5 Best Sugar-Free Chocolate Syrups Of 2024
Long gone is the era where sugar-free options are few and far between, and these days they actually taste pretty good! Well, most of them. It may be hard to imagine enjoying sugar-free chocolate syrup, but trust us, it can be done.
What makes for the best sugar-free chocolate syrups? The best sugar-free chocolate syrups still have the consistency and flavor of regular chocolate syrups. They should not taste like artificial sweeteners or have a strange aftertaste. The best sugar-free chocolate syrups still have a velvety texture and can be served warm without separating.
Several chocolate syrup makers now offer a sugar-free version of their product, but not all the sugar-free versions are as good as the original.
Read on to learn what to look for in sugar-free chocolate syrup and see our top picks on the market today!
Why are Some Sugar-Free Chocolate Syrups Better Than Others?
Removing sugar from something like chocolate syrup is not as simple as just removing the sugar.
Sugar has more purpose than just creating sweetness. Sugar’s main role is as a sweetening agent, but it also contributes to the consistency, texture, and meltability of syrup.
There are a lot of sugar substitutes that may not interfere with the flavor but may change the texture or separate when the syrup is warmed up.
The best sugar-free chocolate syrups have taken all of this into consideration when developing their products.
There are artificial sweeteners, natural sweeteners, and alcohol-based artificial sweeteners. All of these have pros and cons as they relate to flavor, consistency, and texture. Most sugar-free products use a mixture of the available options.
If the balance of the syrup is off, it may not hold up well when warmed or could have a weird texture. Producing a sugar-free chocolate syrup that can hold up to the standard set by the original is no easy task.
In some cases, other ingredients are added to fill in where sugar was involved, either as a stabilizer or textural element. One of the hardest things to accomplish without sugar is maintaining a good consistency when melted.
Flavor
Cane sugar has a unique mild sweetness, unlike honey or even brown sugar, which have distinct flavors.
If honey was used to sweeten chocolate syrup, it would be easy to detect. Some artificial sweeteners can be too sweet, while natural sweeteners can be underwhelming.
The best sugar-free chocolate syrups still have the right amount of sweetness without overpowering the chocolate or leaving an aftertaste. The chocolatey flavor must remain the most prominent taste.
Some artificial sweeteners and sugar alternatives have a strong taste that can easily overpower the delicate nuttiness of the chocolate. This is why sugar-free products usually contain a few different substitutes.
The Consistency and Texture
Sugar’s other culinary purpose in syrups is to serve as a stabilizer and thickening agent.
When dissolved into the chocolate sauce, sugar contributes to the creamy and thick consistency. It also dissolves completely, leading to the velvety smooth texture of chocolate sauce.
When cane sugar is melted, it basically turns into a syrup, and is especially smooth due to its granular nature. Powdered sugar substitutes can sometimes create a chalky texture or may not melt the same.
A sugar-free chocolate syrup that is still velvety, smooth, and thick is half the battle. The other requirement has to do with meltability. Sugar also allows chocolate syrup to be warmed up without separating.
The best sugar-free chocolate syrups can also adorn your sundae hot, without separating or appearing greasy.
They also will not thin out when warmed. Some sugar alternatives do not bind well when warmed and will thin out or even separate.
Quality Ingredients
Adding to the challenge faced in producing some of the best chocolate syrups is the popular desire to avoid questionable chemicals and food additives.
Some of the best sugar substitutes that would not change the flavor or texture of the chocolate syrup may not be the best for us.
We understand everyone has different views on artificial sweeteners, so we made sure to list the ones used in the sugar-free chocolate syrups that made our list.
Our list includes one completely naturally sweetened product. The others are sweetened with either powdered artificial sweeteners or alcohol-based artificial sweeteners.
Of the powdered artificial sweeteners, Splenda seems to be the best for syrups.
The source of the chocolate is also important for chocolate syrups. Some products will use cocoa powder, cocoa butter, dark chocolate, or a mixture of them all.
The 5 Best Sugar-Free Chocolate Syrups
There are at least a dozen well-known food companies that produce a sugar-free version of their chocolate syrup, and likely more on the way.
Some companies specialize in sugar-free or low-calorie products and have put out some incredible products.
Rank | Product | Key Features |
---|---|---|
1. | Torani Sugar-Free Chocolate Syrup | Thin syrup, sucralose sweetener |
2. | ChocZero’s Chocolate Sugar-Free Syrup | Thick and creamy, monk fruit sweetener |
3. | Smucker’s Sugar-Free Chocolate Sundae Syrup | Thick, maltitol and sucralose sweetener |
4. | Walden Farms Calorie-Free Chocolate Syrup | Thin, sucralose sweetener |
5. | Hershey’s Sugar-Free Syrup | Classic texture, sucralose sweetener |
We have gone through the most popular options and selected our top five, using the variables discussed earlier on to narrow down to the best.
You will be happy to see a few well-established syrup companies released sugar-free versions that made the list as well!
1. Torani Sugar-Free Chocolate Syrup
Torani is well known for the wide variety of syrups and flavorings, many of which are sugar free.
This chocolate syrup is a bit thinner than most and would be better suited for flavoring drinks, baked goods, or coffee.
You have probably seen Torani syrups at your local coffee shop.
This syrup is sweetened with sucralose, the same type of sweetener that makes up the base for Splenda.
Torani’s sugar-free chocolate syrup is also carb and calorie-free. Being so thin, it may not be the best option for ice cream, but is a great option for flavoring drinks and coffee.
2. ChocZero’s Chocolate Sugar-Free Syrup
ChocZero specializes in sugar-free chocolate products and is arguably one of the healthiest options.
It has no artificial ingredients, flavors, or preservatives. It is also fat-free and low-carb.
ChocZero proves that you can easily replace sugar by using natural alternatives.
ChocZero’s syrup has the ideal thick and creamy texture and can be warmed up. Just do not heat it up too much, as it can thin out if overheated.
ChocZero only has four ingredients, and two of them are related to chocolate. The other two are a sweetener and a fat.
The flavor is a little different due to its clean ingredients, but it is no less delicious, and the dark chocolate note adds a nice touch.
ChocZero uses monk fruit extract to sweeten its sugar-free chocolate syrup. Monk fruit is a naturally occurring sweetener that can have a unique taste. We actually have a whole article dedicated to the 7 best monk fruit sweeteners.
In this case, it goes well with the syrup, still allowing the chocolate to be the star of the show. This is not the sweetest option.
3. Smucker’s Sugar-Free Chocolate Flavored Sundae Syrup
Smucker’s is up there on the list of familiar companies you would trust to put out a good product.
Smucker’s sugar-free chocolate syrup was certainly well-developed. It is thick and flavorful, with a fudge-like consistency.
Smucker’s sugar-free chocolate syrup is great for chocolate milk and ice cream, but maybe not the best for use as a flavoring, due to its thickness.
Smucker’s is sweetened with maltitol and sucralose. Maltitol is a synthetic alcohol-based sweetener.
Smucker’s sugar-free chocolate syrup is higher on the calorie and carbs count as compared to others on this list. It also has the most fat out of the options on this list, which is why we would also say it is the most decadent.
While sugar-free, this is not the healthiest option.
4. Walden Farms Calorie-Free Chocolate Syrup
Walden Farms sugar-free chocolate syrup is another option that is also calorie-free, carb-free, and fat-free.
This product is thinner than other syrups on this list but still holds up nicely on ice cream and does not thin out much more when warmed up.
It works well as a flavoring syrup in drinks and baked goods. The taste is chocolate focused and the consistency is still nice and velvety, considering its thickness.
Sweetened with sucralose, Walden Farms sugar-free chocolate syrup hits all the flavor notes and has a great texture. It is one of the healthier artificially sweetened options on this list.
5. Hershey’s Sugar-Free Syrup
It would be disappointing if one of the most well-known chocolate companies didn’t succeed at developing a sugar-free version of their classic chocolate syrup.
Hershey’s did not disappoint. Their sugar-free chocolate sauce has it all.
Hershey’s sugar-free chocolate syrup is so close to the original that you may double check the bottle.
On top of being sugar-free, it is low-carb and gluten-free. It is also hard not to give it extra points for its familiarity.
Being closely related to its beloved original version, Hershey’s chocolate syrup maintains its consistency and texture, and can also be served warm. Hersey’s also uses sucralose as its sweetener.
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