Cut down on sugar, but don't want to give up sweetness? Then you'll quickly land on erythritol, xylitol or stevia. But the differences are bigger than the packaging suggests. Sweetening power, calories, tolerability and use in baking differ significantly. This comparison shows you which alternative is suitable for what – and why “natural” doesn’t automatically mean “better”.

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Sweetener, sugar substitute or sugar – what is the difference?

In everyday life, the terms are often mixed up. Nutritionally, however, they are not the same.

Table sugar, i.e. sucrose, is a carbohydrate and provides about 4 kcal per gram.

Sugar substitutes are usually what are known as sugar alcohols or polyols. These include, among others:

• erythritol,
• Xylitol,
• Sorbitol,
• Maltitol.

They resemble sugar more closely in volume and handling than intense sweeteners. According to the DGE, the average energy content is about 2.4 kcal per gram. Erythritol is an exception and provides practically no energy.

Sweeteners such as steviol glycosides, sucralose or aspartame, on the other hand, have a very high sweetening power. Therefore only small amounts are needed. Steviol glycosides, for example, can be about 300 times sweeter than table sugar.

All sweeteners approved in the EU are assessed by regulators and may only be used under specified conditions.

Erythritol: calorie-free, but not ideal for every purpose

Erythritol belongs to the sugar alcohols and carries the additive number E 968.

Its sweetening power is about 70 % that of table sugar. If you swap it one-to-one in a recipe, you will usually get a less sweet result.

Benefits of erythritol

• practically calorie-free,
• hardly affects blood sugar levels,
• does not cause tooth decay,
• has a similar volume to sugar,
• is relatively easy to dose.

Especially when baking, volume is an advantage. An intense sweetener like stevia can replace the sweetness, but not the bulk that sugar gives a dough.

What you can notice in terms of taste

Erythritol often has a slight cooling effect in the mouth. This is especially noticeable in larger amounts.

In a cold dessert, that can be pleasant. In a classic pound cake, on the other hand, it sometimes seems unfamiliar.

Erythritol also does not caramelize like table sugar. It is therefore only suitable to a limited extent for caramel, candied nuts, or recipes where sugar is important for color and structure.

Xylitol: about as sweet as sugar

Xylitol, also called birch sugar, is also a sugar alcohol and carries the number E 967.

Unlike erythritol, xylitol has roughly the same sweetening power as table sugar.

That makes it uncomplicated to use.

In many recipes, sugar can be replaced more easily in terms of quantity than with Stevia or erythritol.

Advantages of xylitol

• similar sweetening power to sugar,
• easy to dose,
• suitable for many baking recipes,
• affects blood sugar levels less strongly than sucrose,
• is considered non-cariogenic.

But: xylitol is not calorie-free

Sugar substitutes provide less energy than table sugar, but, with the exception of erythritol, they are not calorie-free.

Anyone who uses xylitol should therefore not equate it with a calorie-free sweetener.

Very important for dog owners

Xylitol is highly toxic to dogs. Even small amounts can cause dangerous hypoglycemia.

Products with xylitol should therefore always be stored so that pets have no access to them.

Stevia: enormous sweetening power in small amounts

Many consumers take “Stevia” to mean the stevia plant. In foods, however, steviol glycosides are normally used – highly purified sweet-tasting substances that can be obtained from the leaves.

They carry the number E 960.

Its sweetening power is about 300 times that of sugar.

That is why very small amounts are enough.

Advantages of steviol glycosides

• very high sweetening power,
• practically no significant energy intake in the amounts used,
• little effect on blood sugar levels,
• good for drinks or foods where volume does not play a major role.

Why Stevia is more difficult in baking

Sugar does more in a cake than just make it sweet.

It influences:

• Volume,
• Moisture,
• Browning,
• Consistency.

Stevia only replaces the sweetness.

That is why so-called stevia-based sprinkle sweeteners often contain other ingredients that provide bulk. These can be erythritol, maltodextrin, or even sugar, for example.

The consumer advice center points out that products with “Stevia” on the front are by no means automatically made exclusively from steviol glycosides or calorie-free.

Table sugar: when it is still the simplest solution

With all these alternatives, one quickly gets the impression that sugar must be replaced no matter what.

That is not necessary.

Sugar can be part of a balanced diet in small amounts. What matters above all is the total amount of free or added sugars in the diet.

For some applications, table sugar has clear technological advantages:

• caramelizing,
• jam,
• classic cakes,
• yeast pastries,
• crispy cookies,
• certain desserts.

Sometimes it is therefore easier to use less sugar in a recipe instead of replacing it completely with several substitutes.

Honey, agave syrup, maple syrup, or coconut blossom sugar don't automatically solve this problem either. They also consist mostly of sugar and provide energy. The consumer advice center therefore warns against classifying such products as healthier solely because of their natural image.

Erythritol, xylitol, stevia, and sugar in direct comparison

The stated sweetness levels are reference values and may vary depending on the product and mixture.

Which alternative is suitable for baking?

Here, it depends on what you want to bake.

Cakes and muffins

Erythritol or xylitol is usually easier than pure stevia because both provide volume.

With erythritol, the texture can become slightly drier or more crystalline.

Xylitol behaves similarly to sugar in many recipes.

Cheesecake

Erythritol often works well here because strong caramelization doesn't play a major role.

Finely ground erythritol is often more pleasant to work with than coarse-grained.

Cookies

This is where it gets more difficult.

Sugar affects crispness and browning. With a complete replacement, the texture can become noticeably different.

One option, therefore, is to replace only part of the sugar.

Yeast dough

In classic yeast recipes, sugar is not only important for flavor. Small amounts can also affect the production process.

Here, too, reducing the amount is often simpler than replacing it completely.

What works for coffee, tea, and drinks?

Here, sweeteners are especially easy to use because no volume needs to be replaced.

For coffee and tea

Good choices are:

• Steviol glycosides,
• erythritol,
• Xylitol

They differ greatly in taste.

Depending on the product, stevia can develop a slightly bitter or licorice-like aftertaste. Erythritol sometimes has a cooling effect. Xylitol tastes relatively similar to table sugar.

For homemade lemonade

Here you can also try gradually lowering your sweetness threshold.

Lemon juice, berries, mint, or ginger add flavor without a drink having to be heavily sweetened.

The long-term goal should not necessarily be: replace sugar with as much sweetener as possible.

The German Nutrition Society (DGE) points out in its current update that a diet characterized by persistently high sweetness can be problematic regardless of the sweetening source used, and the long-term health assessment of sweeteners remains complex.

What should you consider when it comes to tolerability?

With sugar alcohols, more is not automatically better.

Xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, and also larger amounts of erythritol can cause discomfort in sensitive people.

Possible effects include:

• flatulence,
• stomach rumbling,
• soft stool,
• diarrhea.

Foods containing more than 10% added polyols are therefore required to carry the notice "May have a laxative effect when consumed in excess".

If you have hardly used sugar substitutes before, it is best to start with small amounts.

Especially with several sugar-free products on the same day, the total amount can quickly add up:

• sugar-free chewing gum,
• protein bar,
• light dessert,
• home-baked cake with xylitol.

Each product on its own can be well tolerated. Together, they can be too much for a sensitive gut.

Why you should read the ingredient list for “stevia” products

A common shopping mistake is:

The front says “stevia,” so the product is made of stevia.

That is often not true.

Because steviol glycosides are extremely sweet, a sprinkle product needs extra bulk.

Fillers may include, for example:

• erythritol,
• maltodextrin,
• other sugar alcohols,
• Sugar.

The consumer advice center therefore explicitly recommends checking the ingredient list for stevia products.

The same applies to terms such as:

• "naturally sweetened",
• "with birch sugar",
• "with stevia",
• "less sugar".

Always look at the whole product and not just the largest lettering on the front of the package.

Which sweetness is right for you?

There is no universal winner.

Erythritol works well if you want to reduce calories and need a sugar-like volume.

Xylitol is useful if you are looking for a sweetness similar to table sugar and want to use the product for baking too.

Stevia is particularly suitable for drinks or applications where only a small amount of sweetener is needed.

Table sugar remains the technically simplest solution for certain baking and cooking processes.

And sometimes the best strategy is even simpler:

Make the recipe less sweet overall.

After all, the goal of a balanced diet doesn't have to be replacing every spoonful of sugar one-to-one with another sweetener. You can also gradually change your taste habits and use sweetness more consciously again.