5 Coffee Sweeteners Recommended by Dietitians If You Don’t Want to Use Table Sugar

Adding sugar to your coffee can have negative health effects, especially if you add too much or drink several cups of coffee each day. Although it’s best to drink your coffee black, not everyone can handle their morning coffee without a little sweetener. However, when it comes to sugar substitutes, some are better than others.

1. Stevia

Stevia does not raise blood sugar levels and is considered safe for people with diabetes, Julia Zumpano, RD, a cardiac nutritionist at the Cleveland Clinic, told Verywell.

“If you must sweeten your coffee, I would suggest liquid stevia or in stevia powder form that does not contain sugar alcohols (like) erythritol, mannitol, sorbitol or xylitol,” Zumpano said. “High purity stevia is well studied and is considered neutral to the gut and does not significantly alter the overall diversity of gut bacteria.”

If you’re purchasing powdered stevia, it’s important to make sure you’re not buying a product mixed with a sugar alcohol, she added, explaining that certain sugar alcohols have been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular events.

2. Dates

“Dates are a great choice as a natural sweetener, but just keep in mind that they still contain a significant amount of natural sugars,” Zumpano said. People typically use two to three dates, which can add up to between 32 and 48 grams of sugar, she added. “That’s a lot of money for a morning coffee,” Zumpano said.

But dates also have other health benefits: They contain fiber, potassium and magnesium, Zumpano said. “Dates, while sweet, also have less impact on blood sugar than sugar or other forms of sugar.”

3. Honey

Adding honey to your coffee isn’t necessarily a bad thing as long as you watch other sources of sugar in your diet, Dana Hunnes, PhD, RD, hospital clinical dietitian at Ronald Reagan–UCLA Medical Center, in Los Angeles, told Verywell. “If you use one to two teaspoons of syrup or honey, your pancreas will release insulin to deal with the increase in blood sugar,” Hunnes said. “However, if you have insulin resistance or diabetes that requires exogenous insulin injections, your blood sugar could increase from added sugars.”

Honey offers other benefits (for example, it contains antioxidants), but it’s important to note that honey contains more calories than table sugar, Zumpano said.

4. Agave syrup

“Agave syrup is a natural sweetener that tastes milder than honey,” Zumpano said. “It has a lower glycemic index than sugar and a moderate impact on blood sugar.”

It’s higher in fructose, which can be dangerous for people with metabolic health problems, and it’s still high in calories, Zumpano added.

5. Maple syrup

Maple syrup is also a natural sweetener with a unique flavor profile. It contains minerals and antioxidants, Zumpano said. But it has a moderate to high impact on blood sugar and is also higher in calories than table sugar, she added.

Which one should you try?

Which coffee sweetener is best for you may depend on which one you prefer.

“Taste is relative,” Zumpano said. “Some sweeteners give more of an aftertaste than others. If you don’t like the taste or aftertaste of a particular sweetener, I suggest using real raw sugar, honey or pure maple syrup in a controlled and limited amount of one teaspoon per cup of coffee.”