The best sugar alternatives you can buy in the UK (top 7)
Despite how often we're told that sugar is bad for us and that we should be eating less of it, people seem to be addicted to the sweet stuff more than ever before. In fact, a 2022 study from Graze found that most British people are consuming double the daily recommended sugar limit, which seems crazy given how many excellent healthier alternatives to sugar there are out there. We wanted to highlight some of the best sugar alternatives that we've found and tried, let's get into the list:
Pure Via 100% Erythritol
This Erythritol from Pure Via contains absolutely zero calories or sugar and is also totally vegan. Erythritol is a substance which is found naturally in fruits such as pears, but the Erythritol in this Pure Via product is made by fermenting sugar beet and GMO-free corn. We were really impressed by the sweetness of this product and think it would be particularly excellent as an alternative to sugar in baking. Learn more and buy it here - purevia.co.uk
Sweetex
If you prefer your sweetener in tablet form - which is really useful for adding to drinks like coffee or tea - then Sweetex could be a great option. It's free from calories and is one of the most popular artificial sweeteners in the UK. It's estimated that each tablet of Sweetex is equivalent in sweetness to a 5ml teaspoon of sugar, so a little goes a long way. It's made from sodium saccharin which is estimated to be about 300-400 times sweeter than sugar. It's a well-tested substance and is considered to be safe to consume. Learn more and buy it here - tesco.com
Truvia stevia leaf extract
Stevia Leaf is about 100 - 300 times sweeter than sugar and makes for an excellent sweetener alternative to sugar. Truvia is one of the biggest stevia leaf brands in the UK and makes an excellent range of stevia products. The Truvia products are all totally free from calories and are really versatile. We've used Truvia for everything from sweetening our tea to baking cakes, and it works great for everything we've tried. Learn more and buy it here - sainsburys.co.uk
Hermesetas mini sweeteners
This is another sweetener made from Sodium Saccharin, but we actually find the flavour to be a bit different to Sweetex - not quite as sweet, which makes it closer in taste to sugar. These are also tablets and are best suited for adding to drinks like sugar and tea. Learn more and buy it here - waitrose.com
Canderel
The Canderel range is quite extensive and includes a variety of sweeteners, but we definitely think that the Original Canderel granules work best as a straightforward alternative to sugar. Canderel is about 8x as sweet as sugar so you don't need much of it at all. Each teaspoon contains 2 calories which is a slight downside, but we do have to say that the likeness to sugar is so impressive that we're willing to overlook the fact that it isn't free from calories. Learn more and buy it here - tesco.com
Total SweetÂ
Xylitol is very popular in the United States as a sweetener, and it's slowly growing in popularity here in the UK too. There are numerous ways of making Xylitol, but this product from Total Sweet is made from sustainable European birch and beech wood. This product really tastes like sugar, but also has a very similar texture which makes it ideal for sprinkling on baked goods. This product still contains calories but it's 40% fewer than you'll find in sugar, so significantly lower. Another surprising benefit of Xylitol is that unlike sugar it's actually good for your teeth, which is why you'll often find it as an ingredient in certain types of teeth-whitening toothpaste. Learn more and buy it here - hollandandbarrett.com
NKD Living Granulated Erythritol
This is another Erythritol product, but what makes this product from NKD Living slightly different from the Pure Via product is that this product has actually won a Great Taste award and really tastes like sugar. Apparently, the judges at the Great Taste awards commented on how this product actually melts in the mouth similarly to real sugar. Impressively, this product contains absolutely zero calories and is also Non-GMO project verified. It's really a top-notch sugar alternative and we're big fans, learn more and buy it here - amazon.co.uk
Hopefully this guide helps you to find an amazing alternative to sugar which helps you to enjoy sweetness without guilt. Let us know if you've tried any of these or if you have any other recommendations for us to try!
Finn H
Finn is the editor of You Well and has been writing about travel, health, and more for over 10 years.
One Comment
Mr M Kiely
Hallo,is it possible you could give me a cake recipe (fruit or Madeira) using TRUVIA,as I am a diabetic,thank you.