Reducing sugar doesnât have to mean giving up sweet foods altogether. There are now plenty of sugar alternatives available, but theyâre not all the same. Monk fruit and maltitol are two options you may come across when looking for lower-sugar foods. Whilst both can provide sweetness without relying on ordinary table sugar, they come from very different sources and behave differently in the body.
So, when it comes to monk fruit vs maltitol, how do they compare? Weâre taking a closer look at what maltitol is, where itâs used, its calories and possible side effects, before comparing it with monk fruit for everyday use.
What is maltitol?
Maltitol is a type of sugar alcohol, also known as a polyol. Despite the name, sugar alcohols donât contain the type of alcohol found in alcoholic drinks. Commercial maltitol is produced from maltose, which is usually obtained from starch before being hydrogenated to create maltitol. On an ingredients list, you may also see it referred to as the sweetener E965.
One of the reasons maltitol is popular with food manufacturers is that its sweetness is fairly close to ordinary sugar. It can also provide some of the bulk and texture that sugar gives to foods, something that highly concentrated sweeteners cannot always do on their own. This makes maltitol particularly useful in products such as confectionery and chocolate, where texture is just as important as sweetness.
Is maltitol sugar-free?
Maltitol itself is not classed as a sugar. It belongs to the polyol family of carbohydrates instead. This means maltitol is commonly used in products marketed as sugar-free or reduced-sugar. However, the presence of maltitol doesnât automatically mean the finished product contains no sugar at all. Itâs always worth checking the full ingredients list and nutritional information.
Is maltitol calorie-free?
No, maltitol isn’t calorie-free. Polyols such as maltitol are calculated at around 2.4 calories per gram. Ordinary carbohydrates, including sugars, are calculated at around 4 calories per gram. Maltitol therefore provides fewer calories than sugar, but it isnât a zero-calorie sweetener. This is one of the biggest differences when comparing monk fruit vs maltitol. Pure monk fruit extract is used in tiny amounts because it is considerably sweeter than sugar and provides sweetness without the calories associated with sugar or polyols.
What is maltitol found and used in?
Maltitol is most commonly found in processed foods where manufacturers want to reduce the sugar content whilst keeping a sugar-like sweetness, texture and mouthfeel.
You may find maltitol in:
- Sugar-free chocolate and confectionery
- Sugar-free sweets
- Chewing gum
- Protein and snack bars
- Reduced-sugar biscuits and baked goods
- Low-sugar desserts and ice cream
- Keto and low-carb packaged snacks
- Pharmaceutical tablets and coatings
Maltitol is useful to manufacturers for more than sweetness. It can act as a bulking ingredient and help with texture, moisture and the overall feel of a finished product.
What is monk fruit?
Monk fruit, also known as Luo Han Guo, is a small fruit traditionally grown in Southern China. Its intense sweetness comes from naturally occurring compounds called mogrosides.
Find out more about Monk Fruit here.
Monk fruit vs maltitol: What are the differences?
Although both ingredients can help reduce the amount of sugar used in food, the similarities largely stop there.
| Monk Fruit | Maltitol | |
| Source | Extracted from monk fruit, also known as Luo Han Guo | Sugar alcohol produced from maltose |
| Sweetness | Around 150 to 300 times sweeter than sugar, depending on the extract | Close to the sweetness of sugar |
| Calories | 0 | Around 2.4 calories per gram for UK nutrition labelling |
| Sugar | Zero sugar | A polyol rather than a sugar |
| Blood sugar impact | Pure monk fruit does not provide sugar and is used in very small amounts | Lower impact than sugar, but not necessarily zero |
| Digestive tolerance | Generally well tolerated when used normally | Larger amounts can cause digestive discomfort |
| Tooth friendly | Yes | Does not promote tooth decay in the same way as sugar |
| Bulk and texture | Very concentrated, so provides little bulk | Provides useful bulk and sugar-like texture |
| Common uses | Drinks, cooking, baking and everyday sweetening | Chocolate, sweets, baked goods and processed sugar-free foods |
| Best for | Everyday sugar replacement and reducing calorie or sugar intake | Products where manufacturers need sweetness as well as bulk and texture |
Maltitol side effects
The best-known maltitol side effects are digestive. Maltitol isnât completely absorbed in the small intestine. The portion that remains can continue into the large intestine, where it may be fermented by gut bacteria. In larger quantities, this can cause bloating, wind, stomach discomfort or diarrhoea.
This is also why you may have noticed a laxative warning on some packets of sugar-free sweets or chocolate. In the UK, foods containing more than 10% added polyols must carry a warning that excessive consumption may cause a laxative effect. You donât get the same polyol-related laxative effect from pure monk fruit, as monk fruit isnât a sugar alcohol.
Maltitol and blood sugar
Another important point in the monk fruit vs maltitol comparison is blood glucose. Replacing sugar with maltitol can result in a lower rise in blood glucose than eating the same product made with ordinary sugar. That said, maltitol isnât necessarily completely neutral when it comes to blood sugar.
Monk fruit works differently. Pure monk fruit extract contains no sugar and is so intensely sweet that only a tiny amount is required. If youâre managing diabetes or closely monitoring carbohydrate intake, itâs still important to look at the nutritional information for the entire food rather than focusing on the sweetener alone. A product made with monk fruit or maltitol can contain other carbohydrate-containing ingredients.
Monk fruit vs maltitol: Whatâs best for everyday use?
Maltitol certainly has its uses. It gives manufacturers a way to reduce sugar whilst keeping some of the bulk, mouthfeel and texture people expect from chocolate, confectionery and baked products. For everyday sweetening, though, monk fruit has a few clear advantages.
Monk fruit provides sweetness without sugar or calories, doesnât belong to the polyol family and doesnât come with the digestive effects associated with eating larger amounts of maltitol. Because itâs so concentrated, you also only need a small amount to sweeten drinks, food and recipes. Maltitol makes the most sense when the physical properties of sugar are needed as part of the finished product. Monk fruit makes more sense when sweetness itself is the priority.
Try monk fruit From Buddha Fruit
For an everyday sugar alternative, we prefer to keep things simpler. Monk fruit provides naturally derived sweetness with zero sugar and zero calories, without relying on a sugar alcohol. If youâre looking to cut down on sugar in your tea, coffee, cooking or baking, take a look at our range of monk fruit products , and recipes!
To find out more, read our story or view our monk fruit products today!
