Low-carb and no-carb sweeteners are very popular with the rise in low-carb diets like the ketogenic diet. After all, having something taste sweet without all the calories and sugar comes with some perks!
The sugars and sweeteners with the lowest carbs include:
- Acesulfame potassium
- Advantame
- Arabitol
- Aspartame
- Erythritol
- Monk fruit sweetener
- Neotame
- Saccharin
- Steviol glycosides (Stevia)
- Sucralose
We’ll discuss each of these low-carb sweeteners in detail (as well as compare their nutrition stats) next!
Carbs in sweeteners
Sugars and sweeteners are used for cooking, baking, and sweetening drinks like coffee and tea. The amount of carbs in these sweeteners can vary a lot depending on the type.
Artificial and no-calorie sweeteners are sweet but don’t contain carbs, calories, or sugar. These can be popular options if you have diabetes, are trying to lose weight, or are on a low-carb diet like keto. Examples of no-calorie sweeteners include Splenda/sucralose (artificial) and monk fruit sweetener (natural no-calorie sweetener).
On the other hand, “real” sugars like table sugar, honey, and maple syrup contain carbs in the form of sugar. These sugars aren’t ideal for low-carb diets and impact your blood sugar levels.
10 sugars and sweeteners with the least carbs
It’s not surprising that the lowest-carb sweeteners are primarily artificial sweeteners. All of these don’t contain any carbs because they aren’t “real” sugars – and they’re sweeter than table sugar, so you can use less of them compared to regular sugar.
The amount of carbs listed is per serving (usually one packet or 1-2 teaspoons).
Acesulfame potassium – 0 grams
This artificial sweetener is sold under the brand names Sunnett and Sweet One. Acesulfame potassium is used not only to sweeten drinks and foods without adding calories or sugar but it’s used in personal care products like toothpaste as well.
Acesulfame potassium (also called Ace-K) is one of the ingredients in Equal, a popular artificial sweetener.
Advantame – 0 grams
This artificial sweetener is around 20,000 times sweeter than table sugar! Advantame is used both as a tabletop sweetener and as an additive in many types of foods (except meat and poultry). You can also find Advantame in sugar-free drinks, gum, and other products.
Arabitol – 0 grams
Arabitol is a sugar alcohol, which is a type of low-calorie sweetener. Sugar alcohols are popular in sugar-free chewing gums, but beware – consuming too many sugar alcohols can result in stomach upset, such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
Aspartame – 0 grams
One of the more popular artificial sweeteners, aspartame is sold under the brand names Equal and Nutrasweet (it’s combined with Ace-K in Equal).
Aspartame is one of the high-intensity sweeteners (meaning they are much sweeter than table sugar) approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Aspartame isn’t heat-resistant, so it’s usually used in cold foods like sugar-free beverages and other products that aren’t exposed to high temperatures.
Aspartame contains the amino acid phenylalanine, so it’s not suitable if you have a rare metabolic condition called phenylketonuria (PKU), which is when your body can’t metabolize phenylalanine.
Erythritol – 0 grams
Another sugar alcohol like arabitol, erythritol is a favorite among keto dieters.
Sugar alcohols can occur naturally in foods, but are isolated to manufacture sugar alcohols like pure erythritol. For that reason, sugar alcohols can be considered more natural than man-made artificial sweeteners like aspartame.
Monk fruit sweetener – 0 grams
Unlike most of the low-carb sweeteners on this list, monk fruit sweetener is considered a natural no-calorie sweetener. It’s made from the Luo Han Guo plant, a vine that is native to China.
Monk fruit sweetener is around 100-250 times sweeter than sugar, so it’s not a high-intensity sweetener like some artificial sweeteners that are up to 20,000 times sweeter than sugar.
Neotame – 0 grams
Neotame is around 8,000 times sweeter than table sugar. It’s stable at high temperatures, making it a good option for baked goods and other foods that are exposed to heat (unlike aspartame which isn’t resistant to heat).
Saccharin – 0 grams
You’ll probably recognize saccharin by its brand name – Sweet n’ Low. It’s around 500 times sweeter than table sugar. Still, some people describe it as having a bitter aftertaste, so it might not appeal to everyone (as is the case with many artificial and no-calorie sweeteners).
Steviol glycosides (Stevia) -1 gram per packet
Stevia is popular as a natural low-carb sweetener. It’s around 200-350 times sweeter and is made from the leaves of the stevia plant. There is only one gram of carb per packet of stevia, making it much lower in carbs than table sugar which contains 4 grams of carbs per teaspoon.
Sucralose – 0 grams
Another popular artificial sweetener, sucralose is sold under the brand name Splenda. Unlike other artificial sweeteners, sucralose is made from real sugar!
Splenda is found in a variety of products like sugar-free and reduced-sugar baked goods, protein powders, and many others.
Nutritional comparison of lowest-carb sugars and sweeteners
- Acesulfame potassium
- Advantame
- Arabitol
- Aspartame
- Erythritol
- Monk fruit sweetener
- Neotame
- Saccharin
- Steviol glycosides (Stevia)
- Sucralose
| Sweetener | Calories | Total carbs | Sugars |
| Acesulfame potassium | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Advantame | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arabitol | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aspartame | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Erythritol | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Monk fruit sweetener | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Neotame | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Saccharin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steviol glycosides (Stevia) – 1 packet | 0 | 1 g | 0 g |
| Sucralose | 0 | 0 | 0 |
FAQs:
Artificial sweeteners (sucralose, aspartame, etc.) and other non-nutritive sweeteners like monk fruit sweetener and stevia have the least amount of carbs.
Many people prefer more natural, low- or no-calorie sweeteners like stevia, monk fruit sweetener, and erythritol. These sweeteners don’t contain sugar but taste sweeter than regular (table) sugar.
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