What Is Golden Monk Fruit?
Quick Answer
Golden monk fruit is a sugar substitute derived from the monk fruit’s peel and seeds. It resembles brown sugar and is known for being significantly sweeter and a zero-calorie alternative to traditional sugar, making it ideal for those on low-calorie diets.
Golden monk fruit is often compared to brown sugar in flavor but can be used as a substitute for both white and brown sugar in baking and cooking.
Read on for more detail
It seems like monk fruit and golden monk fruit are all over the place these days. People just can’t get enough!
You might be tempted to give it a try and see how you can incorporate this food into your recipe and snack rotation.
But if youโve been looking at recipes or maybe hearing about it from others, itโs a good idea to do your research first and know just what youโre looking at!
So what exactly is golden monk fruit? Golden monk fruit is a sugar substitute sweetener that is made with monk fruit, but it is not an actual fruit. It looks similar to brown sugar when purchased. It’s considered a healthier alternative to sugar.
This particular item is popular for Keto and other similar lifestyles.ย
There is golden monk fruit as well as white monk fruit. We think you will find these to be interesting foods that are really great options when youโre looking for healthy substitutes.
In this guide, we will walk you through a complete overview of just what golden monk fruit is.
We will talk about how itโs made as well as things like the taste, the texture, and uses. White monk fruit is another option so we will compare to this as well and maybe even give you some more sugar substitutes to be familiar with.ย
Stick with us to learn all about golden monk fruit, and more!
Golden Monk Fruit Explained
If you’re a fruit lover, don’t disappear!
Despite the name, golden monk fruit actually is not a fruit. We know the title is tricky but it has some really awesome uses. So stay with us!
Golden monk fruit was designed to be a sugar substitute. It comes from the plant Siraitia grosvenorii swingle. This plant produces fruit that is often referred to as monk fruit.
Golden monk fruit is the brown sweetener that is made from the peel and seeds of monk fruit.ย White monk fruit is a sweetener made from the white pulp of monk fruit.
FYI, when you hear about monk fruit or monk fruit sweetener in a product, it probably refers to white monk fruit sweetener, rather than the fruit itself.
Why Do People Love Monk Fruit?
Monk fruit gets its sweet flavor from mogrosides. Each piece of dried monk fruit will have anywhere from .5 to 1% of these components.ย
What you may not know is that mogrosides are actually found in a lot of ripened fruit and some tiers can be very sweet. These are known as mogrosides V.
In fact, this particular tier of monk fruit is up to 200x sweeter than your regular table sugar. It takes a significant amount of monk fruit in order to make even one pound of the extract used in sweeteners.ย
Golden monk fruit is a product created from this extract. It looks a lot like brown sugar and is super sweet.
Some think it’s a healthier sweetener than regular table sugar because it has zero calories.ย Golden monk fruit is often used to replace sugar in recipes.
What you will find is that there are a lot of golden monk fruit options and brands. They come with different ingredients and make ups.
You can even buy this in a liquid or solid form if you prefer. You have tons of options to get what will work best for your needs.ย
We will compare it to some other sweeteners later in this guide just so you know how it measures up against things like xylitol. We will also talk about how it tastes and even compare it to white monk fruit so stay tuned for those details.ย
How Does Golden Monk Fruit Taste?
When you consider the flavor of golden monk fruit, it really is more comparable in flavor to brown sugar, just as it looks like brown sugar. Itโs really pretty interesting.
However, you’ll want to remember that golden monk fruit can be super sweet. Itโs really great for baking because of the sweetness. And just like brown sugar, it can replace traditional sugar in most recipes.
Golden monk fruit sweetener is described as tasting like really sweet maple or brown sugar.
The taste is unique but if you know the taste of brown sugar or maple syrup, combine those together and you get something pretty similar to golden monk fruit.ย
Hereโs the thing, though.
Itโs a common misconception that golden monk fruit is meant to substitute brown sugar. That is actually not the case. It CAN substitute brown sugar but it is just as great for substituting traditional white, granulated sugar as well.ย
So if you’re new to baking, don’t worry about which sugar you’re replacing with golden monk fruit.
Because of the sweetness, golden monk fruit is typically best for making sweet treats.
Itโs a really great option when you are baking or making other sweet delicacies. If you are making something meant to be less sweet, you might consider using white monk fruit instead.ย
What Is The Texture Of Golden Monk Fruit?ย
Golden monk fruit can be found in different forms.
You can find it in granulated form, just like you would sugar or brown sugar. You can also find harder forms like cubes. Apart from that, you can find liquid solutions.ย The liquid solutions include drops as well as syrups.ย
Obviously, the texture will vary depending on whether you choose to use a solid form or a liquid form.
The liquid form is somewhat thick but may also have water added to it to thin it out some. The solid forms are very similar in texture to table sugar and brown sugar.
You will also find that apart from different textures, you can find pure blends or extracts and you can find variations that have fillers and additives or that have been watered down.
If youโre looking for that healthier alternative, be sure to check those details as some companies have so many additives and fillers that it isnโt really a better choice than sugar.ย
On the other hand, a lot of companies keep it pretty pure so you can find good options in that realm still.
Golden Monk Fruit Vs. White Monk Fruit
If youโre thinking golden monk fruit must be to substitute brown sugar and white monk fruit might be for white sugar, youโre both wrong and right at the same time!
When you compare the differences, the most noticeable are the colors and flavors.
- White monk fruit is sweet, but itโs also crisp in its sweetness. It is closer to white sugar as far as sweetness goes.
This can be a great additive for baking but could also be just the right amount of sweetness to replace the sweetener in your coffee or when making things like meringue and other semi-sweet treats.ย
- Golden monk fruit, again, is sweeter than white monk fruit, and tastes more like brown sugar or even maple syrup.
Itโs perfect for baking sweet treats and will look more like brown sugar while having a flavor similar to sweet maple.ย
Golden Monk Fruit Vs. Xylitol
Differences: Xylitol
Xylitol has long been a popular option for a sweetener substitute, but golden monk fruit might just give it a run for its money.ย
The nice thing about xylitol is you donโt have to figure out how to adjust measurements to enjoy it. It can be used as a substitute in equal measurements to regular sugar.
It tastes very similar to table sugar, though with a bit of an aftertaste to it.ย
Xylitol is also similar in texture to table sugar. It comes granulated, making it a good resource for things like baked goods. On the other hand, xylitol can sometimes be hard to dissolve and it can sometimes leave a bitter aftertaste.ย
If youโre watching carbs or sugar levels, xylitol is actually one of the highest substitutes on the glycemic index, even though it is still a little better than sugar.ย
Differences: Golden Monk Fruit
Depending on what golden monk fruit you purchase, you might be able to substitute it at a 1:1 ratio for table and brown sugar.
However, this works best when it is not just pure monk fruit. Otherwise, you might have to adjust the amount of golden monk fruit that you use to get your substitution just right.ย
If anything, you might want to use a bit less golden monk fruit since it’s so sweet.
Xylitol Vs. Golden Monk Fruit: Is One Better?
The primary difference between golden monk fruit and xylitol is the fact that golden monk fruit comes in so many different forms so you have to know how to adjust if you get something pure or undiluted.ย
Golden monk fruit is super sweet, far sweeter than white sugar, and sweeter than xylitol or stevia.ย
Golden monk fruit is lower on the glycemic index than xylitol. Itโs less likely to spike blood sugars and great for low-cal sweetening as well. Golden monk fruit is finer than xylitol.
For most considering a sugar alternative, golden monk fruit is the winner, but this varies by personal needs and taste, especially how easily you want to substitute your sweetener for table sugar!
Golden Monk Fruit Vs. Stevia
When you compare monk fruit to stevia, you will find that they are very comparable in the level of sweetness.
Like golden monk fruit, stevia doesnโt raise blood sugar levels as much, so both are often considered very useful as a sugar substitute.ย They are both low on the glycemic index.
Both of these are very comparable in sweetness and tend to taste sweeter than options like xylitol. Just like monk fruit, stevia can also be found in powders, liquid forms, and granulated forms as well.ย
Stevia
Stevia tends to have some side effects for people.
Not everyone experiences these, but it has been known to sometimes cause bloating, gas, and a bit of nausea.
Stevia is also known for having a somewhat bitter aftertaste. Despite the overall sweetness, this is a turn off for some people.ย
Some people say that Stevia tastes a little bit like licorice. Stevia also comes from a plant family that is known to cause allergic reactions in some people.
Itโs related to common allergens like ragweed, sunflowers, daisies, and chrysanthemums, so if any of these could be an allergy trigger for you, it is best you avoid stevia to be safe.ย
Golden Monk Fruit Vs. Stevia
Monk fruit has zero calories and is often recommended for weight loss use. Monk fruit has also so far never been shown to have negative side effects like gas and bloating.ย
Both stevia and monk fruit can typically be used at a 1:1 ratio, or slightly less. It depends on what you are making and which form you are using.
Monk fruit sweetness comes from an antioxidant and is naturally low-glycemic with some added health benefits.ย
Stevia is still low on the glycemic index and considered a safe alternative for many.
At the end of the day, anyone without an allergy risk who doesn’t experience any uncomfortable side effects will probably enjoy either golden monk fruit or stevia. It’s really down to taste.
Though as always, be sure to check with a doctor and/or nutritionist to be safe when making a dietary change!
Does All Golden Monk Fruit Have Fillers?ย
Golden monk fruit in its pure form is extremely sweet.
If you use pure golden monk fruit you have to be cautious and you will definitely have to adjust your recipes as well to compensate for that sweetness. A little bit really will go a long way!
With that in mind, you can use mini measuring spoons to achieve the same flavor and you donโt need nearly as much to accomplish your sweetness.
However, you can also buy golden monk fruit that has additives and fillers and yet is still deemed to be a healthy sweetener alternative.
You probably will not want to use pure golden monk fruit, except maybe for things like coffee which don’t need much anyway.
In its pure form, it does not usually come in the typical granulated form table sugar does.ย
Golden monk fruit, much like any other form of sweetener out there, is typically enhanced with a bulking agent so that it can stretch farther and be easier to adapt to your recipes.
It is basically already diluted so that you donโt have to worry about how to adjust recipes much. It may sound bad to have your golden monk fruit watered down, literally or with other fillers, but really, you probably won’t miss it with all the sweetness!
If you’re concerned, just check the ingredients to be sure the filler used is safe for your dietary needs. Most likely it will be something like water which is safe, or erythritol, which has also been found to be safe so far for human consumption.
Best Golden Monk Fruit Sweetener
If youโre looking to try golden monk fruit yourself, we have a popular recommendation for you:
Lakanto Golden Monkfruit Sweetener
This is one of the most popular brands out there for golden monk fruit.
Itโs a zero calorie and zero glycemic option that is popular with those on the Keto diet. It has no carbs and is in a form that it can be used as a 1:1 replacement for your sugar in just about any recipe.ย
This golden monk fruit is made with erythritol to help dilute it and turn it into a granulated solution so that you can easily use it in your recipes.ย
Related Questions
We hope you found this guide to be a valuable resource to understanding what golden monk fruit is.
Itโs a sugar substitute with a similar color, flavor, and consistency to brown sugar. It is very sweet and makes a good substitute for things like Keto and blood sugar challenges.ย
We invite you to take a look at these common questions and answers for some additional details that may be helpful for you:
Is Golden Monk Fruit Like Brown Sugar?
Golden monk fruit is considered to be like brown sugar as far as flavor and sweetness, but it is actually more commonly used to substitute for white sugar in baking recipes.
It tastes a lot like brown sugar and maple syrup.
Golden monk fruit can be used to substitute both white and brown sugar. It is very sweet so you will probably need a little bit less of it to perfect your recipe.ย
Is Golden Monk Fruit Healthy?
When you compare golden monk fruit to something like granulated sugar, it is often considered a healthier option.
Golden monk fruit falls very low on the glycemic scale and itโs a zero-calorie sweetener.
At the end of the day, however, it still contains sugar. So while golden monk fruit could be a better option for you than traditional sugar, you still donโt want to overuse it.ย Ask a doctor if it’s a good choice for you.
Is Golden Or White Monk Fruit Better?ย
It really just depends on what you are making.
If you are sweetening tea and coffee or maybe even making meringue, white monk fruit might be the best. Itโs crisp and sweet.
However, if youโre baking or making really sweet treats, golden monk fruit is the more popular choice.ย
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Iโve been using lankanto monkfruit for a while now and I am sad to hear about the news with Erythritol. Whatโs your opinion on this? Is it fear mongering?