Why is allulose added to monk fruit sweetener?

December 19, 2025 •

4 min read

Monk fruit extract is intensely sweet, up to 250 times sweeter than table sugar, which presents challenges for use on its own. This is precisely why it is almost always blended with other ingredients like allulose to create a balanced, functional sweetener with a taste and texture similar to sugar.

Quick Summary

Allulose is added to monk fruit sweetener to act as a bulking agent, improve texture, eliminate the aftertaste, and provide sugar-like functions crucial for baking applications.

Key Points

Neutralizes Aftertaste: The clean, mild sweetness of allulose effectively balances out the lingering, sometimes herbal aftertaste of concentrated monk fruit extract.
Adds Bulk and Volume: Allulose acts as a bulking agent, allowing the blend to be a direct, 1:1 sugar replacement by volume, which is essential for baking.
Improves Texture: Blending with allulose gives the sweetener a sugar-like mouthfeel, providing body and texture to foods and drinks that pure high-intensity sweeteners cannot.
Enhances Baking Performance: Unlike pure monk fruit, the allulose blend browns like sugar during baking and helps retain moisture, preventing baked goods from becoming dry.
Creates a Balanced Profile: The combination produces a versatile, zero-calorie, zero-glycemic sweetener that is functionally and tastefully superior to either ingredient used alone.

Understanding the Individual Sweeteners

Monk Fruit: A Powerful Sweetness

Monk fruit, also known as luo han guo, is a small melon grown in Southeast Asia. Its sweetness comes from natural compounds called mogrosides, which are powerful antioxidants. Because monk fruit extract is so concentrated, a tiny amount provides a massive amount of sweetness, making it impractical to use directly for most culinary applications. This high concentration can also leave an undesirable aftertaste for some individuals. Its key characteristics include:

Source: A small green melon native to southern China.
Sweetness: Up to 250 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar).
Calories and Glycemic Index: Contains zero calories and has no impact on blood sugar levels.
Aftertaste: Can have a lingering, slightly fruity or herbal aftertaste.

Allulose: The Sugar-Like Alternative

Allulose is a rare sugar that exists in small quantities in nature, found in figs, raisins, and maple syrup. It is a low-calorie monosaccharide with a sweetness profile that is very similar to sugar, but it is only about 70% as sweet. A key differentiator is its functional properties—it browns, caramelizes, and adds bulk and moisture in a manner that closely mimics sugar. Key characteristics include:

Source: A rare sugar found in figs, raisins, and commercially produced from fructose.
Sweetness: Approximately 70% as sweet as table sugar.
Calories and Glycemic Index: Contains virtually zero calories and has no impact on blood sugar or insulin levels.
Functionality: Adds bulk and moisture, and promotes browning in baking.

The Synergy of the Monk Fruit and Allulose Blend

The combination of these two unique sweeteners addresses the weaknesses of each when used alone, creating a more robust and versatile sugar substitute. The blend creates a product that is balanced in sweetness, functionality, and taste.

Balances Flavor and Eliminates Aftertaste

Monk fruit's intense, concentrated sweetness can sometimes have a distinctive or lingering aftertaste that some find unpleasant. By blending it with the mild, clean-tasting allulose, the mogroside compounds are dispersed, neutralizing the potential aftertaste and creating a more balanced, sugar-like flavor profile.

Adds Bulk for 1:1 Sugar Replacement

Since monk fruit extract is so potent, it would be impossible to use it as a 1:1 sugar replacement in recipes. The physical volume required is minuscule. Allulose, on the other hand, provides the necessary bulk and volume to create a granular sweetener that can be measured and used cup-for-cup just like traditional sugar. This simplifies the baking process for consumers, eliminating the need for complex conversions.

Improves Texture and Mouthfeel

Allulose is key for replicating the texture and mouthfeel that sugar provides. High-intensity sweeteners like monk fruit add sweetness but do nothing for the physical properties of food. Allulose, as a monosaccharide, adds body, viscosity, and a satisfying mouthfeel to beverages, baked goods, and frozen desserts that would otherwise feel thin or icy.

Provides Critical Baking Functions

For anyone who has tried to bake with pure monk fruit extract, the results can be disappointing due to the lack of sugar-like functionality. Allulose provides several crucial benefits for baked goods:

Browning: Allulose participates in the Maillard reaction, allowing baked goods to achieve a golden-brown crust, a characteristic almost impossible with high-intensity sweeteners alone.
Moisture and Softness: Allulose acts as a humectant, retaining moisture and resulting in softer, moister cakes, cookies, and other baked goods that don't dry out quickly.
Freeze-Point Depression: In frozen desserts like ice cream, allulose prevents the formation of large ice crystals, resulting in a smoother, creamier texture.

Comparison: Allulose vs. Monk Fruit (Blended)


Feature	Pure Monk Fruit Extract	Allulose-Monk Fruit Blend
Sweetness	100-250x sweeter than sugar	Formulated to be 1:1 replacement
Taste Profile	Intensely sweet, potential aftertaste	Clean, balanced, sugar-like taste
Functionality	Adds sweetness only	Adds bulk, moisture, browning, and texture
Best For	Beverages, where only sweetness is needed	Baking, cooking, and drinks
Measurement	Requires tiny, precise amounts	Measures cup-for-cup with sugar
Cost	Less expensive per unit of sweetness	More expensive due to added allulose

Conclusion

In essence, combining monk fruit and allulose is a synergistic solution to creating a superior, all-purpose sugar substitute. Monk fruit brings the zero-calorie, zero-glycemic sweetness, while allulose provides the essential bulk, texture, and functional properties that are critical for achieving a true sugar-like experience in both beverages and baking. This deliberate blending process results in a product that not only tastes better but also performs better, satisfying the needs of keto dieters, diabetics, and anyone looking for a healthier alternative to traditional sugar. The FDA has recognized allulose as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) for use in food, further cementing its role as a safe and effective ingredient in sweetener blends. For more information, visit the FDA's page on Allulose.

Frequently Asked Questions

Allulose is primarily mixed with monk fruit to add bulk, improve the flavor profile, and provide functional properties like browning and moisture retention that pure monk fruit extract lacks.

Yes, allulose helps to balance out the intense sweetness of monk fruit extract, effectively neutralizing or eliminating the lingering aftertaste that some people experience with concentrated monk fruit.

Yes, both monk fruit and allulose have a zero glycemic index and contain virtually no calories or net carbs, making the blend an excellent choice for ketogenic and low-carb diets.

In baking, allulose provides bulk and important functions like browning and moisture retention (humectancy), which mimic sugar's behavior and result in better texture and appearance for baked goods.

While technically possible, pure monk fruit extract is so intensely sweet that it is difficult to measure accurately for most uses. The flavor can also be too concentrated and sometimes have an aftertaste.

Yes, both allulose and monk fruit have received the Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Because allulose acts as a bulking agent, many monk fruit and allulose blends are specifically formulated to be a 1:1 replacement for table sugar in recipes, simplifying cooking and baking.