Chocolate without sugar

Read this article to find out how you can enjoy chocolatewithout the sugar!

Photo Credit: Myrtle Liew
By K Sprang

Chocolate has come a long way, baby. For years after it was invented, this confection was sweetened with calorie-laden white sugar. Eating chocolate and its white sugar was blamed for not only causing weight gain, but it was also blamed for causing cavities.

But, no matter, people across the world still ate this sweet, creamy creation. It was eaten in the form of chocolate bars, as a hot drink, and as a tasty flavoring in cakes, pies, and cookies.

Then, in later years, companies who manufactured products made from chocolate knew they had to eliminate the sugar and replace it with a healthier, lower calorie substitute.

Today, you can purchase chocolate bars and other forms of this candy that proclaim they are “sugar free.” While they don’t contain white sugar, they do contain a variety of artificial sweeteners. Some of the most popular sugar substitutes are Aspartame, Xylitol, Isomalt, and Sucralose, just to name a few.

Aspartame is probably the most popular alternative to white sugar. It’s eaten by over two hundred million people in over six thousand products around the world. Aspartame can be safely eaten by people who suffer from Diabetes. It’s also an artificial sweetener that doesn’t cause cavities. And, if you’re watching your weight, using Aspartame in the place of white sugar can help you to reduce your caloric intake. If you’re baking or cooking with chocolate, you can use Aspartame in place of sugar in most recipes.

Xylitol is a white crystal that also looks and tastes sweet like sugar. It’s been around a long time, since the 1960’s. It can be found in many chocolate confections, as well as in chewing gum, toothpaste, jams, jellies, et cetera. This replacement has a third fewer calories than sugar. Xylitol can be purchased in single packets or in five pound bags so you can use it at home.

Isomalt is commonly added to cocoa butter, chocolate, and other ingredients to sweeten chocolate bars, as well as other tasty confections. If you’re looking for chocolate without sugar, then look for products that contain Isomalt as a substitute.

Just like Xylitol, Isomalt has been used since the 1960’s. It’s made from sugar and you can find it in chocolate fudge and other candies. It’s very much like its counterparts because it looks and tastes like sugar. Isomalt is a tasty alternative to sugar because it has less calories and it does not cause cavities in teeth. It also makes chocolate look the same and have the same creamy texture as sugar does.

Xylitol and Isomalt are just two sweet replacements that are known as “Sugar Alcohols.” “Sugar alcohols” give chocolate and other confections a pleasingly sweet taste and a creamy consistency without adding calories. The only known problem with this type of sweetener is that if you eat too much chocolate that contains one of them, you might have a laxative effect on you.

Many people complain of the tart after taste that some of the sugar substitutes leave in your mouth. Sucralose, which is made from white sugar, is a popular replacement because it has no unpleasant taste. You can cook, bake, and use Sucralose in drinks and it will dissolve, taste, and act just like sugar.

If you’re looking at your local grocery store for Sucralose, you can find it in packets, boxes, or bags
under the brand name of Splenda (TM). Splenda (TM) has no calories, is safe for use by Diabetics, children, and pregnant women.

So, if you’re looking for sugar free chocolate, or, you want a replacement for sugar in your recipes,
try one of these and you can still enjoy sweets!