Where to Buy Monk Fruit Sweeteners

Low Carb Basics

The Best Selling Monk Fruit Sweeteners are Here!

Over the last few years, researchers have shown us that sugar is not necessarily a safe sweetener. It can cause spikes in blood sugar levels, it converts to carbohydrates in the body, which can lead to weight gain, it can cause energy crashes throughout the day, it affects those with diabetes and it can even be a risk factor for heart disease – just to name a few. But if this is the case, then why is sugar in so many products, and why do we fall for its tricks? Well, the truth is, the sugar industry is a lot bigger than you may think. It’s so powerful that it can actually create laws to ban other sweeteners (sugar substitutes and alternatives) from even entering certain countries!

We have to credit early researchers who found issues with sugar and began to find alternative natural sweeteners like erythritol, which comes from fruits and vegetables likes corn and watermelon, Xylitol, which comes from birch bark, and Monk Fruit, which comes from a native plant in Southeast Asia called lo han guo. (See photo below).

With the widespread information of sugar’s bad reputation, it’s no wonder that we Canadians are looking for ways to cut sugar out of our diet – but it’s not so easy when most of our sweet foods and beverages still carry sugar – and we don’t want to give them up! But luckily, there is a wide selection of all-natural sweeteners available in Canada, if you’re looking in the right place. At The Low Carb Grocery (with Canada-wide shipping), we offer a variety of sugar alternatives, and today we want to discuss monk fruit sweetener specifically because it’s one of the best and safest alternatives due to its sugar-like sweetness, zero calories, zero net carbs, low-to-zero glycemic level and no known negative side effects.

You can trust The Low Carb Grocery because we are experts on natural sugar substitutes and have helped customers achieve their health and weight loss goals for years. It’s even in our slogan, “Canada’s Widest Selection of Low-Carb and Sugar-Free Products.” So, let us help you with your hunt for the best natural sweetener, today!

What is a Monk Fruit Sweetener?

Monk fruit is a small sweet melon native to Southeast Asia, where it is also known as lo han guo. It has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes and has recently made its way into Western markets as a natural zero-calorie, low glycemic sugar substitute.

Monk fruit sweeteners are made from the extract of this fruit, which is about 150-200 times sweeter than table sugar. To make it more useable in food and beverages, monk fruit extract is usually combined with other less powerful sugar substitutes, such as erythritol (a natural sweetener made by fermenting the natural sugars in certain fruits and vegetables – commonly corn and sometimes watermelon and/or pairs) or a dietary fibre. This dilutes the sweetness making it more comparable to regular table sugar.

Monk fruit extract has a glycemic index of zero, meaning it has no impact on your blood sugar levels. You’ll get all the sweetness of regular sugar, but it passes through your digestive system with no effect on your body. Plus, it’s not as addictive as sugar because it doesn’t create those spikes in energy that the brain can become reliant upon. This is great news for diabetics and can also be a good option for those looking to lose weight or reduce their risk for diseases related to the consumption of sugar.

At The Low Carb Grocery, we carry a wide variety of monk fruit sweeteners for different uses. Below, we’ve compiled a list with some of our favourite brands.

SugarLike Zero Calorie Sweetener with Monk Fruit

The Canadian food scientists at NutraEx Food Inc. set out to create a natural sweetener that behaved like sugar, but without the negative health effects. The goal was to provide a sugar replacement that could measure like sugar, taste like sugar and behave similarly when cooked or baked. After many years and hundreds of batches of sweeteners, they finally created one that checked all of their boxes. This product is branded and sold as SugarLike Zero Calorie Sweetener with Monk Fruit.

The secret behind SugarLike is the encapsulation technique they used to produce perfect, consistent granules that look and taste just like sugar. This is the only monk fruit sweetener made with this technique that encapsulates each granule of monk fruit extract with an even coating of erythritol. This ensures perfectly consistent sweetness with every spoonful, no dusting or powdering, and a mouthfeel that is indistinguishable from sugar.

SugarLike is a 100% natural sweetener with zero calories and a glycemic index of zero. This is one of the more premium choices that The Low Carb Grocery has to offer, because of its unique and patented formula and quality that speaks for itself. Available in convenient 227g pouches (0.5lbs) and 700g pouches (1.5lbs), which is perfect when using larger quantities in cooking and baking.

Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweeteners

The Lakanto brand celebrates the heritage of monk fruit, rooted in the mountain highlands of East Asia, where a sector of Buddhist monks called the Luohan first discovered this rare fruit. Lakanto is proud to still grow and harvest monk fruit from these areas, following traditional and sustainable methods.

Lakanto’s monk fruit sweeteners are made from a proprietary mixture of high-purity monk fruit extract and non-GMO erythritol. This makes for a zero calorie and non-glycemic blend with delicious sweetness replicating real sugar. Lakanto has created an extensive and innovative line of monk fruit sweeteners – we invite you to explore all of their products here!

Here are some recipes that use Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener:

If you like these or want to try other recipes using Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener, you can browse the recipe page on their website!

Krisda Monk Fruit Sweetener

Krisda has a mission to give the world great tasting, all-natural, sugar-free ingredients that can be used to make food taste sweeter without having negative health effects. They support people who want to lose weight, enjoy physical activity, manage their blood-sugar levels, or simply lead a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

Krista Monk Fruit Sweetener is made with naturally-sourced monk fruit extract and erythritol to make a granular sweetener that measures and tastes like sugar. This sweetener offers many of the same health benefits as the other brands mentioned in this article, including being zero calorie and low glycemic, but it comes with a lower price tag.

Krisda also produces other natural sweeteners, such as Stevia, Organic Erythritol, Xylitol and Sugar-Free Chocolatey Chips! Try this recipe for perfect Sugar-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Krisda Monk Fruit Sweetener and Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips (this recipe is keto-friendly)!

Dixie Diner Spoonable Monk Fruit Sugar Replacement

Dixie Diner’s mission is to fulfil your sweet tooth with healthy treats. They support various lifestyle choices, including vegan, low-carb, dairy-free, gluten-free, and diabetic friendly. To contribute to a healthy lifestyle, Dixie Diner offers a unique monk fruit sweetener.

Dixie Diner Spoonable Monk Fruit Sugar Replacement is made with monk fruit extract and vegetable fibre as a carrier. It is made with all-natural ingredients and does not contain any sugar alcohols (such as xylitol and erythritol), which can cause digestive issues for some individuals in excessive amounts or leave an aftertaste for those with sensitive palettes. Plus, the addition of vegetable fibre is a great way to boost the nutrients in your baked goods and even your morning cup of coffee! This sweetener measures just like sugar, making it an easy replacement.

Baking with Monk Fruit

Monk fruit sweeteners are perfect for baking because they are stable at high temperatures. However, it is worth noting that foods made with monk fruit sweetener instead of sugar will differ slightly in texture, appearance and taste. Although monk fruit is sweet like sugar, sometimes it can give a lightly fruity taste. In addition, most monk fruit sweeteners are mixed with erythritol which has a slight “cooling” effect when eaten, due to an endothermic reaction that occurs which absorbs some of the heat from your mouth. This is similar to when you eat a piece of mint-flavoured gum and your mouth instantly feels cold! Keep reading to learn some of our favourite low carb baked goods recipes that incorporate monk fruit!

Coconutty Monk Fruit Brownies

Brownies seem to be the most popular item to bake with monk fruit sweetener. Although we’re still not sure how the monk fruit brownie trend started, we’ve put together what we think is a winning recipe for this low carb favourite!

Ingredients:

Preparation:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350˚F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease with a little bit of coconut oil. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt.
  3. Melt your chocolate chips over a pot of boiling water together with the coconut oil or butter. Let cool for a couple of minutes.
  4. Add the eggs, monk fruit sweetener and vanilla extract to the melted chocolate mixture.
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until a thick batter forms.
  6. Fold in the chopped walnuts and shredded coconut slowly to avoid over mixing the batter.
  7. Pour the brownie mix into the baking pan and spread evenly. Top with leftover chocolate chips and sea salt to taste.
  8. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Here are some more sweet recipes we found on the web that use monk fruit sweetener:

 

Share Your Story!

If you want to share your thoughts on monk fruit or any other sweetener, head over to our Facebook page. You can also share your recipes by tagging us on Instagram.

Don’t forget to stay connected with our Weekly Newsletters for updates on the latest products and special sales. And please leave us a Google Reviewwith your Low Carb Grocery experiences!