Sorbitol substitutes

A rare sugar that resists crystallizing and keeps confectionery soft, which is exactly sorbitol's job.

Best for

sugar-free caramels and chews, fudge, soft cookies, ice cream, syrups

Functionally the closest thing on the shelf: it dissolves completely, it holds water, and it will not turn grainy as things cool. It is sweeter than sorbitol, hence the smaller amount, and it also browns, which sorbitol barely does, so a caramel made with allulose actually develops color and a light toffee flavor. Watch the oven, because it browns early. Far gentler on digestion than sorbitol.

The other workhorse polyol in commercial sugar-free candy, sweeter than sorbitol with similar body.

Best for

sugar-free chocolate, hard and soft candy, commercial-style confectionery, baked goods

Sweeter than sorbitol, so use less by volume, and it gives the same substantial mouthfeel and moisture retention, which is why the two are often used together. Maltitol also browns a little, so bakes look better. The honest caveats: maltitol raises blood sugar more than most sugar alcohols, so it is a poor choice for strict keto, and it causes the same gas and cramping as sorbitol at similar doses.

The polyol that most closely matches the sweetness of sugar, spoon for spoon.

Best for

baking, gum and mints, drinks, sugar-free syrups

Considerably sweeter than sorbitol, so use about two-thirds the volume. It dissolves cleanly and dissolves well in liquids, but it crystallizes more readily than sorbitol, so chews and caramels made with it firm up and can turn slightly sandy after a day or two. It also has a cool, minty sensation on the tongue that suits mints and clashes with a butterscotch. It is toxic to dogs, so store finished bakes out of reach.

A syrupy humectant that keeps things pliable without adding much sweetness.

Best for

protein bars, fondant and gum paste, soft-set icings, chewy bars, keeping cakes moist

If the sorbitol in your recipe is there to stop a bar going hard or a fondant cracking, glycerin does that job better than any sweetener. It is only mildly sweet with a slightly warm, almost throat-coating finish, so you will need to add a separate sweetener to make up the sweetness. Use half the volume, because too much glycerin makes bars sticky and gives them a soapy edge.

The easiest to find, and honestly the weakest match for what sorbitol does.

Best for

cakes and muffins, cheesecake, drinks, sprinkling on top

Worth being straight about: erythritol recrystallizes hard as things cool, so it is the opposite of sorbitol. A soft sugar-free chew made with erythritol turns brittle and grainy, and frostings develop a sandy grit. It also has a pronounced cooling aftertaste. In a plain cake or a hot drink none of that matters much and it is a fine swap; in confectionery it will disappoint. Blending it half and half with allulose fixes most of the problem.

The right answer if you were never avoiding sugar in the first place.

Best for

baking, candy, sauces, any recipe where texture matters most

Sugar is a good deal sweeter than sorbitol, so use about two-thirds the volume. Everything gets easier: proper browning, no cooling note, no digestive limit and no laxative effect. What you give up is sorbitol's stubborn resistance to crystallizing, so if you are making a chewy candy add a tablespoon of corn syrup or honey per cup of sugar to keep it soft. Obviously this is not an option for keto or blood-sugar management.