The first WhatSugar–approved sweetener is HERE!
1:1 SUGAR REPLACEMENT
2025 BUYING GUIDE
On my mission to explore every zero-calorie sweetener that measures just sugar on a one-to-one ratio, I found 1000+ products. Spoon for spoon, they claim to be as sweet as sugar. These sweeteners promise an easy swap, but not all are created equal. Below, you'll find the most comprehensive guide and side-by-side comparisons.
New! WhatSugar-Approved Sweeteners
After years of analyzing sweeteners, I’m bringing you the best in 2025. WhatSugar The Sweetener Co. is my new line of certified organic sugar alternatives—handpicked for exceptional quality from a small USA-based business you can trust. And the first one just launched! Want updates on the 1:1 Sugar Replacement? Email me at info@whatsugar.com.
WHAT IS ONE-TO-ONE SUGAR REPLACEMENT?
Zero-calorie sweeteners that measure like sugar on a one-to-one ratio—by volume, not weight—offer the convenience of a direct swap. No need for conversion charts or tricky math. If a recipe calls for a teaspoon of sugar, you simply use a teaspoon of these sweeteners. One cup of sugar? Swap it for one cup of a 1:1 sugar replacement. Easy, right?
These products are often labeled one-to-one, one-for-one, cup-for-cup, spoon-for-spoon, or measure-for-measure sugar substitutes. But before you make the switch, there’s something you need to know.
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Not all 1:1 sweeteners are created equal.
While these sweeteners claim to to be as sweet as sugar, real-life experience says otherwise. Ever had a friend say a sweetener was too sweet, only to find that you could barely taste the sweetness?
Many say: "They’re not a TRUE 1:1 sugar replacement!"
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The sweetness is an essential attribute of a sweetener that does not change. However, the perceived sweetness varies.
In other words, sweetness isn’t just a fixed number—it’s influenced by many factors.
The sweetness level of each sweetener is affected by the food’s temperature, pH level, texture, and interaction with other ingredients. Imagine having a sweetener simply dissolved in water (at room temperature) versus it in iced tea, hot coffee, lemonade, yogurt, cereal, or fruit. The same concentration of sweetener is going to taste different in each case. You might think, “it just isn’t sweet” in one case, but “it tastes too sweet” in another.
Beyond the food itself, each person’s perception of sweetness is influenced by different factors like:
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Age & sex – Taste buds change as we age, and men and women may perceive sweetness differently.
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Health – Conditions like diabetes, dry mouth, or vitamin deficiencies can affect taste perception.
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Diet & habits – If you regularly eat sweets, you may need more to feel the same level of sweetness.
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Genetics & anatomy – Your unique taste buds and saliva composition influence how you detect sweetness.
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Context & environment – The setting in which you eat—your surroundings, mood, and even expectations—can affect taste.
TAKEAWAY:
When swapping sugar with 1:1 sugar replacements, expect some trial and error till you find a level that resonate with YOUR palate. Some sweeteners may taste way too strong, while others seem to disappear in your recipe. Why? Because the sweetness level varies depending on:
✔ What you’re sweetening
✔ Your personal taste preference.
PICK YOUR 1:1 SUGAR REPLACEMENT
Brands and Products
There is A LOT to explore here. Scroll down to see it all, or if you're short on time, jump straight to what you need by clicking a category below:
Click the TRY IT button of each sweetener to be linked to Amazon
where you can read reviews, labels, Q&As, and prices.
Affiliate links help keep this content free (Full disclosure)
WHAT ARE 1:1 SUGAR REPLACEMENTS FOR?
Whenever you need a sweetener that does more than just add sweetness — one that also contributes to texture, shelf life, moisture retention, color, and or aroma — a 1:1 sugar replacement is your best bet.
These sweeteners are especially useful in baking and cooking, where sugar plays a structural role beyond taste. Because they add bulk, they belong to a category called bulk sweeteners — designed to mimic the texture, weight, and volume of sugar in recipes.
WHAT ARE 1:1 SUGAR REPLACEMENTS MADE OF?
One-to-one sugar replacements are blends of two types of sweeteners:
✔ Bulk sweeteners (which provide structure and volume)
✔ High-intensity sweeteners (which provide concentrated sweetness).
The 99%: Bulk Sweeteners
Bulk sweeteners make up the majority of a 1:1 sugar replacement—about 99% of the product’s weight. These mildly sweet ingredients add body and texture to your recipe, helping the sweetener function like sugar in recipes. Common bulk sweeteners include:
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glucose/maltodextrin
These carbohydrates add minimal calories per serving, meeting FDA standards for zero-calorie foods because they provide <5 calories per serving.​​
This is where confusion often arises—many people feel misled when they see ‘stevia’ or ‘monk fruit’ on the label, only to realize that most of the product’s weight comes from a bulk ingredient like erythritol or allulose.
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It’s a fair concern, and while it can feel like false advertising, there’s more to the story as I explain in detail HERE.​
What's Powdered Sugar Replacement?
Granulated vs. Powdered
One-to-one sugar replacements come in various crystal sizes—granulated, crystallized, and powdered. The terms granulated and crystallized are often used interchangeably by sellers, and both typically refer to crystals resembling table sugar, making them ideal replacements for regular sugar. All products listed above fall into one of these categories.
On the other hand, powdered stevia, as the name suggests, refers to finely ground crystals, similar to confectioners’ or powdered sugar. It's a one-to-one substitute for regular powdered sugar and perfect for recipes that require a smooth texture or that final decorative touch. Most powdered products below contain finely ground erythritol or allulose combined with stevia leaf extract or monk fruit extract. Want to learn more about powdered sugar replacements? Check out my detailed guide HERE.
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It’s important to note that on labels, “powderED” means finely ground, while “powder” simply refers to a solid form (as opposed to liquid or gas).
What's a Brown Sugar Replacement?
Brown sugar replacements are designed to replicate the aroma, sweetness, and texture of regular brown sugar—but with fewer calories and zero sugar. They work as one-to-one substitutes for light brown sugar in recipes.
Those blends contain erythritol or allulose combined with monk fruit, stevia, or sweet fibers (oligosaccharides or inulin). They also have a pinch of glycerin, molasses, or malt extract to help give the overall resemblance to regular brown sugars, providing moisture and allowing them to pack. Want to dive deeper? Visit my Brown Sugar Replacement page.
What's Golden Monk Fruit?
Golden or gold monk fruit is 1:1 replacement for raw sugar not regular brown sugar. It's dry, free-flowing crystals resemble demerara sugar. Golden monk fruit differs from brown sugar replacements, which have glycerin or a touch of molasses to give an overall look and sticky texture similar to regular brown sugar. Want to understand the difference between raw and regular brown sugars? Check out my Complete Guide to Brown Sugars for all the details!
Measuring Cups or Teaspoons?
The advantage of cup-for-cup sweeteners is that you can directly swap the volume of sugar called for in your recipe. Keep in mind that if you measure just one teaspoon (tsp), the calories are minimal, from 1.5 to 2 calories. But if you measure one cup (about 48 tsp), the calories provided vary from 70 to 100. Keep scrolling down to learn more.
Zero Calorie? Not Really
Despite being labeled as "zero calories," all the sweeteners listed above on this page are not entirely calorie-free. I'll explain.
By law, if a sweetener provides <5 cal per serving, those calories may be rounded to zero, and the product claimed as a "no-calorie sweetener". However, when considering larger quantities, such as measuring cups of sweeteners, the colories content becomes more apparent. One cup of those sugar substitutes do offer significantly fewer calories than table sugar — as one cup of sugar provides about 750 calories — but it doesn't offer ZERO calories.
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Let's examine two of the widely available cup-for-cup sugar replacements.
Splenda Granulated, predominantly composed of maltodextrin (4 calories per gram) and a minuscule amount of sucralose, is labeled as a "no-calorie sweetener" because one serving (1 tsp) provides less than 5 calories. However, a closer look reveals that one cup of Splenda, equivalent to 48 teaspoons, actually provides 95 calories
Here's the math for one teaspoon and one cup of Splenda:
• One tsp of Splenda Granulated contains 0.5 grams of maltodextrin x 4 calories per gram = 2 calories.
• One cup of Splenda contains 48 teaspoons x 0.5 x 4 = 95 calories.
Similarly, Swerve Granular, made up predominantly of erythritol (0.4 calories per gram), can claim "zero calories" for one teaspoon, which contains 4 grams of erythritol, providing 1.6 calories. Yet, a cup of Swerve Granular has about 70 calories.
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[Scroll down for a 2024 update on Swerve].
What happened to Swerve? [2024 update]
Until the start of 2023, Swerve was one of the most popular cup-for-cup sugar replacements. However, their customers became upset because there were big changes in the ingredients, and they introduced several new products — probably due to the brand being under new ownership [it used to be a small company].
I noticed something was going on when suddenly, in the spring, I started getting A LOT of questions from my readers about Swerve products and recipe flops. So, if you're not aware, here's the scoop.
The launch of ​Swerve​'s whole new range of sweeteners caused confusion because Swerve is not just a line of sugar-free sweeteners anymore. Instead, some of their new products have refined sugar as the main ingredient. They've also added four monk fruit blends—organic and conventional—and an allulose blend. Plus, they no longer sell the original "granular" and "brown." So, if you're wondering, "What is Swerve sweetener made out of in 2024?" take a look at the image below.
