Sweeteners Decoded: Artificial, Natural & Sugar Alcohols on Keto

Craving sweet? I get it. One of the hardest parts of starting keto isn’t giving up bread or pasta—it’s figuring out how to satisfy that deep-rooted desire for something sweet without derailing all your progress. The good news is that you absolutely can have sweetness in your life while staying in ketosis. The trick is knowing which sweeteners to use, which ones to avoid, and how to use them smartly so you’re not just replacing one problem with another.

In our previous article about sugar, we talked about why regular sugar is keto kryptonite. It spikes your blood sugar, triggers insulin, and shuts down fat burning completely. But here’s what I love about the keto community: we’ve figured out how to hack the system. There are sweeteners that taste sweet, satisfy cravings, and have absolutely zero impact on your blood sugar or ketone production.

I’m going to walk you through everything you need to know. We’ll cover natural sweeteners, sugar alcohols, and artificial options. You’ll learn which ones work for what purposes, which ones might cause digestive issues, and how to combine them for the best taste and texture. By the end of this, you’ll be able to walk into any grocery store and confidently choose sweeteners that support your keto goals instead of sabotaging them.

The Three Categories You Need to Know

Let’s start by breaking down the sweetener landscape into three main categories, because understanding where a sweetener comes from tells you a lot about how it behaves in your body.

First, you’ve got natural zero-calorie or low-calorie sweeteners. These are plant-derived compounds that taste intensely sweet but don’t get metabolized like sugar. The two superstars here are stevia and monk fruit. Stevia comes from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant, which is native to South America. Monk fruit, also called luo han guo, comes from a small green gourd grown in Southeast Asia. Both of them have been used for centuries in their native regions, and both have compounds that trigger your sweet taste receptors without affecting your blood sugar at all.

The second category is sugar alcohols, which have a name that confuses everyone at first. They’re not sugar, and they’re not alcohol in the drinking sense. They’re carbohydrates with a chemical structure that’s similar to both sugar and alcohol, which is where the name comes from. Your body can’t fully digest most sugar alcohols, so they pass through your system with minimal impact on blood sugar. The big players here are erythritol, xylitol, and allulose, though technically allulose is classified differently as a “rare sugar.” Each one has slightly different properties, which we’ll get into.

Third, there are artificial sweeteners. These are synthetic compounds created in labs to mimic the taste of sugar while providing zero calories and zero carbs. The most common ones are sucralose (brand name Splenda), aspartame (Equal), and saccharin (Sweet’N Low). They’ve been around for decades, they’re incredibly sweet compared to sugar, and they’re controversial in some circles due to concerns about health effects. But from a pure ketosis perspective, most of them don’t raise blood sugar when used in their pure form.

Understanding these three categories helps you make sense of the endless options on store shelves. When you see a product labeled “keto sweetener,” it’s almost always going to be one of these types or a blend of several. And that’s actually important, because blending different sweeteners often gives you better results than using just one.

The reason blending works so well is that different sweeteners have different strengths and weaknesses. Stevia is incredibly sweet and has zero glycemic impact, but it can have a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste. Erythritol has great bulk and texture for baking, but it creates a cooling sensation on your tongue. Monk fruit tastes clean and sweet, but it’s expensive and hard to measure because it’s so concentrated. When you combine them, you can balance out the negatives and amplify the positives.

This is why you’ll see products like “monk fruit sweetener with erythritol” or “stevia and erythritol blend” dominating the keto sweetener market. The manufacturers have figured out the ratios that work best for general use. And honestly, these blends are usually your best bet, especially when you’re starting out. Once you get comfortable with how different sweeteners behave, you can experiment with mixing your own if you want more control.

Natural Sweeteners: Stevia and Monk Fruit

Let’s start with the natural options, because these are the ones that feel most “clean” to people who are trying to eat real, whole foods. There’s something psychologically comforting about using a sweetener that comes from a plant rather than a chemistry lab, even if the end result in your body is pretty similar.

Stevia is probably the most well-known natural sweetener at this point. You can find it everywhere from grocery stores to coffee shops. The sweet compounds in stevia are called steviol glycosides, and they’re somewhere between 200-400 times sweeter than sugar. That means you need tiny amounts to get the sweetness you’re looking for, which is great for keeping carbs at zero, but it also means it’s really easy to overdo it and end up with something that tastes sickeningly sweet or weirdly bitter.

The bitter aftertaste is stevia’s biggest problem. Some people don’t notice it at all. Others can’t get past it. It tends to be more pronounced when you use stevia by itself, and it’s worse with certain brands or forms. Liquid stevia extracts tend to be cleaner-tasting than powders, partly because the powders often contain fillers like maltodextrin or dextrose that can actually spike blood sugar despite the “zero calorie” label. Always read the ingredients list, not just the marketing on the front of the package.

From a keto perspective, pure stevia is perfect. It has a glycemic index of zero. It doesn’t trigger insulin. It doesn’t interfere with ketosis in any way. You can use it in coffee, tea, smoothies, or anywhere else you’d add a touch of sweetness. Just start with less than you think you need and add more gradually, because it’s powerful stuff.

Monk fruit is the other natural sweetheart of the keto world. The sweet component here is called mogroside, and like steviol glycosides, it’s intensely sweet—around 150-200 times sweeter than sugar. Monk fruit has a cleaner taste profile than stevia for most people. It doesn’t have that bitter edge. It tastes more like actual sugar.

The catch is that pure monk fruit extract is expensive and hard to find. Most products labeled “monk fruit sweetener” are actually monk fruit extract blended with erythritol to add bulk and make it easier to measure and use. This isn’t a bad thing at all. In fact, these blends are usually fantastic for keto baking and cooking because they behave more like sugar in terms of volume and texture.

Both stevia and monk fruit have the same huge advantage: they’re completely natural, they’ve been used safely for centuries, and they have zero impact on your blood sugar or ketone production. They’re as keto-friendly as you can possibly get. The only downsides are taste preferences and cost, both of which come down to personal choice.

If you’re new to keto and want to start with natural sweeteners, I’d suggest trying both and seeing which one you prefer. Buy small containers first so you’re not stuck with a huge bag of something you don’t like. And don’t be afraid to experiment with blending them yourself or trying different brands, because the quality and taste can vary significantly.

Sugar Alcohols: The Good, the Questionable, and the Ones to Avoid

Now we’re getting into slightly more complicated territory. Sugar alcohols have gotten popular in the keto world because they provide bulk and texture that make them great for baking, but not all sugar alcohols are created equal. Some are completely keto-safe. Others will kick you right out of ketosis. You need to know the difference.

Erythritol is the gold standard for keto. It has a glycemic index of zero to one, depending on who you ask. For practical purposes, it doesn’t raise blood sugar at all. Your body doesn’t metabolize it—about 90% of it gets absorbed in your small intestine and then excreted unchanged in your urine. The remaining 10% passes through to your colon, which is why some people experience mild digestive effects, but most people tolerate it really well even in fairly large amounts.

The reason erythritol is so popular for keto baking is that it has about 70% the sweetness of sugar with real bulk and weight. You can substitute it one-to-one in most recipes, and it behaves reasonably well. It dissolves in liquids, it caramelizes somewhat when heated, and it provides the physical structure that you need in baked goods. The main quirk is that cooling sensation I mentioned earlier—it feels slightly minty or cool on your tongue, especially in higher concentrations.

Blending erythritol with stevia or monk fruit eliminates most of that cooling effect and gives you a more sugar-like sweetness. This is why those pre-made blends I mentioned earlier are so useful. They’ve already figured out the ratios that work. But if you’re buying pure erythritol, just know that you might want to combine it with something else for the best results.

Allulose is the new kid on the block, and it’s honestly amazing. Technically it’s a “rare sugar” rather than a sugar alcohol, but it gets grouped in with them because it behaves similarly. Allulose has a glycemic index of zero. It tastes exactly like sugar. It browns and caramelizes beautifully when you heat it. It doesn’t have the cooling effect that erythritol has. The only downsides are that it’s more expensive and it can cause digestive issues in some people, particularly if you eat a lot of it at once.

I use allulose specifically for recipes where I need that authentic sugar behavior—things like caramel sauce, cookies that need to brown nicely, or anywhere texture and color really matter. For everyday sweetening, erythritol blends are more economical and work perfectly fine.

Now, here’s where we need to talk about the sugar alcohols to avoid or use very carefully. Xylitol has a glycemic index of 12-13, which isn’t terrible, but it’s not zero either. Some people can use it in small amounts without issues. Others find that it affects their blood sugar enough to disrupt ketosis. Xylitol also has one critical safety issue: it’s extremely toxic to dogs. Even small amounts can cause life-threatening drops in blood sugar and liver failure in dogs. If you have pets, I’d skip xylitol entirely just to be safe.

Then there’s maltitol, which is widely used in “sugar-free” candies and protein bars, and it’s a complete trap for keto dieters. Maltitol has a glycemic index of around 35, which is lower than sugar (65) but definitely high enough to spike your blood sugar and insulin. Some sources estimate it at even higher. Either way, it’s not keto-friendly despite being technically a sugar alcohol. Products labeled “sugar-free” that use maltitol can absolutely kick you out of ketosis. Always check the label for specific sugar alcohols, not just “sugar alcohol” as a category.

Other sugar alcohols like sorbitol (GI 9) and isomalt (GI 9) fall into that questionable middle ground. They’re lower than sugar, but they’re not zero. They also tend to cause more digestive issues than erythritol. For keto purposes, I’d stick with erythritol and allulose and avoid the rest unless you have a specific reason to use them.

Artificial Sweeteners: The Controversial Option

Alright, let’s talk about artificial sweeteners. This is where things get emotionally charged, because there’s a lot of conflicting information out there about whether these are safe, whether they cause cancer, whether they mess with your gut bacteria, whether they trigger insulin responses despite having zero calories. I’m going to give you the practical keto perspective and let you make your own choice.

From a pure blood sugar standpoint, most artificial sweeteners have a glycemic index of zero. Sucralose (Splenda), aspartame (Equal), saccharin (Sweet’N Low), and ace-K (acesulfame potassium) don’t raise blood glucose. They don’t provide calories. They’re intensely sweet, so you need very little. In theory, they should be perfectly keto-friendly.

The problem comes in the form they’re sold in. Powdered artificial sweeteners like the packets of Splenda you find in coffee shops are bulked up with maltodextrin or dextrose to give them volume and make them easier to measure. And here’s the kicker: maltodextrin has a glycemic index of 105—higher than pure glucose. Those little packets that claim to be zero calories actually contain about 0.9 grams of carbs each, which comes entirely from the high-GI filler. Use a few of them, and you’re getting a noticeable blood sugar impact.

This is why liquid sucralose is the preferred form for keto. It’s pure sucralose dissolved in water, with no maltodextrin fillers. You can add it to drinks, use it in baking, and it truly has zero impact on blood sugar. The same goes for liquid stevia—always choose liquid forms over powders when possible to avoid those hidden carbs.

Now, about the health concerns. There have been decades of studies on artificial sweeteners, and the consensus among major health organizations is that they’re safe in the amounts people typically consume. Some studies have suggested potential issues with gut bacteria or insulin response in certain individuals, but the evidence is mixed and often based on animal studies with doses far higher than humans would ever consume.

Here’s my personal take: if you’re using artificial sweeteners occasionally to make keto sustainable and enjoyable, the benefits of staying in ketosis and avoiding sugar probably outweigh any theoretical risks. But if you can achieve the same results with natural sweeteners or sugar alcohols that you’re more comfortable with, there’s no reason to use artificial ones. It comes down to personal preference and what works for your body and your peace of mind.

One thing I will say is that some people report that artificial sweeteners trigger cravings for sweets in a way that natural sweeteners don’t. This seems to be individual. If you find yourself using artificial sweeteners and then constantly craving more sweet things, it might be worth switching to stevia, monk fruit, or erythritol to see if that helps.

The beauty of keto is that you have choices. You’re not locked into using any particular sweetener. Try different options, pay attention to how your body responds, and stick with what works best for you. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer here.

The Keto Sweetener Comparison Table

Alright, let’s put everything we’ve talked about into a practical reference you can actually use. This table breaks down the most common keto-friendly sweeteners by type, glycemic index, and what you need to know about each one. I’m also including the ones to avoid so you can spot them on labels.

Keto-Friendly Sweeteners (Use These)

Sweetener	Type	GI	Why It’s Good	Important Notes
Stevia	Natural plant extract	0	Zero carbs, zero sugar, no insulin spike	Can taste bitter alone; blend with erythritol for best results
Monk Fruit	Natural extract	0	Clean taste, no glycemic impact	Usually sold blended with erythritol; pure extract is expensive
Erythritol	Sugar alcohol	0-1	Doesn’t raise blood sugar, minimal calories, good for baking	Can cause slight cooling sensation; well-tolerated by most
Allulose	Rare sugar	0	Tastes like sugar, browns when heated, perfect for baking	May cause mild digestive upset in large amounts; more expensive
Stevia + Erythritol Blend	Natural + sugar alcohol	0-1	Best taste and texture combination	Most popular for general keto use and baking
Monk Fruit + Erythritol Blend	Natural + sugar alcohol	0-1	Clean flavor, measures like sugar	Great all-purpose choice for keto kitchens
Liquid Sucralose	Artificial	0	Concentrated, no fillers, zero blood sugar impact	Avoid powder form (contains maltodextrin)
Xylitol (use cautiously)	Sugar alcohol	12-13	Lower GI than sugar, tastes similar	Higher carb count; toxic to dogs

Sweeteners to Avoid on Keto

Sweetener	GI	Why It’s Bad for Keto	Watch Out For
Table Sugar (sucrose)	~65	Fast glucose spike, kicks you out of ketosis	Found in nearly all processed foods
High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)	~87	Massive insulin response, drives fat storage	Common in sodas, condiments, “low-fat” foods
Honey	55-60	Natural but high GI and carb load	Marketed as healthy but still spikes blood sugar
Maple Syrup	~54	Pure sugar, causes glucose surge	Even small amounts disrupt ketosis
Agave Nectar	~30 (misleading!)	Low GI but very high fructose content	Stresses liver, slows ketosis despite low GI
Coconut Sugar	~54	Behaves like regular sugar	A trap for those seeking “natural” options
Maltodextrin	105+	Higher GI than glucose itself	Hidden in “sugar-free” products and Splenda packets
Maltitol	35-52	Despite being a sugar alcohol, spikes blood sugar	Common in “sugar-free” candies and protein bars
Dextrose/Glucose	100	Literally the reference point for highest GI	Avoid in all forms

This table is exactly what you need when you’re standing in the grocery store trying to decide which sweetener to buy or when you’re reading a recipe and trying to figure out if the suggested sweetener will work for your keto goals. Save it, screenshot it, whatever you need to do to have it handy.

How to Use Sweeteners Smartly on Keto

Knowing which sweeteners are keto-friendly is one thing. Actually using them in a way that supports your goals instead of creating new problems is another. Let me share some practical strategies that make a real difference.

First, start small and test your personal tolerance, especially with sugar alcohols. Even though erythritol and allulose are well-tolerated by most people, “most” doesn’t mean “all.” Some people experience bloating, gas, or a laxative effect from sugar alcohols, particularly when they first start using them or when they consume large amounts. Your gut bacteria need time to adjust. Begin with small portions—a serving or two at most—and see how your body responds before you go all-in on a recipe that uses a full cup of erythritol.

Second, combine sweeteners with fat and protein rather than eating them in isolation. This is a huge one that doesn’t get talked about enough. When you have something sweet by itself—even if it’s keto-friendly sweetness from stevia or erythritol—it can trigger cravings for more sweet things. Your body tastes sweet and expects calories, and when those calories don’t come in the form of sugar, some people find themselves wanting to eat more.

But when you combine that sweetness with fat and protein, like in a keto dessert made with almond flour, butter, and eggs, the overall experience is more satisfying. You get the sweet flavor you’re craving plus the satiety from the fat and protein. Your blood sugar stays stable. Your hunger hormones stay balanced. You’re less likely to end up in a situation where you’re chasing that sweet taste all day.

Third, be mindful of relying too heavily on sweet flavors, even keto-friendly ones. This is controversial in the keto community, and some people disagree with me on this, but I think there’s value in gradually reducing your taste preference for intense sweetness. When you constantly eat very sweet things—even if they’re sweetened with erythritol instead of sugar—you keep that sweet tooth alive and active. Your taste buds don’t recalibrate.

Compare that to someone who gradually reduces sweetness across the board. Over a few weeks, their palate adapts. Foods that used to taste bland start tasting naturally sweet. Berries taste like candy. A piece of dark chocolate with 85% cacao tastes rich and satisfying instead of bitter. The cravings for intensely sweet flavors diminish naturally.

I’m not saying you should never have sweet things. I’m saying there’s a difference between occasionally enjoying a keto dessert and needing something sweet multiple times a day. The goal is food freedom, not transferring your sugar addiction to a stevia addiction.

Fourth, when you’re baking or cooking with keto sweeteners, understand that they don’t always behave exactly like sugar. Erythritol doesn’t dissolve quite as easily as sugar, so you might need to grind it into a finer powder for some recipes. Allulose browns faster than sugar, so you might need to reduce your oven temperature or cooking time. Stevia and monk fruit are so concentrated that using them in their pure form requires significant recipe adjustments.

This is why following keto recipes specifically designed for these sweeteners works better than trying to substitute them one-to-one in regular recipes. The recipe developer has already figured out the adjustments needed for texture, sweetness level, and cooking behavior. Once you get comfortable with how these sweeteners work, you can start experimenting with your own substitutions. But in the beginning, stick with proven keto recipes like the ones in our meal planning guide.

Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment with different sweeteners and brands until you find what works for you. Some people love erythritol and never have digestive issues. Others can’t tolerate it at all but do great with allulose. Some find stevia perfectly pleasant; others hate the aftertaste. There’s no single “best” sweetener for everyone. Give yourself permission to try different options and figure out your personal preferences.

Making the Transition from Sugar to Keto Sweeteners

If you’re coming from a standard American diet where you’ve been eating sugar daily for years, switching to keto sweeteners can feel weird at first. Things don’t taste quite the same. The texture is different. You might find yourself thinking, “This is fine, but it’s not quite right.” That’s completely normal.

Your taste buds are incredibly adaptable, but they need time. Think about how long you’ve been eating sugar—probably your entire life. Your brain has strong associations between sweetness and sugar, between certain textures and certain flavors. Breaking those associations and building new ones takes a few weeks, not a few days.

During that transition period, it helps to focus on what you’re gaining rather than what you’re giving up. Yes, a keto brownie sweetened with erythritol tastes slightly different than a regular brownie. But that keto brownie isn’t spiking your blood sugar. It’s not triggering an insulin surge. It’s not kicking you out of ketosis. It’s not creating that cycle of cravings and crashes we talked about in our article about sugar.

When you reframe it that way—when you see keto sweeteners as a tool that lets you enjoy sweet flavors while staying in fat-burning mode—the slightly different taste becomes much less important. You’re not just eating differently for the sake of restriction. You’re making a strategic choice to fuel your body in a way that supports stable energy, mental clarity, and sustainable fat loss.

And here’s the cool part: after a few weeks on keto, your perception of sweetness changes naturally. The same recipe that tasted “not quite sweet enough” when you first started will taste perfectly sweet, maybe even too sweet, once your palate adjusts. Your taste buds become more sensitive to sweetness when you’re not overwhelming them with sugar constantly. A handful of berries tastes incredibly sweet. A piece of 90% dark chocolate that used to taste bitter now tastes like a treat.

This recalibration is one of the hidden benefits of keto that nobody talks about. You actually start enjoying the natural flavors of food without needing everything to be aggressively sweet. But you still have the option to use keto-friendly sweeteners when you want them. It’s the best of both worlds.

Wrapping Up: Your Keto Sweetener Strategy

We’ve covered a lot of ground here. You now know the three main categories of sweeteners—natural, sugar alcohols, and artificial. You understand which specific ones are keto-friendly (stevia, monk fruit, erythritol, allulose) and which ones to avoid (maltitol, maltodextrin, anything with a GI above 15). You’ve got a practical comparison table you can reference anytime you’re shopping or cooking.

Most importantly, you understand that having sweetness in your life while staying in ketosis is absolutely possible. You don’t have to choose between enjoying food and achieving your health goals. You just have to be smart about the tools you use.

If you’re brand new to keto sweeteners, I’d recommend starting with a pre-made blend of monk fruit or stevia with erythritol. These are the most versatile, they’re widely available, and they work well for everything from sweetening coffee to baking. Try a few different brands to see which one you like best. Give yourself a few weeks to adjust to the taste. And pay attention to how your body responds, particularly in terms of digestion and cravings.

Once you’re comfortable with the basics, you can start experimenting with pure forms like liquid stevia for drinks or allulose for specific baking projects where you need authentic sugar behavior. You can try combining sweeteners yourself to create custom blends. You can develop your own sense of which sweetener works best for which purpose.

The goal is to make keto sustainable and enjoyable for the long term. Having the ability to make keto desserts, enjoy a sweetened coffee, or add a touch of sweetness to a sauce without worrying about blood sugar spikes is a game-changer. It removes that sense of deprivation that makes most diets fail.

In our next article, we’re diving deep into glycemic index and glycemic load. You’ll learn exactly how to use these tools to make smart choices about every food you eat, not just sweeteners. We’ll cover how to read GI charts, how to calculate glycemic load, and how to apply this knowledge practically when you’re meal planning, shopping, or eating out. It’s the final piece of the puzzle that ties everything together. You can find the complete guide here when it goes live.

For now, go grab yourself a keto-friendly sweetener and make yourself something sweet. You’ve earned it.