Sweeteners/Natural high-intensity

Allulose

Also known as: D-allulose, D-psicose

ExcellentNatural high-intensity

A rare sugar that tastes 70% as sweet as sucrose with ~10% the calories and a negligible — sometimes mildly suppressive — insulin response.

88
SweetSpot score
Sweetness vs sugar
70%
Glycemic index
0
no glucose response
Calories
0.4 kcal/g
Verdict
Excellent

At a glance

6 of 10 metrics graded

How Allulose compares to table sugar on the three numbers most people actually want.

Sweetness vs sugar
70%
vs sugar 1×
Less sweet
Glycemic index
0
vs sugar 65
No glucose response
Calories per gram
0.4 kcal
vs sugar 4 kcal
90% less than sugar
SweetSpot score
88/100
AvoidPoorModerateGoodExcellent

Ten-metric breakdown

See methodology →
  • Taste quality
    Weight 20%
    85
  • Glycemic impact
    Weight 18%
    85
  • Naturalness
    Weight 10%
    80
  • Tooth friendliness
    Weight 8%
    90
  • Overall safety
    Weight 14%
    Pending
  • Digestive comfort
    Weight 8%
    85
  • Gut microbiome
    Weight 8%
    Pending
  • Aftertaste
    Weight 6%
    Pending
  • Sustainability
    Weight 4%
    Pending
  • Allergen safety
    Weight 4%
    90

Source: public.sweeteners snapshot, refreshed 2026-04-27. "Pending" cells are catalogued but not yet graded by SweetSpot research.

What it actually is

Allulose is a rare sugar (epimer of fructose) that occurs in tiny amounts in figs, raisins and maple syrup. Commercial allulose is enzymatically converted from fructose. It tastes like sugar — clean, no aftertaste — at about 70% the sweetness.

The interesting biology: allulose is absorbed in the small intestine but ~70% is excreted unchanged in urine. Net effect: almost no calories, no glycemic response, no insulin spike. Several human RCTs even show a mild insulin-suppressing effect when consumed with carbohydrates.

It browns and bakes like sugar — caramelises faster, in fact, so reduce oven temperatures by 10–15°C. Tolerance is good up to ~0.4 g/kg per dose; above that, GI effects are common. Not yet approved in the EU.

What it does well
  • Tastes like sugar — no aftertaste
  • Browns and bakes properly
  • May reduce postprandial glucose when eaten with carbs
  • Excluded from 'sugars' on US nutrition labels
Where it falls short
  • GI distress above ~0.4 g/kg per dose
  • Not yet EFSA-authorised
  • Premium price

Regulatory status

FDA (United States)
GRAS; excluded from 'Total Sugars' and 'Added Sugars' on US labels (2019)
EFSA (Europe)
Not yet authorised in EU (April 2026 — EFSA opinion under review)
Acceptable daily intake
FDA: not specified — extensively studied at high doses

In practice

Best for
  • Baking, ice cream, anywhere you want sugar's mouthfeel
Avoid if
  • IBS / sensitive gut
  • Need EU regulatory compliance
Where you'll find it

Magic Spoon, Quest, RXSugar, Splenda Allulose

The evidence

Selected peer-reviewed sources behind the score. Open access where possible. Read our scoring methodology for how we weight evidence tiers.

Recommended swaps

Higher-scoring alternatives that perform similarly in use.

Monk Fruit
86

Mogrosides from Siraitia grosvenorii. 150–250× sweeter, no glycemic effect, cleaner aftertaste than stevia.

Stevia
78

Steviol glycosides from Stevia rebaudiana. 200–400× sweeter than sugar, zero glycemic.