The Absolute Best Sugar-Free Candy To Grab At The Store

Whether it's consumed while watching a movie, nibbled on to calm the nerves during a big sporting event, or just needed to satisfy a nagging sweet tooth, most people like a little candy from time to time. But too much, regardless of the types of sugar used, can be bad for your health, which is why sugar-free candy can be a great alternative. While there are plenty of options to satisfy a sweet craving, not all sugar-free candies are created equal. The taste and texture can be pretty damning when compared to the original. Luckily, Tasting Table took one for the team and determined the best sugar-free candy to grab from the store is Twizzlers Zero Sugar Strawberry Flavored Twists.

Tasting Table taste-tested 16 popular sugar-free candies and ranked them from worst to best. Factors that influenced our ranking included the quality of the type of sweetener used, the cost, and, of course, foremost, whether or not the taste mirrored that of the full-sugar version. Our candy testers noted that Twizzlers Zero Sugar Strawberry Flavored Twists were indistinguishable from the real thing. They tasted the same, smelled the same, and even looked the same. You would never know you were eating a zero-sugar candy.

Twizzlers have a long and storied history that began in 1929, and their longevity is a nod to their tastiness; however, before you go out and buy up bags of the sugar-free version of these chewy sticks, there's one little piece of information you should keep in mind. Twizzlers Zero Sugar candy is sweetened with maltitol. This is a naturally occurring alcohol found in fruits and vegetables and is even used in toothpaste because it has a sweet taste but doesn't cause cavities. But these types of sweeteners do have a downside.

There's no pretty way to put it. Some people find this type of sweetener, and in turn, what they sweeten, i.e. Twizzlers Zero Sugar, can cause upset stomachs when eaten in excess. In fact, several Amazon reviewers of this candy have shared their experiences of feeling unwell after indulging in the sugar-free treat. Still, the bulk of reviewers praised this candy, noting that as long as it was consumed in small doses, it lived up to the full-sugar version.