Gwynedd Stuart
Confession time: I love low sugar candy. I have sugar guilt that’s a byproduct of coming of age in the ‘90s. That’s life! But believe me, the best low sugar candy has its virtues: You can eat a whole bag in one sitting. It’s fruity and sweet (although nowhere near as sweet as candy that’s loaded with sugar or corn syrup), and it scratches that candy itch without being loaded with calories. It’s frequently vegan. And it’s low carb, if you care about that and you believe the food math on these packages, which typically goes something like carbs – fiber – sugar alcohol = net carbs. Anyway, my enthusiasm for candy sweetened with things like allulose, monkfruit, and stevia leaf came in handy in my search for the best low sugar candy.
What we wanted in the best low sugar candy
We did our first low sugar candy taste test last summer, and I swear, even a year later, there’s so much more variety out there—granted, we’re still dealing with a lot of fruity, gummy stuff. But it’s a lot of fun, fruity, gummy stuff. Promise.
- Minimal alternative sweetener flavor. Low sugar candies are generally sweetened with things like allulose and monkfruit extract, but some are sweetened with sugar alcohols, which can have a weird aftertaste and mouth-cooling effect (derogatory). We know low sugar candy isn’t going to taste EXACTLY like full sugar candy, but it shouldn’t taste weird or bad either.
- Fun formats. A lot of brands have their takes on fruity gummies—some sour, some not—but in my humble opinion, Joyride is doing the most in the best way possible. They’ve really leaned into making dupes of other popular candies and we liked a lot of them.
Here’s the best low sugar candy (as in, the best tasting low sugar candy) you can buy.
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- Joyride Sour Gummy Worms (0 grams of sugar, 5 net carbs)
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AMC may carry Joyride sour gummy bears, but I actually prefer these gummy worms. These aren’t very sour, but I think that’s okay. You’re gonna be eating a whole bag and you don’t want to totally destroy your tongue. Okay, fine, they could be more sour. That said, I like them a lot. These low sugar candies have a firm, satisfying chew (much firmer than Trolli gummy worms, if that’s what you’re used to). They’re not super sweet, but sweet enough to taste like candy. The sour powder tends to settle in my throat rather than on my tongue. But they’re pleasant to eat. They come in three flavors that I couldn’t really tell apart: Tropical Nights, Lemon Sublime, and Rainbow Ice. If I had to guess which was which, I would say Rainbow Ice tastes the best, although Lemon Sublime has a tang that’s pleasant. This is the best low sugar candy if you need to scratch that gummy worm itch. Also, these are sweetened with allulose instead of sugar alcohols if that is a selling point.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Joyride Fruity Golly Lolli’s (1 gram of sugar, 2 net carbs)
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Lollipops are so boring. But they exist because people like to eat them, so far be it from me to let my gummy candy bias keep lollipops off of our list of the best low sugar candy. (Also, I’m not sure why “Lolli” is possessive in this low sugar candy’s brand name, but that’s not my business!) Anyway, based on the flavor of a lot of other low sugar candy, I didn’t love the idea of a lollipop. What gets the job done in most cases is the chew—you’re in the mood for gummy candy, and chewing on something mildly sweet can satisfy that craving. But something that just hangs out in your mouth? I was dubious it would be good—but these are surprisingly tasty! They taste like low sugar fruit punch or a fruit juice your mom would buy because it’s “healthy.” They come in four flavors: Watermelon Wizard, Fairytale Fruit, Rainbow Ice, and Blue Raspberry. They’re all good, but I think the Blue Raspberry might be best because it really tastes like blue raspberry–the others are sort of generically fruity, but in a totally pleasant way. When it comes to low sugar candy, I’m a lollipop convert!
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Smart Sweets Cola Gummies (3 grams of sugar, 18 net carbs)
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When my colleague Justine Sterling ranked the best gummy candy, she tried several varieties of Smart Sweets, and these were the best. They’re pretty high in carbs for keto candy, but they’re definitely low sugar. They’re very firm—even firmer than Haribo gummies—and they will get stuck in your teeth, but we like how the mild, herbal cola-adjacent flavor works as a not-super-sweet candy. Give these a shot—but keep an eye on your crowns.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Blobs (2 grams of sugar, 7 net carbs)
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Before our first taste test, I’d never heard of Blobs. Now I love them. In fact, I smuggled three bags into a screening of Longlegs and my friends went nuts for them (don’t tell AMC, please). They come in fun, amoebic shapes, and the variety pack on Amazon includes three flavors: Passion Fruit-Pineapple, Orange-Mango, and Pomegranate-Apple. The Passion Fruit-Pineapple is very pineapple-y. Pomegranate-Apple is tangy and pleasant (if a little medicinal tasting), and Orange-Peach is tangy and subdued. Everyone I shared them with also liked Passion Fruit-Pineapple the best. Texture-wise, they’re pretty firm—kind of like stale Haribo Goldbears, but a little bit stickier. What makes these some of the best low sugar candies? They’re actually sweet. A lot of low sugar candy is dramatically less sweet than sugar-based candy—but I think Blobs could fool people. These don’t contain sugar alcohols and are sweetened with allulose instead. If you go to the movies as much as I do, you’ll go through a variety pack of these puppies in no time.
- Joyride Sour Blue Raspberry Strips (4g sugar, 9 net carbs per serving; 3 servings per bag)
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If you love sour strips and you need a low sugar candy version in your life, you’re gonna be stoked on these. They have an authentic licorice flavor and they pull apart in the best way. Do I wish they were rainbow-colored like Sour Strips (as in, the brand Sour Strips)? Sure. But the blue raspberry flavor is nice, too. Very tangy and delicious. They’re a little sticky as you eat, so not ideal as a movie theater snack, but one of the best low sugar candies all the same.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Joyride Cherry Berry Ropes (5g sugar, 8g net carbs per serving; 3 servings per bag)
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I ate this whole packet of ropes not realizing there were three servings in a bag. Whoops! These are a lower sugar dupe for SweeTARTS Ropes, which are basically cherry licorice whips filled with a sugary cherry-flavored substance. The filling in this Joyride candy has a slightly different consistency because it’s less sugary, but the texture of the licorice is pretty spot-on. I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that these ropes are higher in sugar than a lot of other candies on this list, but they’re so damn good. In my opinion, this is the best low sugar candy if you’re not on a strict sugar-restrictive diet.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Albanese Lower Sugar Gummi Worms (2 grams of sugar, 19 net carbs)
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Albanese is known for making extremely delicious, very squishy gummy bears, and it turns out they make the best low sugar candy, too. These gummy worms are the best because they taste the most like real candy. They have the best squish, too. Is it a little weird that some of them are a fleshy, opaque pink that makes them resemble actual earthworms. Sure, but we kind of liked it. They’re sweetened with allulose and, unfortunately, their chew is so good because they contain gelatin (sorry, vegans). They’re sweet and softly chewy. And while there’s a touch of fake sugar flavor on the finish, it’s not a deal breaker. I ate way more of these than I meant to. The assortment of flavors is fun, too: Blue Raspberry Lemonade, Watermelon Pineapple, and Green Apple. They picked tart flavors that work in this format. I would definitely buy these again.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
Best Worms
Best Lollipops
Best Haribo Dupe
Best Shape
Best Sour
Best Low Sugar Dupe
Best of the Best
Other low sugar candies we tried
Smart Sweets Sour Blast Buddies, Smart Sweets Peach Rings, Kiss My Keto Gummy Bears, Smart Sweets Sweet Fish, Wiley Wallaby 1g Sugar Very Berry Licorice, Sour Blobs Watermelon-Lychee, Small Wins Gummies, Small Wins Sour Gummies, Joyride Warped Wigglers
Ariana Losch
Luke Field
