Monk fruit powder is an effective sweetener that has no effect on blood sugar and that works well in baked goods. It is not easy to find so if you run out, you may need to try one of the monk fruit powder substitutes below.
Your best bet: Stevia
Made from a plant in the Asteraceae family, stevia is a plant-based sweetener with a long track record. The plant is native to South America. It was in use by South American natives long before the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century. Stevia is also similar to monk fruit powder in that it is more than 100 times sweeter than sugar. Along with being extremely sweet, stevia is a zero-calorie sweetener just like monk fruit powder. It contains no sugar so it does not impact blood sugar levels and it won’t hinder your attempts to lose weight.
Stevia has yet another important benefit as a monk fruit powder substitute: it is much easier to find. Stevia is available in most grocery stores in both powder and liquid form and is likely to be much more affordable than monk fruit powder, which tends to be somewhat expensive. It has also been on the market for longer than monk fruit powder, which is not as well studied.
A decent second choice: Xylitol
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that occurs naturally in some fruits and vegetables. Commercial producers also use birch bark and corn cobs to make it. Birchbark was the first source of xylitol and was also where its name originated. The root of the name is xylose, which is a term for wood sugar. Xylitol is chemically similar to sugar and has a similar sweetness but with substantially fewer calories. Xylitol is not calorie-free since it provides a little over half the calories of sugar, but it can be a good low-calorie option.
Xylitol has another important benefit in that it is not completely absorbed in the intestines, which means that its effects on your blood sugar level will be minor.
You can use xylitol to replace monk fruit powder as a general-purpose sweetener for beverages, cereals and similar preparations. You can use it as a substitute in baking too but you will have to adjust measurements since monk fruit powder is far sweeter than xylitol. Aside from that, it is one of the more sugar-like alternative sweeteners in terms of how it tastes and behaves in baked goods.
In a pinch: Erythritol
Like xylitol, erythritol is a sugar alcohol but it has a significant benefit over xylitol in that it has no calories at all. Erythritol is just as safe as monk fruit powder for people with diabetes since it doesn’t affect blood sugar. It works perfectly well as an all-purpose sweetener and in baking.
Erythritol is a lot less sweet than monk fruit powder. While monk fruit powder is many times sweeter than sugar, erythritol is noticeably less sweet than sugar. You will have to adjust your measurements when using it as a monk fruit powder substitute.
Other alternatives
Sucralose is not a natural sweetener; however, it is about three times sweeter than monk fruit powder. It also adds zero calories to food since enzymes in the gut keep it from being broken down. Sucralose is most commonly sold under the Splenda brand name and can be used as a monk fruit powder substitute in baking. You will have to make adjustments since it is so much sweeter than monk fruit powder.