Best tasting artificial sweetener

ReenieHJ
ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Those of you who use them, which is your favorite, as far as taste goes?

I have Splenda that I've used for low-carb pumpkin pie, which I love, but I don't like it so well in my morning coffee. I'd like to drop the added sugar and go with artificial. But well, it tastes artificial. :/

Replies

  • sarah7591
    sarah7591 Posts: 415 Member
    edited March 2022
    I use a product called Swerve- they have a brown sugar, white and confectioner. It’s great but pricey. I use it to make sugar free granola and for baking. The white may be good in coffee .
  • Idontcareyoupick
    Idontcareyoupick Posts: 2,854 Member
    I like most of them except malitol in large quantities as it messes my stomach up. I like Stevia in my tea. I also have swerve for baking and like it but not sure about for drinks, it has a slight alcohol aftertaste to me
  • chris89topher
    chris89topher Posts: 389 Member
    My favorite is Lakanto monk fruit sweetener. It's basically erythritol with a little monk fruit. Honestly tastes so close to sugar I would probably have a hard time telling the difference. It does have a slightly "cooling" effect, but it's not a negative at all. I use it for everything.
  • PAPYRUS3
    PAPYRUS3 Posts: 13,259 Member
    sarah7591 wrote: »
    I use a product called Swerve- they have a brown sugar, white and confectioner. It’s great but pricey. I use it to make sugar free granola and for baking. The white may be good in coffee .

    Me too...that brown sugar one is so so good! I've heard some that find the confectioner one has a 'icy' taste, but I don't experience this.

    I like Stevia too (has to 'pure' - absolutely hate the ones cut with maltodextrin...absolutely changes the taste and is SO gross imo.)

    I like Monk fruit too. Lakanto is the brand I use.
  • Bridgie3
    Bridgie3 Posts: 139 Member
    I use natvia - granular stevia. It's good in my coffee and in desserts and does nothing to my guts.

    No strange aftertastes either.
  • BCLadybug888
    BCLadybug888 Posts: 1,767 Member
    For tea & coffee, I use Sugar Twin - Stevia sachets; it has no maltodextrin, the ingredients are:
    Erythritol, Stevia Leaf Extract (Rebiana), Flavours.
  • paints5555
    paints5555 Posts: 1,233 Member
    Sometimes using a blend of more than 1 sweetener can help some of the off-flavors associated with any one of them used by themselves. By using less of each individual one, the flavor can end up being better than using only 1 type. The food industry routinely combines sucralose (Splenda) with acesulfame potassium at a 5:1 ratio to get a better finished product.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    chris89topher wrote: »
    My favorite is Lakanto monk fruit sweetener. It's basically erythritol with a little monk fruit. Honestly tastes so close to sugar I would probably have a hard time telling the difference. It does have a slightly "cooling" effect, but it's not a negative at all. I use it for everything.

    I'd consider monk fruit sweetener if not for the price. A three pound package on Amazon is $0.50 / OUNCE. I pay $0.50 / POUND for white sugar.

    I've never found an affordable artificial sweetener that doesn't taste nasty to me.

    Sugar has 4 calories per gram. I put 6-9 grams of white sugar in my coffee (depending on which coffee I use) and don't worry about it.
  • blisterpeanuts
    blisterpeanuts Posts: 67 Member
    Stevia in my coffee every morning. I also like Splenda because it's so concentrated. If I'm eating out or at the coffee bar, I might use saccharin just for variety and it does taste pretty good.

    Not gonna lie, though, nothing beats sugar! I also have some manuka honey and have been putting a tbsp in my coffee lately. Supposed to be good for you, too.
  • scarlett_k
    scarlett_k Posts: 812 Member
    Literally anything apart from stevia. It's weird tasting. Definitely a personal thing though, I know people who get a bitter taste from aspartame. Must be genetic.
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
    I think of refined cane sugar as an artificial sweetener in that it is not native to the fruit or drink I am adding it to. And, it is by far my favorite. At 16 calories per teaspoon it doesn't affect the overall count much and it provides welcome energy when properly timed.

    My vote = Cane Sugar.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    paints5555 wrote: »
    Sometimes using a blend of more than 1 sweetener can help some of the off-flavors associated with any one of them used by themselves. By using less of each individual one, the flavor can end up being better than using only 1 type. The food industry routinely combines sucralose (Splenda) with acesulfame potassium at a 5:1 ratio to get a better finished product.

    I was going to mention blending, too. It dilutes and obfuscates the aftertaste(s).

    Also, most artificial sweeteners are diluted with something to be usable. The diluting agent has aftertaste. Hence, I think more concentrated products have the least aftertaste. E.g. Splenda’s product that’s a 1:1 granular sugar substitute is mixed with maltodextrine. A lot of it. Sucradrops are the same sucralose sweetener in a concentrated liquid formulation with eye dropper dispenser. I substitute 1 drop for 11-12g sugar.

    In some recipes, the sugar plays a structural role and it works best replacing no more than half of the sugar with substitute. But still, that helps!

    I also use sucralose “syrup” which has a little body like a simple syrup and is less concentrated than drops and usually flavored (I use vanilla flavor). And occasionally I use stevia drops which are less sweet with more aftertaste, IMHO, in combination with sucradrops.

    Ha! I use a lot of artificial sweeteners! And I experiment a lot.
  • azuki84
    azuki84 Posts: 212 Member
    Lakanto monkfruit liquid drops. Amazing with anything really.
  • MaryFloNS
    MaryFloNS Posts: 19 Member
    You will not know the difference with Lakanto Monkfruit with erythritol, granulated sugar substitute. The only downfall is it is expensive, and not so easy to find. It replaces sugar completely for everything, including baking. For me, in Canada, it cost $20 now it's up to $27 a bag, weighing 1.76 lbs = 800 grams. I'm glad I stocked up when I did.
  • PAPYRUS3
    PAPYRUS3 Posts: 13,259 Member
    MaryFloNS wrote: »
    You will not know the difference with Lakanto Monkfruit with erythritol, granulated sugar substitute. The only downfall is it is expensive, and not so easy to find. It replaces sugar completely for everything, including baking. For me, in Canada, it cost $20 now it's up to $27 a bag, weighing 1.76 lbs = 800 grams. I'm glad I stocked up when I did.

    You can order it from iherb @ $22.64...free ship if you order $50
  • VlpW
    VlpW Posts: 53 Member
    I prefer erythritol which is the same as Swerve, but I buy a different brand in bulk on Amazon (Whole Earth.) If you have a problem with the *cooling* sensation, add a bit of pure stevia. Chemically it helps to negate that effect.
  • MaryFloNS
    MaryFloNS Posts: 19 Member
    PAPYRUS3 wrote: »
    MaryFloNS wrote: »
    You will not know the difference with Lakanto Monkfruit with erythritol, granulated sugar substitute. The only downfall is it is expensive, and not so easy to find. It replaces sugar completely for everything, including baking. For me, in Canada, it cost $20 now it's up to $27 a bag, weighing 1.76 lbs = 800 grams. I'm glad I stocked up when I did.

    You can order it from iherb @ $22.64...free ship if you order $50

    Thanks, I'll check it out.
  • azuki84
    azuki84 Posts: 212 Member
    MaryFloNS wrote: »
    You will not know the difference with Lakanto Monkfruit with erythritol, granulated sugar substitute. The only downfall is it is expensive, and not so easy to find. It replaces sugar completely for everything, including baking. For me, in Canada, it cost $20 now it's up to $27 a bag, weighing 1.76 lbs = 800 grams. I'm glad I stocked up when I did.

    Its not expensive for me. Shrug
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,680 Member
    edited April 2022
    I don’t use straight sweeteners. I use Jordan’s Skinny Syrups and have an arsenal of flavors. I love the chocolate ones in coffee, salted caramel in chai latte, either flavor to sweeten pancake or other batters, and I’ve used several flavors depending on the homemade ice cream on tap. Coconut syrup with a can of pineapple, cup of mandarin oranges, some skyr, and a couple of maraschino cherries makes a killer ambrosia ice cream.

    TJ Maxx/Marshall’s/Ross general have a great assortment for $3.99 a bottle. Cheaper than buying it direct, but hit or miss on selection.

    What I have noticed is that if I have a “real sugar” candy or cookie before having an artificial sweetener, it either kills the taste or makes it unpleasant. If I eat the real sugar item after having it, I can’t taste the sweetener.


    I’ve gotten to the point of enjoying my sugar free chai or waffle cone decaf so much that I’d rather have them than the “naturally” sweetened snack.

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