Before you start converting sweeteners, read my guide about sugar substitutes and keto sweeteners here — it’s crucial for understanding how they work and has a big section on baking. The most common question I get, though, is how to replace sweeteners in keto recipes. So, I created a sweetener conversion chart, as well as an easy calculator to do it for you. I’ll also talk about erythritol substitutes (the most common question), and the recipe differences when using erythritol vs stevia, monk fruit vs stevia, and allulose vs erythritol. If you’re overwhelmed about which keto sweetener to try first, I highly recommend starting with Besti Monk Fruit Sweetener With Allulose! It tastes and bakes just like sugar, but unlike other brands of monk fruit, it also dissolves and browns like sugar as well. It’s great for a keto diet and you don’t have to sacrifice taste.
Natural Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
There are various sources out there for converting among sugar-free sweeteners. The problem is that I have yet to see a chart that lists many or most of them in one place, in a concise way. I put together a chart that you can use as your go-to place for sweetener conversion. If you can’t, the way to do it will vary depending on the recipe. Here are some general tips:
To replace a granulated sweetener with a concentrated one, replace that bulk with something else. If you are baking, this would be whatever flour the recipe uses. As long as that flour is not drying (like coconut flour), it should turn out okay. But, you will likely need a little more of the converted amount of concentrated sweetener, to account for the extra (not sweet) flour. If the flour is drying, like coconut flour, you’ll need more liquid as well to compensate.To replace a granulated sweetener with a liquid one, add more of the dry ingredients in the recipe to absorb the extra liquid.To replace a concentrated sweetener with a granulated one, add more of the wet ingredients in the recipe to balance out the extra bulk from the granulated sweetener.Check the section on baking with erythritol for more tips.
Are you seeing the pattern? There are no guarantees when replacing sweeteners of different types. These tips are a guideline, but not guaranteed to work. At least this should give you a general idea. You want to try to maintain the same consistency of the batter or dough that you are working with, while keeping a similar level of sweetness. It’s not always easy! Want a printable version of the sugar-free sweetener conversion chart? Sign up below and I’ll send it to you!
What’s Not In The Sweetener Conversion Chart
The following sweeteners are not in the conversion chart, for these reasons:
Artificial sweeteners – I do not advocate artificial sweeteners (including sucralose and aspartame), and suggest finding a better low carb natural sweetener option instead. You can read more about it in the Sugar Substitutes article.Natural sweeteners that use sugars as bulking agents – Examples of such bulking agents are dextrose and maltodextrin. These raise blood sugar and are often GMOs.Natural sugar sweeteners – Granulated natural sugar-based sweeteners (like coconut sugar) can be used 1:1 like sugar, so they require no conversion. Keep in mind they do still raise blood glucose levels. Most other natural sugar-based sweeteners are syrups (such as maple syrup, honey, agave, etc.), which are also excluded for the reasons below.Keto liquid sweeteners and syrups – These are excluded because they do not easily convert from granulated table sugar. The liquid aspect would require other modifications to be made to a recipe using table sugar. This can sometimes be true for converting among various granulated sweeteners as well, but not as often as when converting between granulated and liquid.Confectioners and brown sugar replacements – These are obviously specialized for certain uses, so there isn’t a point to convert regular sugar to them. They are not included in the sweetener conversion chart.
You can still read about these sweeteners and their sweetness level compared to sugar in my Sugar Substitutes post.
Sweetener Conversion Calculator
I also created a calculator that does the work for you, so you don’t have to figure it out from the sweetener conversion chart! Just bookmark this page to have the keto sweeteners calculator handy anytime you need it…
Keto Low Carb Sweetener Conversion Calculator
Important note about conversions: This calculator displays the sweetness equivalent. Often times, sweeteners do more than provide sweetness in recipes - they also affect moisture, texture and volume.If you convert two sweeteners that have very different volumes for the same amount of sweetness (for example, if 1 cup is equivalent to 1 tsp), or a different form (liquid versus granulated versus powdered), swapping them in a recipe may require other changes to the recipe. When in doubt, please leave a comment on that recipe’s page.
Comparing The Most Common Sweeteners
You can learn about what the most common keto-friendly sweeteners are and how they work in baking in my Sugar Substitutes post, which is why I recommend reading that first. But below are specific comparisons people ask about the most. All of them are keto friendly, but there are differences in their sweetness and baking properties.
Erythritol vs. Stevia
Erythritol and stevia are totally different, but there are some commonalities because of how stevia is typically sold:
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol derived from corn via fermentation, whereas stevia extract comes from stevia leaves and has a very concentrated sweetness from the stevia plant.Erythritol is 70% as sweet as sugar. Stevia is 100 to 300 times as sweet as sugar. This makes plain erythritol easier to use than plain stevia.Stevia can have a bitter aftertaste, especially in its pure form. Erythritol has very little to no aftertaste, but may show a mild cooling effect, similar to mint.Both erythritol and stevia have 0 glycemic index, 0 calories, and 0 grams net carbs.Many brands of stevia are actually blended with erythritol to make a 1:1 sugar substitute. These will have similar properties to plain erythritol, but sweeter. However, some brands of stevia are pure extract (very concentrated) and some 1:1 brands are blended with maltodextrin or dextrose instead (these are other names for sugar — not good).
Monk Fruit vs. Stevia
Monk fruit and stevia have more in common than erythritol and stevia do:
Like stevia extract, monk fruit extract comes from a plant and is very concentrated — about 150 to 400 times sweeter than sugar. This means you need only a very small amount of them to make a recipe sweet, but they can be difficult to use for this reason.Also like stevia powder, monk fruit based products tend to be mixed with other sweeteners or bulking agents. This is in part because pure monk fruit extract is hard to come by and expensive, but also because blending makes monk fruit easier to use.Both monk fruit and stevia extracts come in powder or liquid form when you buy them concentrated. They can be part of granulated sweetener blends, though.Both monk fruit and stevia have 0 glycemic index, 0 calories, and 0 grams net carbs.In contrast to stevia, monk fruit extract has less bitter aftertaste. This makes it a good choice for people sensitive to the aftertaste of stevia.
Allulose vs. Monk Fruit vs. Erythritol
Allulose, erythritol, and monk fruit are all pretty different from one another, but monk fruit is often blended with erythritol or (less commonly but far superior) with allulose.
Because monk fruit extract is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar and difficult to use on its own, most brands of monk fruit are blended with erythritol and will have erythritol-like properties. However, Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend is blended with allulose instead, so will have (much more desirable) allulose-like properties.Allulose and erythritol have the same sweetness (70% as sweet as sugar), and both have a pleasant taste, with no bitterness. They are equivalent on the sweetener conversion chart.Erythritol has a slight cooling sensation, whereas allulose does not.Even though allulose and erythritol have similar sweetness, they are structurally very different. Allulose is a rare sugar (in the same family as glucose, lactose, etc.) so it actually tastes and acts like sugar, but because we can’t metabolize it, it still has 0 grams net carbs. Erythritol is a polyol (sugar alcohol), so it behaves less like sugar.Erythritol, like other sugar alcohols, is more likely to cause stomach upset than allulose. Monk fruit on its own does not cause this either, but brands of monk fruit that contain erythritol (as most have) can.Allulose is excellent at locking in moisture, which means it creates moist, soft baked goods. Erythritol tends to be more drying. Pure monk fruit extract is neutral.Allulose browns, caramelizes, and dissolves like sugar. Erythritol does none of these things. Adding monk fruit to either of them does not change how they behave.Erythritol (and erythritol blends of monk fruit) can crystallize, leading to a gritty texture. Allulose and pure monk fruit extract do not.Monk fruit, erythritol, and monk fruit all have 0 calories, 0 grams net carbs, and 0 glycemic index.
Erythritol vs. Xylitol
Erythritol and xylitol are both sugar alcohols, so they are in the same structural family. They are similar but have some key differences:
Erythritol is 70% as sweet as sugar, whereas xylitol measures 1:1 with sugar.Erythritol has 0 glycemic index, but xylitol has a slightly elevated glycemic index of 7. This is still very good compared to table sugar, which has a glycemic index of 65, but is less ideal for keto or diabetics.Xylitol does not have the cooling aftertaste that erythritol has, and in general tastes more similar to sugar than erythritol does.Erythritol is less likely to cause gastrointestinal distress than xylitol (or other sugar alcohols), because most of it gets absorbed in the small intestine (but is poorly metabolized []) and is later excreted unchanged into the urine. All other sugar alcohols, including xylitol, reach the large intestine instead, where they may lead to stomach pain, bloating, or diarrhea. But, erythritol can still cause stomach issues for some people.Xylitol is lethal to dogs [], so people with dogs may prefer not to have it in the house.Erythritol has 0 grams net carbs. Because xylitol is partially absorbed, about 1/4 of the total carbs should be counted as net carbs (1 gram per teaspoon serving).
Natural vs. Artificial Sweeteners
You can read more about artificial sweeteners and why I don’t recommend them in my Sugar Substitutes post.
Erythritol Substitute Options
If you want an erythritol substitute, consider the following options:
Sweetener blends – These are usually designed to measure 1:1 with sugar, which is very convenient. Most brands of monk fruit and stevia are actually erythritol blends, so they will behave the same way, but they are sweeter. If you are replacing erythritol in a recipe with a 1:1 blend, use 3/4 cup of the blend for every 1 cup of erythritol. (Or use 1 1/3 cups erythritol to replace each cup of the blend if converting in the other direction.) The sweetener conversion chart and calculator above make this easy to do. Monk fruit allulose blend will have the same conversion, but will yield better, more allulose-like results (see the Allulose vs. Monk Fruit vs. Erythritol section above).Allulose – The best erythritol substitute in my opinion! In fact, most of the time the results are even better, since allulose dissolves and browns better.Xylitol – This won’t solve the issue if you can’t tolerate sugar alcohols, but works if you just ran out of erythritol.Pure Monk Fruit Or Stevia – These are very concentrated without being part of a blend, so only recommended for recipes where the bulk aspect of sweetener isn’t needed, such as drinks. Avoid substituting them for erythritol in keto baking.
Pinterest-Friendly Sweetener Conversion Chart
The above natural low carb sweeteners chart can be helpful, and I hope you’ll bookmark this page to refer back to it. Another convenient way to save the conversions is to use this Pinterest-friendly image:
