What is the difference between xylitol and erythritol?
Xylitol (Xucker Premium and Xucker Basic Xylitol) and erythritol (= Xucker Light/Basic Erythritol) are two related sugar alcohols with slightly different properties:
- Erythritol is calorie-free, but is only about 70% as sweet as xylitol and sugar.
- Erythritol is better tolerated than other sugar alcohols: xylitol and other sugar alcohols cause flatulence and/or diarrhea when consumed in large quantities. However, the laxative effect of xylitol decreases after a settling-in period.
- Xylitol is not tolerated by some people with fructose intolerance, whereas erythritol is.
- Diabetics can use erythritol without restrictions, but they should check their blood sugar levels to be on the safe side when using large amounts of xylitol.
- Xylitol is better known than erythritol for its dental care effect, but wrongly so, as erythritol has a comparable effect. A combination of both protects the teeth the most (although this is only slightly better than with xylitol alone).
- The solubility of xylitol in water is greater than that of erythritol. It is not possible to make jam with erythritol, for example, because the erythritol would crystallise after cooling. Xylitol is also more suitable for baking, especially in rather dry cakes such as marble cakes. Erythritol can only be used in cakes with a high residual moisture content, such as cheesecake. You can also mix xylitol and erythritol. You can find lots of tips on this in our World of recipes.