A guide to choosing the best sugars, syrups, and sweeteners for you
A guide to choosing the best sugars, syrups, and sweeteners for you
STEVIA
• 2024 BUYING GUIDE •
On my quest to discover all zero-calorie stevia sweeteners in stores across the United States, I found about 200 products. See here the complete list and how they compare.
First, What Is Stevia?
Sweeteners commonly referred to as stevia contain extracts from the leaf of a shrub called Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni). The stevia plant has been cultivated by South Americans for centuries, using it to sweeten drinks. China is by far the top grower globally; other countries include Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil, and the United States. More than 80 percent of the stevia distributed worldwide comes from China.
Chemically speaking, the sweet components of the stevia leaf are steviol glycosides. They have an intensely sweet taste of 25 to 450 times that of table sugar. The stevia leaf contains more than forty steviol glycosides; you can see the most abundant in the image below.
When you buy stevia sweeteners, they will have one steviol glycoside or several. The most commonly used is rebaudioside A (reb A or rebiana). Pure reb A is 250 to 450 times sweeter than table sugar with a characteristic bitter, licorice-like aftertaste. Another steviol glycoside in stores, called stevioside, has a much more intense bitter aftertaste than Reb A.
Reb D and reb M are considered the "better-tasting" and "more sugar-like" stevia. Some brands that contain them include Splenda Naturals, Whole Earth, Wholesome, Stevita Naturals. The best-tasting sweeteners have blends of a variety of steviol glycosides.
Want to get the scoop on stevia right now? I created a resource called Sugar Swap Starter Kit to help you with that. You'll learn everything you need to know about stevia. 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 of substituting sugar & sweeteners in recipes. This kit offers a quick way to get all your questions answered in one place.
BULK VS BULK-FREE SWEETENER
Some stevia sweeteners offer bulk to your recipes, and others are bulk-free:
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Bulk-free sweeteners are concentrated stevia products mainly used for sweetening purposes and no other culinary role. They offer zero calories and are sugar-free but super sweet, so a little goes a long way. They provide no volume and mass to recipes. No browning or caramelizing, either.
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Bulk sweeteners contribute not only to sweetness but also to texture, shelf life, moisture retention, color, and aroma—important in baking. Pure stevia 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.
STEVIA 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:
BULK-FREE SWEETENERS
Is There a Stevia Without Any Additives or Fillers?
About 20 products contain pure stevia leaf extract—without any additives or fillers. They are super sweet, so a little goes a long way. Many products come with their own little measuring spoons, but if they don't, you can buy your own mini measuring spoon set or a complete set like this one. Start with the amount recommended by the seller and adjust to taste.
Can you bake with pure stevia? 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. And that's why the vast majority of the stevia sweeteners you'll find in stores are not going to be pure leaf extract. Keep scrolling down to see how most products are blends of extracts with a bulking sweetener.
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Important note about the different stevia extracts: All products you see in the first two infographics are labeled as "100% pure extract," but they not always contain the same steviol glycoside (the sweet component of the extract). So, read the label to see what exactly you're buying. I draw a comparison of organic pure extracts below and, if taste and cost is essential to you, here's what you need to know:
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• Stevioside has the worst taste (strongest aftertaste) and is the cheapest of all extracts sold in stores. For instance, as I write this, NatriSweet costs $4.50 per ounce on Amazon, and Purisure, $4.30.
• Reb A offers a slightly better taste than stevioside, but it still has a characteristic bitter, licorice-like aftertaste. It tends to be more expensive than stevioside. As an example, Microingredients costs $5 per ounce, and Pyure, $10.
• The best–tasting stevia extracts have a variety of steviol glycosides that include reb M and reb D. Blends are more sugar-like but not completely free of aftertaste. They tend to be more expensive than pure reb A. Examples of blends include BetterStevia, which at the moment costs $4.80 per ounce, SweetLeaf $15, and Stevita $30.
Click the Try it button of each sweetener to be linked to Amazon
where you can read reviews, labels, Q&As, and price.
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Does Stevia Come In Liquid Form?
Liquid stevia sweeteners are blends of leaf extract and water. Flavors, preservatives, or both are often added to improve taste and maintain freshness. Some products have other ingredients (glycerin, erythritol, or maltodextrin) to mask off-flavors. Stevia simple syrup contains gums to make it viscous.
Stevia drops and syrups are mainly recommended for sweetening purposes as they provide no bulk (volume and mass) to our recipes. Liquid stevia 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 other drinks on-the-go.
Does Stevia Come in Tablets?
Yes, but my favorite is stevia cube. So adorable!!!
What Can You Do With Dried Stevia Leaf?
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn't approve the use of whole-leaf stevia or crude stevia extracts as ingredients in foods, as you can see in this FDA guidance. However, it is legal to sell whole dried leaves, which are also available ground to a green powder.
You can use it to sweeten your hot beverages. To substitute one teaspoon of sugar, steep 1/2 to 1/4 teaspoon of the green powder or 6 to 7 leaves per cup of tea or coffee. The leaves have a characteristic bitter, licorice-like aftertaste.
BULK SWEETENERS
I'm often asked, Why is stevia mixed with erythritol and other sweeteners? The reason is stevia extracts in pure form are super sweet. A good rule of thumb is one teaspoon of table sugar is generally equivalent to just 1/64 of a teaspoon of pure stevia [You can get the exact sweetness level of each extract sold in stores by visiting my Sugar Swap Tool].
Because pure leaf extracts provide a sweet taste with tiny volume and weight, sugar substitutes often require BULK SWEETENERS so they can have an overall resemblance to table sugar. The basic idea is that something is needed to fill in that empty space when you remove sugar.
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The most common bulk sweeteners are erythritol and allulose. Others include maltodextrin, glucose, inulin, and xylitol. Bulk sweeteners not only improve the taste of stevia extracts but also make it easier to measure sugar substitutes at home. Instead of having to measure or weigh minuscule amounts of product, you can use the measuring tools you have in your kitchen.
Common questions I get include: How do I substitute stevia for sugar? How much stevia equals one teaspoon (cup or tablespoon) of sugar? The answer depends on the product you are using.
Some stevia sweeteners 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 stevia) up to 10:1. To find out how sweet a product is, you need to pay attention not only to the brand but also the type of product.
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So, if you ask me, "What is the ratio of Truvía to sugar?" Here's what you need to know. The Truvía brand has a whole line of different stevia sweeteners. And they don’t always have the same sweetness level. Check these out: Organic Liquid, Packet, Spoonable, Sticks, Sweet Complete, Confectioners, Cane Sugar Blend, and Brown Sugar Blend.
On this page, all infographics list the amount of each product needed to replace ONE teaspoon of sugar [if you're looking for the sweetness level of any product compared to other amounts of table sugar, you need my Sweetener Calculator™].
Stevia Sweeteners
WITH ERYTHRITOL
Do all stevia sweeteners have erythritol? No, but most do. I've found about sixty stevia erythritol blends and list them here. Erythritol (Ah-REETH-ra-tall) is currently one of the most popular sweeteners. It is promoted as "natural," zero-calories, tooth-friendly, well-tolerated in the digestive system, and 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 we are sucking a mint [but without the mint flavor].
When blended with stevia leaf extracts, erythritol's taste is improved.
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I wrote extensively about erythritol in two blog posts: Erythritol: Powdered vs. Granulated and Sweetener Review: Erythritol | Is it Really "Natural" and The Perfect Sweetener?. I also have a page called Erythritol Buying Guide, where I showcase all sweeteners containing erythritol in stores in 2024.
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Most stevia sweeteners contain mainly erythritol with just a hint of leaf extract. So, you need to know the do's and don'ts of erythritol to understand how to choose and use the stevia products listed below. To help you with that, I created the SUGAR SWAP STARTER KIT. You'll learn how stevia blends compare with the top sweeteners in stores, such as allulose and monk fruit. Plus, you'll discover when to use and avoid stevia blends in cookies, ice cream, bars, cakes, and more. If you're confused or overwhelmed with all the options, you need this Kit.
If you have never heard of allulose, you're not alone. Allulose is a relatively new sweetener on the market. It has been getting lots of buzz for its culinary benefits and natural origin. I answered the most common questions on another page—my Allulose Buying Guide. But I'll sum it up below:
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Allulose has some similarities with erythritol: it's less sweet than table sugar, is promoted as natural, zero-calories, tooth-friendly, gut-friendly, and offers zero glycemic index.
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Allulose is better than erythritol in some areas: it has no aftertaste (no cooling effect), dissolves quickly (even faster than table sugar), caramelizes/browns, and does not recrystallize upon refrigeration and freezing.
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Most stevia blends listed below contain mainly allulose with just a hint of leaf extract. So, you need to know the do's and don'ts of allulose to understand how to choose and use the stevia products listed here. That's why I created the SUGAR SWAP STARTER KIT. You'll learn how the top sweeteners compare and get practical tips on how to use stevia. If you're confused or overwhelmed with all the options, you need my Kit. Again, I'm not a sweetener manufacturer or seller, so I tell it like it is.
Stevia Sweeteners
WITH BENEFITS
Final thoughts
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Keep in mind that stevia leaf extract (or steviol glycoside) is not just one ingredient. It might be reb A, reb D, reb M, or stevioside. The best-tasting sweeteners have blends of a variety of steviol glycosides. All stevia sweeteners have a distinct flavor and work best when combined with stronger ingredients, such as coffee, chocolate, or citrus fruits.
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Note that synthetic extracts (read about it here) may also be called stevia. They are not directly isolated from the leaf, meaning they are produced by one of the following processes:
Process #1 – It bypasses the leaf altogether, and uses refined sugar to make synthetic reb D and/or reb M
Process #2 – Uses extracts from the stevia leaf to make synthetic reb D and/or reb M.
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Example of a synthetic stevia: Purecane Sweeteners are made up of a synthetic reb M obtained from Brazilian sugarcane. Want to know why it's synthetic? Sugarcane has no reb M in it, but it's produced once fermented with a genetically-modified (GM) yeast strain. Note that, even though it's synthetic, their reb M has an identical molecule to the one extracted directly from the stevia plant. The manufacturer promotes their products are a sustainable way to make stevia extract because it requires 1/10th of the acreage to produce an equivalent quantity of Reb M.
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