A guide to choosing the best sugars, syrups, and sweeteners for you
A guide to choosing the best sugars, syrups, and sweeteners for you
The first WhatSugar–approved sweetener is HERE!
Bear with us as we update our guides for 2025.
WHAT IS MONK FRUIT?
Sugar substitutes commonly known as monk fruit contain extracts from the fruit of a perennial vine—the Siraitia grosvenorii Swingle. Grown mainly in China, the plant is in the cucumber and melon family, and the fruit has the size and shape of a lemon. The Guilin area offers optimal and unique growing environment for the plant due to it's subtropical mountains with elevation of 300 to 500 meters, abundant rainfall, and well drained moist soil.
Chemically speaking, the sweet components extracted from monk fruit are called mogrosides. Many mogrosides (named I, II, III, IV, V, and VI) are present in amounts that vary from 0.5 to 3.8 percent in the dried fruit.
Mogroside V is the major sweet component in extracts from ripened fruits and is also the sweetest of all—100 to 250x sweeter than table sugar. It has a characteristic melon rind aftertaste. According to a producer, with a farm and processing facilities in Guilin, almost 85 pounds of monk fruit produce one pound of extract.
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On this page, you'll see all the zero-calorie monk fruit products and brands I found in stores. Because you have so many choices, I sorted them based on their ingredients—from pure extract to blends. Keep scrolling to see them all.
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Confused with ALL the info out there, not knowing who to trust or where to start when swapping sugar in your recipes or drinks?
I created a resource called Sugar Swap Starter Kit to help you with that. You'll learn everything you need to know about monk fruit. Our kit is specifically designed for home cooks who want to understand how different sugar alternatives stack up, find the best ones, and get tips to use them. You don't need to go through the trial and error with different sweeteners, wasting time, pricey ingredients, and not to mention ruined recipes. This kit offers a quick way to get all your questions answered in one place.
BULK VS BULK-FREE SWEETENER
Some monk fruit sweeteners offer bulk to your recipes, and others are bulk-free:
• BULK-FREE SWEETENERS are concentrated monk fruit products mainly used for sweetening purposes and no other culinary role. They offer zero calories, are sugar-free, and super sweet—so a little goes a long way. Due to the minimal amount required to achieve the sweetness equivalent to sugar, precise measurement is important! They provide no volume and mass to recipes. No browning or caramelizing, either.
• BULK SWEETENERS contribute not only to sweetness but also to texture, shelf life, moisture retention, color, and aroma—important in baking. Pure monk fruit is bulk-free, so manufacturers blend it with bulk sweeteners that are mildly sweet, such as erythritol, allulose or sweet fibers. You can also choose brown sugar alternatives and powdered sugar replacements. ​
EXPLORE MONK FRUIT BRANDS & PRODUCTS
There is A LOT to see here. Scroll down to explore it all, or if you are short on time, make your choice 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)
BULK-FREE SWEETENERS
Is There a Monk Fruit Without Any Additives or Fillers?
Yes! The first sweeteners I list contain pure monk fruit extract—just one ingredient. These extracts are incredibly sweet, so a little goes a long way. It’s important to measure precisely when you start using pure monk fruit.
A quick tip: Avoid tasting the powder by sticking your finger in and licking it—it’s likely to be too intense.
Many products come with their own little measuring spoons, but if they don't, you can buy a mini measuring spoon set. Start with the amount recommended by the seller and adjust to taste.
Pure extract works perfectly whenever sweetness is all you need, such as in hot and cold drinks, smoothies, cocktails, yogurt, or to sprinkle over oatmeal. It's also great for sweetening on the go.
Can you bake with pure monk fruit or substitute it for sugar? Yes, but keep in mind that they don't offer bulk (volume and weight). They don't contribute to texture, shelf life, moisture retention, color, and aroma. For those needs, keep scrolling down to see blends of extracts with a bulk sweetener.
As I explain in detail on my DECODING SWEETENER COSTS page, when buying pure monk fruit extract, don't be swayed by the lowest price per ounce!
Instead, focus on concentration of mogroside V (or "V" for short). All products you see in this first infographic are "100% pure extract," but their sweetness level, color, aftertaste, solubility, and price vary depending on the mogroside V concentration in the extract—from 7 to 50 percent.
Less pure extracts, such as 7%, are cheaper per ounce, but you need to use way more than a 50% one — the first is twenty times sweeter than sugar and the second is 240. In addition, 7%V have a stronger melon-rind taste, a dark mustard-like color, and don't dissolve as easily as the high-purity extracts.
Mogroside V50 (or 50%V), the highest grade in stores, means an extract with a 50:50 ratio mogroside V and fruit pulp. It's the most expensive per ounce, but the sweetest of all extracts. It's more sugar-like in terms of color and taste — whiter and tastes better, too. Plus, it dissolves quickly.
Let's compare two products, as an example:
• NatriSweet, a 7%V extract, costs 23 dollars for 3.5 ounces on Amazon or $6.56 per ounce, as I write this. These 3.5 ounces sweeten like 322 tsp of sugar — which equals 6.7 cups of sugar. It means you pay $3.43 to substitute 1 cup of sugar.
• WhatSugar, a 50%V extract, costs 25 dollars for 0.7 ounces or $36 per ounce. Just 0.7oz of extract sweetens like 1,242 tsp of sugar or 26 cups sugar. So, you pay almost four times less ($0.92) to substitute 1 cup of sugar with this extract.
All that to say, 7%V and 10%V extracts cost way less per ounce because they have less mogroside V, a stronger aftertaste, a mustard-like color, and don't dissolve as easily.
CONCLUSION:
When shopping for 100% pure extract of monk fruit, don’t just look at the price per ounce – check the concentration to guarantee better value, taste, solubility, color, and happiness!
Is Monk Fruit Available in Liquid Form?
​Monk fruit is sold in liquid form—syrups or drops—and you'll find them with a variety of ingredients. For the most part, they consist of blends of monk fruit extract and water. To improve taste and maintain freshness, some products may have flavors, preservatives, or both. Some even include glycerin, allulose, or gums to make them viscous.
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​Monk fruit drops and syrups are mainly recommended for sweetening purposes as they provide no bulk (volume and mass) to recipes. Liquid monk fruit works best in foods that don't require sugars for texture, shelf life, moisture retention, color, and aroma. They offer a convenient way to sweeten coffee, tea, and on the go.
There's a type of product labeled as "100% monk fruit extract" (one ingredient only), also called monk fruit juice concentrate such as this, which is different in three key ways:
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It resembles honey, with a yellowish color but less thick.
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It's not as sweet as the other liquid monk fruit, so you'll need at least 10 drops to sweeten like 1 tsp of sugar.
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It's only free of sugar and calories if you use small amounts because being a juice concentrate, it contains 70 percent sugar.
BULK SWEETENERS
MONK FRUIT BLENDS EXPLAINED
Misleading Label or Practical Solution?
Most monk fruit products in stores aren’t pure extracts—they’re blends with bulk sweeteners. These blends often use erythritol and allulose, but some may have glucose, maltodextrin, or inulin. It's important to note that 99% of the product's weight typically comes from the bulk sweetener, with just a hint of fruit extract.
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This raises a common question: Why is monk fruit mixed with bulk sweeteners? Isn't that misleading to call the product "monk fruit" when almost all of its weight comes from something else?
It’s a fair concern, and while it can feel like false advertising, there’s more to the story. Although the weight ratio of bulk sweetener to monk fruit extract can range from 100:1 to 2000:1, most of the sweetness—70% to 99%—actually comes from the monk fruit extract, not the bulk sweetener. This is because the extract is incredibly concentrated, even in small amounts.
Combining monk fruit extract with bulk sweeteners isn’t just about cutting costs — addressing the sticker shock of pure extract. It’s actually a convenience as they work symbiotically. Here are 3 reasons why manufacturers blend them:
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1. Measuring issues:
​Monk fruit extract is 20 to 240 sweeter than sugar, so you need to use way less to achieve the same sweetness. As I showcased in the pure extract infographics above, just 1/8 to 1/96 teaspoon of extracts replaces 1 teaspoon of sugar. That's a really small amount!
Meanwhile, bulk sweeteners like erythritol and allulose are 30% less sweet, so they require larger amounts to match sugar’s sweetness.
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By blending monk fruit extract with a bulk sweetener, manufacturers create a product that’s easier to measure, with a texture and volume similar to sugar. Instead of having to measure or weigh small amounts of pure extract, or having to figure out what's 1/3 more than sugar when using pure bulk sweetener — you can use regular measuring tools you have in your kitchen and swap on a one-to-one ratio like sugar.
Pure monk fruit extract adds no volume and mass to recipes, but blends make it practical for baking or for recipes that rely on sugar’s texture. A dig deeper on that HERE.​​​
2. Taste profile issues:
Monk fruit and bulk sweeteners complement each other, creating a superior flavor profile together than alone. This is known in food science as the multi-sweetener concept.
Bulk sweeteners help mellow down the characteristic taste of the fruit in pure extracts, while monk fruit reduces off-flavors or cooling effect that some bulk sweeteners, like erythritol, can have. This two-way improvement makes the blend more pleasant overall.
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In addition, they each work synergistically by boosting their individual sweetness level, so you end up using less of both.
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3. Culinary role issues:
Pure extract works perfectly whenever sweetness is all you need, such as in hot and cold drinks, smoothies, cocktails, yogurt, or to sprinkle over oatmeal. It's also great for sweetening on the go.
But, pure extract will not help thicken your food, make it viscous, or bind ingredients. No browning or caramelizing, either, which makes it unsuitable as the sole sweetener in baking. While you can use pure extract in baking recipes to boost sweetness, it needs to be paired with a bulk sweetener to achieve the sugar-like texture.
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That’s where monk fruit blends come in handy—they provide the sweetness of the extract along with the bulk and functionality needed for baking success.
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NOTE: It’s worth noting that while the bulk sweetener in the blend may cause digestive discomfort for some individuals, pure monk fruit extract does not.
2:1 versus 1:1 Sugar Replacement
When swapping sugar for monk fruit, the most common questions are: How do I substitute monk fruit for sugar? How much monk fruit equals one teaspoon (cup or tablespoon) of sugar? The answer depends on the product you are using.​
Some monk fruit blends are 1:1 sugar replacements, i.e., spoon for spoon, they are as sweet as table sugar. Others are 2:1 (2 teaspoons of sugar is as sweet as 1 teaspoon of monk fruit) up to 12:1. To find out how sweet a product is, you need to pay attention not only to the brand but also the type of product.
For example, the Lakanto brand has several types of monk fruit sweeteners—Classic, Golden, Powdered, Baking, Organic, Pure Extract, Drops, Simple Syrup, Classic Packets, Golden Packets—and they don't always have the same sweetness. On this page, all infographics list the product's amount needed to replace ONE teaspoon of sugar.
Try my Sugar Swap Tool​ to get the right sweetness level. ​
MONK FRUIT BLEND
With Erythritol
Do all monk fruit sweeteners have erythritol? No, but most do.
I've found a variety of monk fruit-erythritol blends and have them listed here. Despite a highly publicized study in 2023, erythritol remains one of the most popular sweeteners in America. It's often promoted as "natural," zero-calories, tooth-friendly, well-tolerated in the digestive system, and has zero effect on blood sugar levels. However, it's less sweet than table sugar and creates a cooling (cold) sensation when dissolved in the mouth—which feels like sucking a mint, but without the mint flavor.
When blended with monk fruit, erythritol's taste is improved. Its sweetness is bumped up.
I wrote extensively about erythritol in two blog posts. This is a long one: Sweetener Review: Erythritol | Is it Really "Natural" and The Perfect Sweetener? This is a short one: Erythritol: Powdered vs. Granulated. I also have a Erythritol Buying Guide, where I showcase all sweeteners containing erythritol in stores in 2024.
As I mentioned above, it's important to note that most monk fruit sweeteners are made up of 99% erythritol with just a hint of fruit extract. So, to understanding how to choose and use these monk fruit products requires knowing the do's and don'ts of erythritol. To help with that, I created the SUGAR SWAP STARTER KIT. ​
MONK FRUIT BLEND
With Allulose
The monk fruit sweeteners I list here contain 99% allulose and 1% fruit extract. So, to understand how to choose and use these monk fruit products requires knowing the do's and don'ts of allulose. To help with that, I created the SUGAR SWAP STARTER KIT. ​
MONK FRUIT BLEND
With Glucose or Maltodextrin
Glucose and maltodextrin are quite similar in how they function in the body. While maltodextrin isn’t technically a sugar like glucose, it's quickly broken down into maltose and glucose during digestion, being absorbed as pure glucose. Both provide a rapid source of energy and have a high glycemic impact.
Despite their high glycemic index (GI), the key reason they are used in “zero-calorie” sweeteners comes down to quantity. The amounts of glucose or maltodextrin PER SERVING are so small that they contribute minimal calories and carbohydrates. Maltodextrin, in particular, adds bulk and can occupy 2–3 times more volume than table sugar and glucose.
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As defined by law, a product can be labeled as a “zero-calorie sweetener” if one serving provides less than 5 calories. For example, Monk Fruit In The Raw is mainly maltodextrin, which offers 4 cal per gram. However, since one serving has only 0.5g of maltodextrin, it provides 1.98 cal and is rounded to zero on the Nutrition Facts label.
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While this may feel like misleading labeling, it aligns with current regulations and highlights the importance to learn how to choose and use sugar alternatives.
What's Golden Monk Fruit?
Golden or gold monk fruit is designed to replace raw sugar, not regular brown sugar. Its 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!
What's Powdered Monk Fruit?
Granulated vs. Crystalized vs. Powdered Monk Fruit.
Monk fruit sweeteners come in various crystals 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.
On the other hand, powdered monk fruit, as the name suggests, is a one-to-one substitute for regular powdered sugar, with fine crystals similar to confectioners' or powdered sugar. It’s perfect for recipes that require a smooth texture or that final decorative touch. The powdered monk fruit below contains finely ground erythritol or allulose combined with fruit extract. Want to learn more about powdered sugar replacements? Check out my detailed guide HERE.
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.
Monk Fruit Packets and Sticks
Packets and sticks are a convenient way to sweeten on the go, eliminating the guesswork of how much powder to add. They’re perfectly portioned, making them ideal for sweetening coffee, tea, and other beverages when you’re out and about.
However, their small size and pre-measured portions make them less practical for baking or cooking, where larger quantities of sweetener are typically needed. Additionally, packets and sticks tend to be more expensive per serving compared to bulk options. Despite this, their portability makes them a favorite for travel, work, or simply keeping in your bag for quick access to a sugar-free sweetener. A have a page that list all the sweeteners available in individual packets HERE.
IS MONK FRUIT SAFE?
Yes, monk fruit extracts have been approved as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) ingredients. Contrary to common belief, monk fruit extract is not classified as a food additive. While most retail products contain extracts with 7% to 50% mogroside V, manufacturers can produce extracts with even higher purities. If you’re curious about the extraction process or specific details, you can refer to each GRAS notice submitted by manufacturers for FDA review. Monk fruit extracts are approved by the FDA as a natural, non-nutritive sweetener (0 calories per gram).​
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