Sweeteners
Agave Nectar
Agave nectar is a vegan syrup from the agave plant. Most of its sugar is fructose, so it is not a low FODMAP or keto choice, despite its health image.
- Vegan: yes
- Gluten-free: yes
- Dairy-free: yes
Ingredients
What each ingredient is, its nutrition, and recipes that use it.
Sweeteners
Allulose
Allulose is a rare sugar that browns like sugar but has 0.4 kcal per gram. US labels leave it out of sugars, but EFSA could not confirm its safety in 2025.
- Vegan: yes
- Dairy-free: yes
Sweeteners
Coconut Sugar
Coconut sugar is dried coconut-blossom sap. It is vegan and swaps 1:1 for sugar, but it is still sugar and is low FODMAP only at about one teaspoon.
- Vegan: yes
- Gluten-free: yes
- Dairy-free: yes
Sweeteners
Erythritol
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol with almost no calories, used in most stevia and monk fruit blends. A 2023 study linked high blood levels to heart events.
- Vegan: yes
- Dairy-free: yes
Sweeteners
Honey
Honey is a bee-made syrup that is about 41% fructose by weight. It is not vegan, it is high FODMAP, and it is not safe for babies under one.
- Vegan: no
- Gluten-free: yes
- Dairy-free: yes
Sweeteners
Monk Fruit
Monk fruit extract is intensely sweet, so packs use very little of it. Most granulated monk fruit sweeteners are about 99% erythritol, which matters for FODMAPs.
- Vegan: yes
- Dairy-free: yes
Sweeteners
Stevia
Stevia sweeteners use purified steviol glycosides, but most packs are mainly erythritol, dextrose or maltodextrin. Some tablets even contain milk.
- Vegan: it depends
- Gluten-free: yes
- Dairy-free: it depends
Sweeteners
Sugar
White sugar is sucrose from sugar cane or sugar beet. It is gluten-free and low FODMAP, but some cane sugar is filtered through animal bone char.
- Vegan: it depends
- Gluten-free: yes
- Dairy-free: yes
Sweeteners
Syrups
Pure maple syrup is vegan, gluten-free and low FODMAP. Pancake syrup is mostly corn syrup, and brown rice syrup can carry arsenic. Compare them here.
- Vegan: yes
- Gluten-free: yes
- Dairy-free: yes
Sweeteners
Xylitol
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol in sugar-free gum and sweeteners. It has 2.4 kcal per gram, can upset the gut, and is very dangerous for dogs, even in small amounts.
- Vegan: yes
- Dairy-free: yes