sweetened with Stevia:

• Almond Flour Crepes
• Sugar-Free Gummy Bears
• Stuffed Peppers

Erythritol

Erythritol is the second most popular option to use.

For a long time, Erythritol was the base for all of the Keto baking as this was for few years the only and most freely available sweetener. 

Erythritol is a sweetener falling into the group of sugar alcohols or polyol.

This favorite sweetener is 60–70% as sweet as sucrose (table sugar) yet it is almost noncaloric, does not affect blood sugar, does not cause tooth decay, and is partially absorbed by the body, excreted in urine and feces. 

How does Erythritol taste?

Erythritol on its own has a strong cooling effect, that can be compared to the mint flavor. 

This cooling effect is presented only when erythritol is not already dissolved in water, a situation that might be experienced in an erythritol-sweetened frosting, chocolate bar, chewing gum, or hard candy. 

The best products I have found so far are the sweeteners which contain the mixture of Stevia and Erythritol together as I already mentioned above.

Once combined the bitterness of stevia and cooling effects of Erythritol is dramatically reduced.

Recipes sweetened with Erythritol and its mixture:

• Wild Blueberries Cheesecake
• Keto Berry Coffee Cake
• Keto Cupcakes
• Coconut Ice Cream
• Challah Bread

Allulose

Allulose or Psicose is a low-calorie sweetener that bakes and freezes exactly as normal sugar does. 

This New Kid on the blog is a perfect substitute in Low Carb and Keto baking especially if you are Diabetic.

It does not intervene with blood sugar or your insulin levels. 

Allulose does not give you bloating, or stomach issues, if eaten in greater amounts, as Erythritol or Xylitol would.  

Its sweetness is about 70% sweet compared to the normal sugar, so keep this in mind when using it. 

Always add a bit more if you are trying to bake with recipes using normal sugar. 

How does Allulose taste?

Allulose substitute is the closest with the taste you can get compared to the normal table sugar. 

Deep down it has got a very slight cooling effect, which most people do not taste at all.

The advantage of using Allulose in baking is, that this sweetener adds perfect creaminess and smoothness into the keto goods and therefore is a perfect sweetener to use for making your own Ice Cream of Chocolates.

Recipes sweetened with Allulose:

• Dark Chocolate Bars
• Sugar-Free White Chocolate
• Sugar-Free Eggnog Popsicles
• Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips
• Ice Cream Sandwich
• Sugar-Free Simple Syrup

Monk Fruit

Monk Fruit is together with Stevia pure and natural sugar of the universe.

Very popular in Asian countries, Monk Fruit has been used first and foremost as a part of Chinese medicine for relieving cough, sore throat, or bronchitis. The pleasant sweet taste was only an additional benefit. 

Similar to Stevia, the sweetness gets up to 250 times stronger if compared to sucrose and therefore it is mostly available in a mixture together with other sweeteners.

My first encounter with Monk Fruit

The first time I came into contact with Monk Fruit or Luo Han Guo was when my husband came back from a business trip from China. 

During one of his business dinner, he mentioned the diabetes of our daughter. This lead to him being gifted with a bag full of Monk Fruits. 

They were big dried bowls, we had no idea what to do with them.

As this was about 10 years ago and I have never even heard of this fruit, I have simply grind it in the coffee grinder and used it few times in our tea. 

Years later, I have seen all of the companies popping up with sweeteners, where Monk Fruit is used as a base. 

How does Monk Fruit Taste?

I would compare the taste of the dried monk fruit to a mixture of raw sugar, molasses, and cane sugar with a slight aftertaste.

Love it and use it all the time.

Recipes sweetened with Monk Fruit:

• Cream Cheese Fat Bombs
• Low Carb Granola
• Cinnamon Cream Cheese Waffles
• Sugar-Free Simple Syrup

Yacon Syrup

Yacón Syrup is a liquid sweetener extracted from the roots of the yacón plant. This extra-thick liquid sweetener very much resembles the look of Maple syrup or dark honey. 

With its very deep brown color, it is perfect for sweetening your hot beverages or topping up your waffles. 

Using it in baking, you have to take into consideration, that it might slightly darken your cakes or cookies. 

Popular in South America, yacon syrup has been used for centuries to help with diabetes management and digestive problems. 

Because of its low Calories, low Glycemic Indes as well as minimum Carbohydrates, it is advised to use also while trying to decrease your body weight. 

Xylitol

Xylitol is a part of sugar alcohol with a slightly elevated Glycemic index and a tiny amount of carbohydrates compare to Erythritols 0 for both.  

Advantages of Xylitol

The big advantage of Xylitol is, that it does not have any aftertaste, measures exactly like normal sugar do while baking, and taste the closest to real table sugar. 

It is also one of the cheapest sweeteners you can find.

Those are the reasons, Xylitol is still preferred by the majority of population.

I normally do not like to use it, as it is one of the sweeteners with a few carbohydrates.

7 Carbs per 100g

But I always have it at home because it is the easiest sugar sweetener found around in any shop.

The second reason is that Xylitol is the one sugar alcohol, which is closest to the actual sugar taste.

And the third reason is that every time I try and develop recipes I use it for the trials because it is the cheapest in the market.

Disadvantage of Xylitol

With already mentioned elevated GI and few traces of Carbohydrates, a larger amount consumed can upset the stomach in some.

Xylitol is also very poisonous for dogs and therefore it is not advisable to use in households with pets. 

Recipes sweetened with Xylitol:

• Keto Marshmallows
• Sugar-Free Simple Syrup

Forms of Sugar Replacements

After you start experimenting (if you have not done yet), you will realize Keto-Friendly Sugar Sweeteners are in all shapes and forms as a normal sugar is. 

After so many years and research done, more and more brands are coming up with all the sugar replacement varieties you can imagine. 

3 Forms of Sweeteners

• White – white in color, those sweeteners are trying to replace a normal table sugar you can cook, bake and sweeten with. Here, you can also distinguish between granulated and powdered sweetener.
• Brown – replicates more of the natural unrefined raw sugar with its deeper caramel-like flavor
• Liquid – replacement of sweeteners such as 
  • Maple Syrup – Lakanto Maple Flavored Syrup & So Nourished Pancake Syrup
  • Honey – Sukrin Fiber Syrup Gold
  • Liquid Sugar Syrups: Wholesome Yum Simple Syrup, Sukrin Clear Fiber Syrup

3 Types of Sweeteners

• Natural – Stevia, Allulose, Inulin, Monk Fruit, Yacon Syrup, Tagatose, 
• Sugar Alcohols: Erythritol, Xylitol, Maltitol
• Artificial: Sucralose, Aspartame, Saccharin, Maltodextrin, Acesulfame

What Brands of Sugar Sweeteners are best?

Popular Brands of Keto-Friendly Sweeteners

After 10 years of baking, cooking, and sweetening experience with various brands, types, and forms of sweeteners I have concluded shortening all of the brands into the few main ones, I use daily.

Each Brand has got its unique sweeteners and types of substitutes, that it is very difficult for me to pick only one. 

Therefore here are the top 5

1. Lakanto
2. Wholesome Yum Foods
3. So Nourished
4. Sukrin
5. Swerve

Lakanto

Having all of their sweeteners made from natural Monk Fruit, our Cream Cheese Fat Bombs, Low Carb Granola or Cinnamon Cream Cheese Waffles all tastes exceptional.

Their ever so popular Lakanto Suntella Spread is acting as a base for our cream cheese frosting in Chocolate Keto Cupcakes.

This High Fiber, Nut Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar-Free, and Vegan Treat is a delicious spread, mixed with Coconut Oil, Sunflower butter and sweetened with Monk fruit.

As a great company, Lakanto is offering to all of our readers 20% of ALL of their Products using a Coupon Code: LOWCARB-NOCARB.

Wholesome Yum Foods

This spectacular Brand has been developed by my dear friend Maya from WholesomeYum and I am so excited for all of the products they offer and will offer in the future. 

Their Monk Fruit / Erythritol Powdered Sweetener is a blend that has given our Spicy Keto Brownies the exact sweetness I have been looking for without any strange aftertaste we are used to from some brands. 

And the best is, the blend is mixed to the point, where you use it 1 to 1 as normal sugar and therefore it is easy to mix with recipes you have.  

I would suggest you try it as well.

But the number one sweetener I have never used before is the New Allulose, which I was able to make all of our Homemade Chocolates with. 

Out of this world sweetener you have to have.

And as our loyal readers, Wholesome Yum Foods has been so kind to offer to all of our subscribers 10% of ALL of their PRODUCTS using our Coupon Code: LOWCARB–NOCARB.

So Nourished

Their Maple-Flavored Pancake Syrup is so worth trying. I have used it already on top of our Low Carb Keto Crepes as well as Sweet Cinnamon Cream Cheese Keto Chaffle-Waffle. 

So Nourished is offering to all of our readers 10% of ALL of their Products using our Coupon Code: LOWCARBNOCARB10.

Sukrin

Sukrin, being my first and number one sweetener for years, is still dear in my heart. 

It is the first sweetener I have come across here in Europe.

After several years and them expanding, my 4 most favorite products still are:

• Sukrin Plus
• Sukrin Gold
• Sukrin Fiber Syrup Clear
• Sukrin Fiber Syrup Gold 

Sukrin Plus

Sukrin Plus is a perfect mixture of Erythritol and stevia and gives you that pure natural sweetness. Its sweetness is double and therefore one packet will last you for a very long time.

Sukrin Gold

Brown Granulated Sugar Sweetener, which bakes melts, and tastes exactly as brown sugar should.

Our Sugar-Free Sesame Brittle Bars are a perfect example, where I have used 2 of the Sukrin products.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake has got the topping to crumble made from Gold brown sugar melted together with fresh peanuts – O my – heaven. 

Syrup Substitutes

Sukrin Fiber Syrup Gold

which has been used by my daughter instead of honey for years. Confirming as she is diabetic, this liquid sweetener does not raise your sugar level at all. 

Sukrin Fiber Syrup Clear

It is a naturally low carb and low-calorie alternative if you need a liquid sweetener.

Something you can compare it to honey but completely colorless. 

I use it for baking cookies, where you get a lovely soft texture inside, but still a bit of crunchiness from outside. It is also great to use to sweeten your tea or coffee, make caramel, or add into a sauce.

It does not contain sugar at all and is full of prebiotic fiber, which is very beneficial for our health. 

Once you use it, remember, that the sweetness is only about 60% compared to a normal syrup, so a bit more needs to be added.

This sweetener is the only one that works to make our Sugar-Free Meringue Cookies perfect at all times. 

Swerve

Swerve, similar to Sukrin in Europe has been one of the first Keto Sweetener brands on the market. 

They have started with their perfectly blended pure Erythritol Sugar Substitute but later got the more popular Erythritol/Oligosaccharides Mixes. 

After so many years of being on top of the Brand list, they have expanded their products into cake, cookie, and brownie mixes as well. 

9 Worst Keto Sweeteners to use

With the worst sweeteners, I guess there is not much I have to write. They are not healthy for us, damages our body, and are for sure not a necessity to use.

With the vast majority of various Keto and Low Carb sweeteners available throughout the whole world, I am sure limiting those will be the easiest and best thing we can do for our lifestyle. 

Just for the knowledge, I am attaching the names, you should watch out for. 

• Maltodextrin
• Aspartame
• Acesulfame
• Sorbitol
• Coconut Sugar
• Dates
• Honey
• Agave
• Maple Syrup

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