A slight cooling sensation in the mouth is typical of pure erythritol, while stevia can leave a slightly bitter finish. The secret to perfect taste lies in combining them! Experienced fitness bakers (and sweetener manufacturers) mix erythritol with a small amount of stevia. These ingredients cancel out each other's specific aftertastes, and the resulting dessert tastes absolutely indistinguishable from one made with regular sugar.
The culprits are most likely sugar alcohols (polyols), typically maltitol or excessive consumption of xylitol. These substances are only partially absorbed in the intestines, and in more sensitive individuals, they can cause bloating or have strong laxative effects. If you have sensitive digestion, it is much better to reach exclusively for erythritol or stevia, which are tolerated by the stomach and intestines without any problems.
That heavily depends on what type of sweetener you are using! If you use xylitol, you can pour in exactly as much as the recipe requires for sugar (1:1). You must add about 30% more erythritol because it is less sweet. On the other hand, with pure stevia or sucralose, just a tiny pinch is enough—if you used the same amount as sugar, the dough would be inedibly over-sweetened and bitter. Always read the label carefully.
Most modern natural sweeteners (such as erythritol, stevia, or pure sucralose) have a glycemic index (GI) of exactly 0. Your body cannot digest them or convert them into energy, so they cause absolutely no insulin response. Therefore, they are a perfect and 100% safe choice for a keto diet, low-carb eating, and for diabetics.
Each has its own specific traits. Erythritol has 0 calories, does not affect blood sugar, but is only 70% as sweet as regular sugar. Xylitol (birch sugar) tastes completely indistinguishable from sugar and is used in a 1:1 ratio; it has 40% fewer calories but can cause bloating in larger amounts. Stevia is 100% natural, has 0 calories, and is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar, but it can have a slight herbal aftertaste. Cleverly combining these types is ideal.
