Keto Sweets

Are these sweets sugar free or no added sugar?

Two konjac jelly pouches meet the sugars free condition of no more than 0.5 g per 100 g. Green apple declares 0 g and fresh strawberry 0.4 g; no other pack reaches that line.

One threshold down is low in sugars, which allows up to 5 g per 100 g. Seventeen packs sit at or under it and twelve run higher, up to 12.2 g in the caramelised hazelnut chocolate.

No added sugar is a third claim, with no gram limit attached, and it does not cover this shelf end to end. Three packs list a sugar in their ingredients: dextrose in the Tropical Coconut bar, sucrose in the fruit pieces of the Wild Raspberry and the Sunshine Orange chocolate.

The two packs that do carry the sugars free wording are the konjac jelly pouches, 150 g at £2.49.

What is sweet but has no sugar?

Erythritol, isomalt, maltitol syrup, steviol glycosides and chicory inulin do the sweetening here. None of them is a sugar.

Erythritol sweetens the chocolate, bars, spreads and jelly pouches, usually with steviol glycosides. Isomalt and maltitol syrup appear on the two bags of sweets only, the croissants use sodium cyclamate, and inulin adds bulk and fibre.

Consumption of foods containing isomalt and maltitol instead of sugar induces a lower blood glucose rise after their consumption compared to sugar containing foods. The effect comes from the swap itself: two sweets, around 17 kcal, eaten instead of a sugar sweetened one, as part of a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.

Polyols carry a second property: excessive consumption may produce laxative effects, which is why the serving there is two sweets.

Which sweetener suits a keto diet is a separate question: our guide to the best sweeteners for keto compares erythritol, maltitol and stevia.

What are the best sugar free sweets?

Pick by the sugars line on the pack, not by the wording on the front. Per label serving, the shelf reads like this:

• Konjac jelly pouch, 150 g: 0 g to 4.8 g of sugars, £2.49
• Keto candy, 70 g bag: 3.8 g per 100 g, around £0.27 for a two sweet serving
• Keto bar, 40 g: 1.0 g to 4.7 g of sugars, £2.69 to £3.19
• Vegan keto chocolate, 26 g serving: 1.1 g to 3.2 g of sugars, £3.99 an 80 g bar
• Keto cream, 25 g spoon: 1.2 g to 2.0 g of sugars, £8.49 to £10.99 a 250 g jar
• Keto cookie, peanut butter 50 g: 4.9 g of sugars a biscuit, £2.29
• Low carb croissant, 50 g: 0.5 g of sugars each, £2.49 and £2.69

The cheapest way in is a £2.29 biscuit or a £2.49 pouch; a 250 g jar works out at £0.85 to £1.10 a spoon.

Are sugar free sweets healthy?

Sweets made without added sugar are still confectionery, not a health food. Taking the sugar out does not take out the fat or the energy.

A 40 g bar declares 165 kcal to 260 kcal, a 26 g piece of chocolate 135 kcal to 156 kcal, a 150 g jelly pouch 6 kcal to 20 kcal, and two toffee sweets around 17 kcal.

Where can you buy sugar free sweets in the UK?

Tesco, Asda and Holland and Barrett all stock sugar free sweets. Those ranges are boiled sweets, mints and gummies, usually sweetened with isomalt or maltitol.

This shop ships its keto range across the United Kingdom: chocolate, bars, spreads, biscuits, jelly pouches and sweets.

The widest spread of sugars sits in the chocolate, 4.4 g to 12.2 g per 100 g; our keto chocolate page lists it bar by bar.

Check the sugars line, then order: pouches from £2.49, bars from £2.69 and chocolate from £3.99 an 80 g bar.

Frequently asked questions

Do sugar free sweets contain carbohydrates?

Yes, and often a high figure. The toffee sweets declare 80 g of carbohydrate per 100 g next to 3.8 g of sugars, because polyols count inside the carbohydrate line.

Are sugar free sweets lower in calories than ordinary sweets?

A little, not dramatically. Polyols are counted at 2.4 kcal per gram against 4 kcal for sugar, while fat still carries 9 kcal. The toffee bag declares 284 kcal per 100 g.

Why do sugar free sweets carry a laxative warning?

Because polyols are not fully absorbed. British labelling rules require a food with more than 10 per cent added polyols to say that excessive consumption may produce laxative effects.

Can you eat sugar free sweets on a keto diet?

Read the carbohydrate line, not the wording. The vanilla brownie bar declares 3.6 g of carbohydrate in 40 g and a 25 g spoon of the peanut butter spread 2.3 g.

Are any of these sweets vegan?

The vegan chocolate and the brownie bar. The toffee sweets, the Dubai chocolate and several spreads contain milk, so read the allergen line on each pack.

Do any of these sweets contain gluten?

Both croissants declare gluten and wheat. The plain one also lists oats and milk, the filled one hazelnuts, and the toffee sweets are labelled gluten free. Nuts run through the rest of the shelf: macadamia, pistachio, pecans, almonds and peanuts.