Five Reasons Why Maltitol Might Be Your Next Favorite Sweetener

As fun as Maroon 5’s 2015 hit “Sugar” might be, sugar itself is no laughing matter. It’s well established by now that we as a society go a little overboard with cane and corn syrup sweetener. According to the Paleo Foundation, the average American ingests more than 71 grams of sugar a day, almost 50% more than the FDA’s recommended daily amount. We all want to be healthy, but nobody wants to give up their favorite treats. If you’re here, you’re probably looking for ways you can have your cake and eat it too. You might have heard of a little something called maltitol. It’s been blogged about, podcasted about, and debated on fitness and health message boards. Like any sweetener, there’s some give and take so we put together a little guide as to why we decided to make our chocolates with it.

  1. Maltitol’s flavor and function are more similar to sugar than other substitutes, with a big plus—none of the chemical aftertaste that comes with most alternative sweeteners. When you crave something sugary, maltitol comes pretty close to the real thing.

  2. Many alternative sweeteners come from a test tube, not a tree. Aspartame and sucralose are classic examples of artificial sugar substitutes. Occurring naturally in various fruits and vegetables, Maltitol is made from wheat and corn, providing a welcome contrast to factory-made flavors.

  3. Though it’s not calorie-free like Splenda or Truvia, maltitol’s 2.1 calories per gram make it a solid bang for your caloric buck when compared to sugar’s 4 calories per gram and honey’s 3 calories per gram.

  4. Tooth decay is something 5 out of 5 dentists can agree is bad and conventional sugar is a major culprit. Thankfully, the bacteria that cause tooth decay can’t interact with Maltitol so you can enjoy more sweetness and fewer trips to the dentist.

  5. If you’re diabetic, glycemic index is everything and you’ll be pleased to learn that the powdered maltitol we use in our chocolates registers at 35 is nearly half that of conventional sugar—at 65. Though as a syrup it drifts closer to 50, maltitol in any form still clocks in at the low range, making it an ideal option for those looking to keep their sugar consumption low.

All this said, maltitol should be consumed consciously. Though healthier than traditional sugar by caloric, carb, and glycemic index standards, personal needs should be taken into consideration. It’s also worth noting that the principle of moderation also applies to maltitol. Consuming more than 90 grams a day has been observed to cause stomach aches. Thankfully, with only 5 grams per truffle, you won’t have to worry about that with ERND snacks. Enjoy yourself! If you give maltitol a try, you might be in for your sweetest summer yet.

Want to do more research? Check out these articles:

Is Maltitol suitable for the Keto Certified Program?
What is Maltitol and is it safe?