(I often get asked, “What is the best sweetener for a low carb diet? I hope that my previous article about the difference between low carb sweeteners and this article answer that question for you.)
In my last article, Low Carb Sweeteners: Choose What’s Best For You, I talked about the differences between artificial sweeteners, natural low carb sugar alternatives, and natural sugar substitutes. I also listed the pros and cons of each, summing up with the statement that “choosing the best sweetener for you depends on your goals and what you are most comfortable with.”
I’ve done a lot of low carb baking over the years, and have tried almost every sweetener on the market. I discovered early on that mixing several sweeteners together produces the best “sugar taste” while minimizing the negatives of any one sweetener.
I still mix my sweeteners, preferring to use natural low carb sugar alternatives in lieu of artificial. Why? Well, it’s MY personal preference and what I feel most comfortable doing – especially with kids in the house. But I don’t judge, use what you want.
These Fudgy Keto Brownies were made using a combination of erythritol and liquid stevia.
My two Favorite Low Carb Sweeteners? Erythritol and Stevia
Now let me just quickly say that my very favorite sweetener is Xylitol. It has a clean sweet flavor most like sugar, but it has three strikes against it…
- it is lethal to dogs
- It has calories & the tendency to spike blood sugar in some individuals
- It can cause stomach upset in some individuals
So, I have come to rely on the dynamic duo of Erythritol and Stevia
What is erythritol?
Simply put, erythritol is a sugar alcohol, named so because it’s chemical structure looks more like that of an alcohol rather than a sugar. It comes in crystalline form (looking like sugar), has 60% the sweetness of sugar, and produces a cooling effect as it melts. The great thing about erythritol is that it has no calories and does not spike blood sugar. How? Our human bodies can not process it, so it passes harmlessly through, virtually unchanged.
What is Stevia?
Stevia is an herb which contains compounds called glycosides (stevioside and rebaudioside) which are up to 150 times the sweetness of sugar and does not raise blood sugar. It has long been used in South America to sweeten drinks, has been used in Europe and in Japan for many years, and is sold in commercial in products like Truvia and PureVia. The Rebaudioside is the form most commonly used in U.S. and is commonly mixed with other products like erythritol, alcohol, water, or glycerine.
How to Use The Best Low Carb Sweetener in Baking
First let me say that how one combines sweeteners is completely individual. Everyone’s taste buds perceive sweetness in a unique way.
This is how I sweeten my baked goods…
If a regular recipe calls for 1-2 cups of sugar, I typically use 1/3 – 2/3 cup of granulated erythritol and then increase the sweetness with approximately 1/4 – 1 teaspoon stevia glycerite. Why? For me, erythritol produces a very sharp taste and burning feeling at the back of my throat. I’ve found that using a minimal amount of erythritol and augmenting with super-sweet stevia counteracts both the sharp taste from the erythritol and mitigates any bitterness from the stevia. Using erythritol and stevia together lets me use less erythritol, which saves me money.
Is erythritol the perfect sugar substitute? No, but it’s a pretty darn close! Drawbacks? It’s expensive, it tends to recrystallize resulting in a “crunchy” texture in frostings, puddings, and cheesecakes. This tendency also causes hardening upon cooling, ie. a thin crust on cakes or a very hard caramel sauce when cool. Trying to melt it, like one would sugar, to pour into a meringue frosting is disastrous as it seizes.
Is stevia the perfect sugar substitute? No, but I love it and use it every day! Some people find stevia bitter, think it tastes like licorice, or are allergic to it. Not all brands are the same! Some brands and forms of stevia taste and perform better than others. After trying all of the liquid stevia brands and flavored liquid stevias, I settled on Now Stevia Glycerite for my baking and KAL Pure Stevia (powder) for use in my coffee and smoothies. They’re the only products I find tolerable (SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia is not too bad!). But taste is subjective and there may be another brand that you like.
Mixing erythritol and stevia together produces a nice punch of sweetness!
Note: If you’ve never used stevia before, it does require a few days for the taste buds to adjust. Until they do, you will probably detect a “diet” taste. Also, if I have a tasty treat that contains a lot of erythritol and then try any of the stevia forms, the stevia will taste extremely bitter! Why? Erythritol leaves a sweet taste in the mouth. If you don’t believe me, put a little in your mouth and let it dissolve. Now, have a drink of water. The water tasted sweet, right?
The Best Low Carb Sweeteners List: Natural Low Carb Sugar Alternatives
Granulated Low Carb Sweeteners:
- Erythritol (GOOD PRICE granulated)**
- Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener Classic (erythritol/monk fruit, granulated)**
- Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener Golden (erythritol/monk fruit, granulated)**
- MonkSweet (erythritol, monk fruit, & stevia)
- Natural Mate (erythritol / stevia blend, granulated)
- Poly Dextrose (powdered sweetener, mostly fiber, used in sugar-free hard candies)
- Sukrin Gold (erythritol/ tagatose, granulated – the BEST brown sugar sub)**
- Sukrin (erythritol, granulated)**
- Sukrin :1 (erythritol/stevia blend, granulated)**
- Swerve Granulated (erythritol/oligosaccharide, granulated)**
- THM Gentle Sweet (erythritol/stevia)
- THM Gentle Sweet Super Sweet (erythritol/stevia)
- Xylitol (granulated)
- Pyure (erythritol/stevia, granulated)
Powdered Low Carb Sweeteners:
- Chicory (usually blended with other sweeteners)
- Inulin FOS (a sweet prebiotic fiber usually mixed with other sweeteners)
- Just Like Sugar – Brown (almost pure chicory)
- Just Like Sugar – Tabletop (almost pure chicory)
- KAL Pure Stevia Powder (stevia/maltodextrin)**
- Sukrin Icing Sugar (erythritol/setvia blend, powdered)**
- Swerve Confectioners (erythritol/oligosaccharide, powdered)**
- Truvia (GOOD PRICE erythritol / stevia, powdered packets)
- Tagatesse (a new sweetener made from milk)
Liquid Low Carb Sweeteners:
- NuNaturals Liquid Stevia (vanilla, lemon, orange, etc.)
- Sweetleaf Liquid Stevia (vanilla cream, lemon, orange, chocolate, hazelnut, berry, etc.)
Low Carb Syrups: (honey or syrup replacements)
- FiberYum Syrup (contains lots of fiber so use sparingly)
- Sukrin Clear Fiber Syrup (isomaltooligosaccarides IMO – high in fiber so use sparingly)**
- Sukrin Gold Fiber Syrup (isomaltooligosaccarides IMO – high in fiber so use sparingly)**
- VitaFiber TM IMO Syrup (high in fiber so use sparingly!)
[** indicated products that I like and/or have used on the blog]
[This post contains affiliate links.]
If you would like to read information about these low carb alternative sweeteners, please read my article on Low Carb Sweeteners: What’s Best For You?
When I use swerve I get a numb tongue that lasts for hours and hours!
I don’t get the cooling, just a weird numb feeling
and a strange aftertaste that also lasts for hours
Just ruins any dessert for me. Being diabetic I can’t do real sugar. I’m wondering if a different brand and mix would also do the numb thing?
Heidi, does this happen with just plain erythritol? Someone told me the other day that they were allergic to it. I thought that was a little strange since our body makes it, but of course it doesn’t make it in the amount that low carbers are using it for a sweetener. See if plain erythritol bothers you. If not, you may like any of the erythritol blends made with added stevia or monk fruit. Another option is xylitol. There is a new sweetener, actually it has been around but has recently been remarketed – Tagatesse (formerly Tagatose). It is twice the sweetness of sugar and is very nice. I love it. You can read about it and buy it on Sukrin USA.com. IF you have any other questions let me know. -Kim
Thanks Kim.
I had, I think “sorbitol”. Omg, thought I need to go to the emergency room. Was as bad as labor. So I’m a little gun shy
No, I haven’t tried erythritol by itself. That’s my next step.
It’s been 24 hours and tongue is still sore. Only happens with swerve
Today I resorted to using 2 tablespoon regular sugar with stevia glycerite. ( thanks to you for the tip about the glycerite . Other stevia extracts are so bitter)
Going to order some Surkin and plain eythro and hope for the best.
Being a diabetic with a sweet tooth is a terrible thing.
Love your blog
Heidi, I’m sorry to hear about your tongue still being sore. You can get a generic erythritol for a good price on Amazon. You can also find many affordable erythritol/stevia blends on Amazon, too. I would try the Sukrin :1 (erythritol/stevia blend) because it comes in a small package and if you didn’t like it, then you wouldn’t have purchased such a big bag. Let me know how the erythritol works and maybe we can put our heads together. Have a great day. -Kim
Can you explain the difference between Liquid Stevia and Stevia Glycerite? Is it a brand or is there an actual difference?
Sure. There is an actual difference. Most liquid stevia is made by dissolving stevia compounds into water or alcohol. Stevia glycerite is stevia dissolved into vegetable glycerin (some do have alcohol, too, but I buy the kind without). Vegetable glycerine has a sweet flavor and the body can treat it as a carbohydrate if used in large amounts. The sweet flavor tempers the bitterness of the stevia and the concentrated sweetness level of the stevia prevents large amounts of the glycerine from being used. It’s my favorite product to add sweetness to erythritol. -Kim
I cannot stand the cooling effect of erythritol, it ruins the taste of anything I make with it, even if there is just a small amount of it. I tried tagatesse and I love the taste and the baking capabilities of it. The only problem with it is the intestinal distress it brings on. I wish there was a perfect sugar substitute, for as for now, there isn’t one. But I am going to take your advice and try mixing a small amount of tagatesse with stevia and see if it is sweet enough to subdue the bitterness of the stevia and reduce the intestinal distress. Maybe then I will have found the perfect sugar substitute for me! Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate your blog. I look at it everyday!
Hi Karen. Thanks for explaining the situation and for sharing your personal experience. Luckily, the tagatesse is twice as sweet as sugar so only 1/2 the amount needs to be used. I have the same stomach distress with Swerve sometimes because I am not used to the sweet fiber that is used in it. It’s always best to use just a little and then increase gradually until the GI system becomes accustomed to the new ingredient. Good luck in finding your perfect sweetener combination. Have a wonderful day! -Kim
How many net carbs have the commercial brand mix of stevia and Erythritol Splenda? Do you recommend this one in a low carb diet? Thank you.
Hi Vivian. I wasn’t familiar with that product and had to look it up. Like most erythritol/Stevia blends, this product has basically zero carbs. The body does not break down erythritol – it leaves in the same chemical composition as it entered. Convention is to count it as zero carbs. Most of us bloggers completely leave it out of our nutritional calculations. So, yes. This would be a good product. -Kim
So if the cookie receipe calls for a sweetener along with Stevia, and I have a bag of stevia & erythritol pre mixed. Would this be all Is needed for the cookie receipe? Or would I use the stevia/erythritol mix along with some straight erythritol?
Thnx,
Carol
That’s all you would need, Carol. BUT…. let me say that erythritol (and erythritol blends) produce a cooling effect upon melting. Some people don’t like that. I am one of those people. I use as little of the erythritol based sweeter as I can and then I add more sweetness with stevia glycerite. Others will use liquid Splenda drops. And others will just add more of the sweetener. You will have to find out what you like best. Just a warning about stevia and erythritol/stevia blends. Stevia will bring out bitter flavors in chocolate and chocolate will bring out bitter flavors in chocolate. Use stevia sparingly when sweetening chocolate. I hope this helps. -Kim
What is the purpose of ogliosaccharides in Swerve? Do you find it makes any difference in any way in recipes as opposed to straight erythritol?
Hi Belinda, great question. Yes, the fibers are sweet and contribute sweetness to make the Swerve a 1:1 sugar replacement. Since they are a fiber, at larger amounts they can affect lecture a little. Some people are sensitive to the taste of them and others not. They can also upset the tummy a little until one gets used to them. -Kim
I have been using strictly Swerve for most of my low carb/keto baking as it says that there is no cooling affect BUT after reading your article I am wondering if I would have better results with erythritol & Stevia glycerite. Although I cannot buy Stevia Glycerite in our part of Ontario, Canada so I buy Better Stevia liquid sweetener from NOW but I found it bitter. I have one family member that finds the Swerve gives her a cooling sensation & I have another family member that gets a itchy mouth after consuming products with Swerve. I hesitate to use Xylitol because our son’s dog is always waiting for crumbs to fall to consume.(also jumps up & grabs food if not being watched). I enjoy many of your receipes and Thank you for doing the research to help people like me who are trying to eat healthier.
Hi Sharon. I think it’s the fibers in the Swerve that cause me sensation of a burning throat. The erythritol has a cooling effect simply because it undergoes an endothermic reaction as it melts – it will always get cool. I wonder if you could find KAL Pure Stevia powder? I get it from Amazon. Or for that matter, KAL Pure Monkfruit Powder. They are super concentrated sweeteners. Several years ago, they were 100% pure product. Now, there is added maltitol BUT such a small amount of the concentrated product is needed, that I doubt it causes any rise in insulin. You could use the amount of erythritol called for in a recipe and then add the powdered stevia per your taste. I do not find it bitter, but it will taste like “diet” sweetener for at least a week until your taste buds get used to it. I, too find the Better Stevia Liquid bitter. I don’t like any of the liquid stevia sweeteners. Isn’t that strange. Well, anyway. I hope this helps. The only other product I can recommend – it is pretty pricey is the Lakanto Montfruit line. Their sweeteners are very good. I like them almost as much as Sukrin. Have a wonderful weekend. -Kim
After reading this, I asked my hubby to bring home some Stevia, he brought Xylitol too (non GMO) and I must say I love it! It tastes amazing, like a slightly “less sweet” sugar, mmm, immediately made a greek yogurt and cocoa treat with it. I tasted the Stevia too, it was also very nice, not bitter at all but very sweet with no by-flavour (although hubby said he could detect slight “diet” taste) it is the liquid kind while the Xylitol is granulated. I think both will be a great addition to our keto diet. Apparently the Xylitol was expensive though and I will have to see how it affects my gut for the next day or two before committing my absolute love to it but so far so good, thank you for the advice!
I also did some research on it (I was a little nervous of Xylitol as it is not as natural or historically prevalent as Stevia) and aside from some pseudo health experts claiming one must “stay away from Xylitol and it kills dogs” all of the scientific evidence based papers I read had only good things to say, bar slight concerns over products made with GMO corn. Personally I don’t have a dog and wouldn’t feed it people food anyway, so I dont need to worry in that regard and effect on blood sugar is very minimal in a healthy adult…so that just leaves the stomach- well time will tell with that one I suppose. Thanks again <3 from germany!
Thanks for sharing, Silvia! Actually, xylitol has been used in Scandinavia for many many years. It is birch sugar and a traditional food. Most xylitol available on the markets today is made from fruit and vegetable fibers. I’m glad you are enjoying your sweeteners. -Kim
Not all Xylitol is made from birch…most of the Xylitol on the market is made from corn…you need to research the source. True Xylitol is a birch product…I love it, but because I have a new little doggy and because it will cause more of a glycemic response, I am going to Erythritol and experimenting with other additions…thank you for your blog!
Denise, the chemical composition is the same no matter if it the xylitol comes from birch or whether it has been extracted from corn cobs. I have read many articles about this subject and there is no difference between xylitol from the two sources. The thing that should matter to people is if they want to support the corn industry or go with a non-corn supply. Most of the xylitol available for purchase has been made in China. It affects my blood sugar, too, which makes me sad because I think it tastes best.
I believe that erythritol is also made from corn cobs. Again, the chemical composition is virtually pure and there should be no corn in the product. I like the erythritol blends blended with Stevia or Monkfruit the best. Others like those blended with sweet fibers (like Swerve).
Thank you for your kind words. I hope you enjoy your day! -Kim
Chocolate is also lethal to dogs right?
It can make them very sick, yes. -Kim
do you have any resources for how to use VitaFiber? Can I use it to replace honey? All I’ve really seen is using it in quest bars which doesn’t appeal to me.
thanks in advance –
Hi Lynn, I’m sorry it took me a while to get back to you. I use the fiber syrups to make a great caramel sauce and caramel candies. It’s my thought that it helps prevent the erythritol from recrystallizing, thus keeping the sauce smooth. I have used it as a binder and sweetener for low carb granola to great effect. It does bump up total carbs because it is so high in fiber, so I make sure to use it sparingly. I think my favorite application at the moment is for chewy low carb granola bars. They tasted just like store bought. I do use it as a honey sub in Chinese food and sauces that would use honey. I only use a little and augment sweetness with erythritol or stevia or a combination of the two. I hope this answers your question as well as gives you some ideas. If you need any more information, let me know. Enjoy your week. -Kim
I found this article to be very informative. I enjoyed reading it. I look forward to trying your recipes.
Thank you Margaret. I hope you find some that you like. 🙂 -Kim
Where is the best place to buy some of these sweeteners you’ve recommended? Are there stores that carry them? Thanks!
You can purchase all of the products on Amazon, Jenn. I have also seen selected Walden Farms products in my grocery store in the sugar-free aisle. The Sukrin products can be purchased on Amazon or through Sukrin USA. I have seen the stevia products at my local health food store. Good luck. -Kim
Outstanding reference to have at hand when meal planning
Thanks, Mike. I appreciate that. -Kim
Thanks so much for this article. It’s very helpful. I’m rather new to low carb eating but I’m loving the results I’m seeing.
However, I am desperate for some granola. I hate oatmeal (it’s a texture thing with me) but I love homemade granola with toasted oats and plenty of nuts. I’m quite fond of Ina Garten’s recipe that calls for 2 tablespoons of honey for sweetness. Any recommendations on a good substitute?
I see the listings for FiberYum and Sukrin Fiber Syrups listed above as honey substitutes but I’m a bit thrown off by the warning to use sparingly. Is it not a one to one ratio?
I’d appreciate any ideas or recommendations you might have.
Thanks!!
Hi Brad. I have actually used the Sukrin Fiber Syrups as honey subs for granola. I have two great granola recipes. I’ll list them here: Really Good Low Carb Granola and Macadamia Berry Blast. There are also many recipes for low carb granola on Google. Good luck! -kim
I own xylitol and erythritol and want to create as close to cup for cup sugar. I can’t add stevia due to rag weed allergy. I’ve looked at Lo Han (monk fruit) and inulin FOS, but I still don’t know how to sub either product for the stevia.I follow Trim Healthy Mama, but their sweeteners contain stevia. Do you have any suggestions in regards to the monk fruit or inulin and measurements? Thank you
Hi Mrs. G. I really, really, like the Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener but it is pretty costly. I used to mix my xylitol and erythritol half and half to help minimize the any stomach issues xylitol may cause. I haven’t used FOS in years, simply because it left me a little windy, but Swerve is mixed with a similar compound, so in the future, you can buy Swerve or Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener to get that 1:1 ratio without the stevia – if you don’t want to mix.
I did some poking around on Amazon. If it were me, for the future, I would buy the cheapest 5 pound bag of erythritol and the NuNaturals LoSweet (in fact, I’m going to order some today!). It is as concentrated as the pure powdered stevia that THM uses and the “doonk” should equal the same sweetening power. Then, you could follow the recipe for the homemade THM blend subbing the Pure Monkfruit for the powdered stevia. Does this make sense? I saw several reviews that liked it and 1 that hated it. It could be that this person hadn’t adjusted to the taste or was a “super-taster”. Super-tasters have problems with many artificial or low carb alternative sweeteners.
Let me know what you think or if you have any questions. I’m fighting a migraine and may not be coherent. Enjoy your week -Kim
I didn’t know the effect that using straight erthritrol would have on my intestinal tract but I used it to sweeten my ice tea and without even a hint of normal warning my day was ruined and almost my very expensive recliner…I had been poisoned…I have two very large bags of it that have been sitting in my cupboard for a year…I will try to use it for baking as you listed…thank you…
Oh, Marilyn, I am so sorry! You have to start slow with sugar alcohols! (I’m sorry, but your comment almost made me spray my computer with my coffee LOL- I feel your pain!) Maltitol and sorbitol are the worst and found in many commercially produced sugar-free or diabetic products! If you see them listed, RUN! And any sweetener that lists almost as much fiber as carbs is going to do the same thing!
Yes, using a small amount of erythritol and then augmenting with something else can be a big help. Incidentally, I don’t enjoy erythritol in my coffee or teas. I would prefer to use KAL Pure Stevia powder (the company now adds maltodextrin to their product) and only use a tiny pinch (1/32 of a teaspoon) per cup. Good luck with your baking endeavors. -Kim
Hi. Lately I find recipes with coconut sugar. Do you know if this is useful and healthy?
Hi Barbara. Read the Part 1 of this article: https://www.lowcarbmaven.com/low-carb-sweeteners-choose-best-sugar-free/ It’s considered a natural sugar alternative and is sugar just like maple syrup, honey, dates, molasses and others. If you are looking for a ketogenic diet or trying to mitigate metabolic syndrome or diabetes, avoiding sugars is the key. If you are simply trying to get back to a more whole foods approach to your eating, then you may be able to add in the natural sweeteners. I hope this helps, Barbara. -Kim
Hi Kim,
Great article! I also experience the burning throat when using Erythritol. Will give your suggestions a try to see if mixing sweeteners together helps.
Again, a great article and very informative!
Thanks, Julie! It may take some time, but I’m sure you will hit upon the right combination. You are welcome for the article. Have a great week! -Kim
Thanks so much for this article. I am new to low carb living and have been trying all the wonderful recipes out there. I have noticed both a cool mouth feel and burning throat/tongue especially in cookies. I have been using a mixture of stevia and swerve but I still get the burning. I will start trying your ratio of erythritol to stevia and see if that makes a difference. I also notice that a lot of recipes call for the powdered form of erythritol. Do you think that grinding the granualted swerve into a powdered form would cause less of a reaction? Thanks again for your wonderful article and all the information that you share.
I’m glad you found this article useful, Sandee. Thank you! I have noticed more of a burning throat feeling with Swerve for whatever reason. I don’t notice it quite as much with regular erythritol. I buy the best value I can for erythritol (linked in article) and powder it as I need it. I really love the Sukrin line of sweeteners which are not any more expensive than Swerve, and I think better. That’s just my opinion via my taste buds! I think that using LESS erythritol in itself will help with the burning sensation you are experiencing, which indecently is a separate issue from the cooling sensation. I hope this helps. Let me know what you find works for you. Have a wonderful week! -Kim
My favorite granulated sweetener for baking is now available on Amazon! Before, I had to get it direct from the manufacturer, Steviva.com. MonkSweet Plus is a mixture of erythritol, stevia and monkfruit. I think it tastes the most like sugar and has none of the cooling effect of erythritol, alone. Plus, it’s all a natural sweetener.
Thanks for letting me know about MonkSweet Plus, Elaine. I will add it to the list! Have an awesome weekend. -Kim
hmmm….I just went to their website and the nutritional value for the MonkSweet Plus was 4.7 g of carbs per tsp. That would be 13.2 g of carbs per tablespoon, almost equal to sugar which is 15 g/carbs per tablespoon. Am I reading this wrong? This doesn’t look right.
You don’t count the carbohydrates for sugar alcohols like erythritol. It depends what form the Monkfruit is. Some sweeteners, the FDA doesn’t know how to classify or calculate the nutritional value for. I use an erythritol/ Stevia blend and that is what I am most familiar with. You will need to research and taste some different brands to find the one that is right for you. -Kim
The truvia baking blend (linked) contains some sugar. I use the packets, they do not.
Thanks so much Tiffany. I will check the link and change it. I don’t want to steer anyone wrong! 🙂 -Kim
I use stevia and love it, but I’ve never heard of erythritol until now! So thank you for sharing the 411! I will have to look for it next time I’m at the store. I’ve never thought to mix sweeteners, but that totally makes sense! This is a great post, girlfriend! Thanks for the education!! Cheers!
Thank you Cheyanne! 🙂 -Kim