What is allulose and how does it compare to monk fruit?
Different tools for different jobs. Monk fruit tends to win when you want strong sweetness from a small amount, and allulose is usually the better fit when you want sugar-like bulk and browning in baking. Which one suits you depends on what you are making. There is also a practical catch for UK readers, which we will get to quickly.
The practical difference
- Reach for monk fruit for drinks and everyday small-amount sweetening.
- Allulose behaves more like sugar when baking performance matters most.
- They act as complements more than direct swaps.
- Allulose is not currently authorised for sale in the UK or EU, so you cannot legally buy it here yet.
If you have been researching sugar alternatives lately, you have probably come across allulose. It gets a lot of attention, especially in the US, where it is widely available and popular in keto and low-carb products. So what actually is it, and how does it stack up against monk fruit?
What is allulose?
Allulose (also called D-allulose or D-psicose) is a rare sugar. It occurs naturally in very small amounts in foods like figs, raisins and wheat, but the allulose you find in products is manufactured through an enzymatic process that converts fructose from corn starch into allulose.
It looks and tastes a lot like sugar, which is its main selling point. It dissolves the same way, browns in baking, and has roughly 70% of sugar's sweetness. Your body only absorbs a small fraction of it as energy, so it carries around 0.4 calories per gram compared with sugar's 4 calories per gram.
Is allulose available in the UK?
Here is the practical issue: allulose is not currently authorised for sale in the UK or the EU. It is treated as a novel food, which means it would need to complete the full authorisation process before it can be sold legally as a food ingredient. You can read how that works in the FSA's novel foods authorisation guidance for Great Britain, and the EFSA novel food process for the EU.
As of early 2026, no allulose application has been authorised in either the UK or EU (an FSA application is in progress). You might see it sold online through US-based retailers, but it is not legally authorised for the UK market.
This is one of the key practical differences. If you are in the UK and want a natural, lower-calorie sweetener you can actually buy legally today, monk fruit is available now. We hear this one a lot from customers who found a US blend online and then hit a wall at the checkout, so it is worth flagging early.
How do they compare?
Taste: allulose tastes very close to sugar because it is a sugar, just a rare one your body does not fully absorb. Monk fruit has a lighter, cleaner sweetness, and for most people a softer finish than harsher purified extracts.
Calories: allulose has about 0.4 calories per gram. Monk fruit contributes negligible calories at typical serving sizes, because you only need a small amount.
Blood sugar: both tend to have minimal impact on blood glucose. Allulose has a very low glycaemic index, and monk fruit has a negligible glycaemic impact per serving.
Baking: allulose generally performs better in baking because it behaves more like sugar. It browns, adds bulk and retains moisture. Monk fruit does not caramelise or add bulk, so some baking recipes need adjusting.
Availability in the UK: monk fruit is legally available. Allulose is not.
Processing: allulose is manufactured through enzymatic conversion of corn-derived fructose. Zilch's monk fruit is made by a gentle water infusion, known technically as a decoction, simmering the whole dried fruit in water, then paired with a soluble tapioca fibre carrier.
What about monk fruit and allulose blends?
In the US, monk fruit and allulose blends have become popular because they combine monk fruit's concentrated sweetness with allulose's sugar-like bulk and baking behaviour. Brands like Besti and Lakanto offer these blends.
These products are not available in the UK because of allulose's novel food status. If allulose is authorised in the UK or EU in future, blends may become an option here. For now, they remain a US-only product.
Why choose Zilch?
If you are in the UK and looking for a natural, lower-calorie sweetener that is legally available and made from a real food, Zilch Monk Fruit Infusion Powder is a practical choice. It is a traditional decoction paired with soluble tapioca fibre, non-GMO and vegan-friendly, with no erythritol or sugar alcohols.
We will be honest about the trade-off: Zilch is not a cup-for-cup baking sugar, and it does not brown or add bulk the way allulose does. Where it shines is clean everyday sweetness in hot drinks, yoghurt, porridge and smoothies, without waiting on regulatory approvals or importing from overseas. For a broader comparison of options, see our natural sweeteners ranked guide.