Snow cones, also known as shaved ice, are a popular summertime treat that consists of shaved ice topped with flavored syrup. Traditional snow cone syrups are made with high fructose corn syrup and contain a significant amount of sugar. For people looking to reduce their sugar intake, especially those with diabetes or on a low sugar diet, the amount of sugar in regular snow cone syrups can be problematic.
Do sugar free snow cone syrups exist?
Yes, there are sugar free and low sugar options for snow cone syrups. Many major snow cone syrup brands such as Hawaiian Ice, Tiger’s Blood, and Blue Bell have created no sugar added or lower sugar varieties of their syrups. These are made with artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, stevia, or erythritol to provide sweetness without the added sugars.
There are also specialty brands that exclusively offer sugar free snow cone syrups, with a wide array of flavors to choose from. Companies like No Sugar Added and Fat Free offer dozens of choices like cherry, watermelon, coconut, chocolate, banana, bubble gum, ginger ale, root beer float, and more. The syrup consistency and flavors are designed to be just like regular high sugar snow cone syrups.
Where can you find sugar free snow cone syrups?
Sugar free snow cone syrups can be found at most major grocery stores, especially in the ice cream toppings or frozen novelties section. Walmart, Target, Kroger, Publix, and other grocers will carry at least a few sugar free flavor options from brands like Hawaiian Ice or Blue Bell.
Natural food stores like Whole Foods or Sprouts are also likely to stock specialty sugar free and low sugar brands. These will offer unique flavors made with less processed sugar substitutes.
You can also find a huge selection of sugar free snow cone syrups from online retailers. Amazon.com carries dozens of sugar free flavors from Shaved Ice, Sweet Bliss, Davinci, and more. Several brands even offer sugar free variety packs so you can sample multiple different flavors.
Specialty websites for low sugar foods, like SugarlessCrystals.com or SweetNothingz.com, sell sampler packs and bulk sizes of sugar free snow cone syrups in just about any flavor imaginable. Purchasing online gives you access to the widest selection of sugar free snow cone syrup options.
What sweeteners are used in sugar free snow cone syrups?
There are several different sweeteners used to replace regular sugar in snow cone syrups:
- Aspartame – Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that is about 200 times sweeter than sugar. Brand names like Equal or NutraSweet use aspartame. It has a clean, sweet taste but some people complain it has an aftertaste.
- Sucralose – Sucralose, also known as Splenda, is an artificial sweetener made from sugar but processed to take out calories. It’s about 600 times sweeter than sugar. Sucralose has no aftertaste and is heat stable.
- Saccharin – Saccharin is one of the oldest artificial sweeteners, up to 700 times sweeter than sugar. The bitter metallic aftertaste limits its use, but combining it with other sweeteners improves the flavor.
- Stevia – Stevia comes from a natural plant extract and has no calories. It’s 150-400 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia can have a slight licorice aftertaste when used in high concentrations.
- Xylitol – Xylitol is a sugar alcohol with about two-thirds the sweetness of sugar and about half the calories. Sugar alcohols do not spike blood sugar. The cooling effect enhances fruit flavors.
- Erythritol – Erythritol is another sugar alcohol, with about 70% the sweetness of sugar but with 95% fewer calories. It does not cause a blood sugar spike. The taste is similar to sugar without the aftertaste.
- Monk fruit – Monk fruit extract is a zero calorie natural sweetener about 100-250 times sweeter than sugar. Monk fruit tends to be expensive but has a great sweetness and flavor.
Sugar free snow cone syrups will combine different sweeteners to achieve the right level of sweetness, minimize aftertaste, and create the expected syrupy texture.
Are sugar free snow cone syrups healthier?
Sugar free snow cone syrups are lower in sugar and calories compared to regular syrups. By replacing high fructose corn syrup and sucrose with non-nutritive sweeteners, you avoid the added sugars that can lead to blood sugar spikes. This makes sugar free snow cone syrups a good option for people with diabetes or prediabetes looking for a low glycemic treat.
However, most non-nutritive sweeteners provide little to no nutritional value. Certain sugar substitutes like stevia and monk fruit are plant-based and more naturally derived, but even these undergo processing. There are also some concerns about whether artificial sweeteners negatively impact gut bacteria or increase cravings for sweets. The FDA has approved all sweeteners added to food and beverages as safe, but sweeteners can affect people differently.
When choosing sugar free syrups, look for options made with less processed sweeteners like erythritol, xylitol, stevia, and monk fruit. Check the ingredients list to avoid hydrogenated oils, artificial dyes, and preservatives. And enjoy sugar free snow cones occasionally as a substitute for the full sugar versions, but not as an everyday treat. Moderation is key.
Do sugar free snow cones taste the same?
When properly formulated, the best sugar free snow cone syrups come extremely close to the taste of regular syrups. Manufacturers put a lot of effort into optimizing the combinations of sweeteners and natural and artificial flavors to mimic old fashioned cane sugar sweetness.
In blind taste tests, most people cannot tell the difference between sugar free versions and regular syrups. The icy, chilled texture of the shaved ice also helps mask any subtle aftertastes. Choosing syrups that include monk fruit, erythritol, or xylitol will provide the closest flavor to real sugar.
However, there can be minor differences. Some specific flavors are more challenging to perfectly replicate without sugar. Very sweet flavors like bubble gum or blue raspberry tend to taste the most authentic, while more nuanced flavors like grape or cola can seem slightly “off”.
Similarly, cheaper sugar free syrups made with lower quality sweeteners like saccharin may have more pronounced aftertastes. This is most noticeable inplain snow cones without added flavors. Overall, stick with premium brands using natural sweeteners and you’ll get an delicious sugar free snow cone.
What are good flavor choices for sugar free snow cones?
Here are some of the most popular flavors for sugar free snow cones that come closest to tasting like the full sugar versions:
- Cherry
- Watermelon
- Blue raspberry
- Strawberry
- Grape
- Tiger’s blood (combination of watermelon, strawberry, and coconut)
- Pineapple
- Mango
- Peach
- Banana
- Pina colada
- Margarita
- Root beer
- Bubblegum
- Wedding cake
- Sour green apple
The boldest, fruitiest flavors cover up any artificial sweetener aftertastes the best. You can also mix and match multiple sugar free syrup flavors on one snow cone to create unique flavor combinations.
Can you make your own sugar free snow cone syrup?
Yes, it’s absolutely possible to make DIY sugar free snow cone syrup at home. This allows you to control exactly what ingredients go into the syrup.
There are a few recipes online for low sugar or sugar free snow cone syrups using natural sweeteners like stevia, erythritol, monk fruit, and xylitol. You can substitute these 1:1 for the sugar the recipe calls for. The most natural options use fruit purees for flavor and collagen for thickness.
Here is a simple recipe to try:
Sugar Free Strawberry Snow Cone Syrup
- 1 cup strawberry puree (blend fresh or thawed frozen strawberries)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup erythritol or xylitol sweetener
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp natural strawberry flavor
- 1/2 tsp stevia glycerite
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp collagen (optional, helps thicken)
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until syrup thickens, about 5 minutes. Let cool before using on snow cones. Stores for 2 weeks refrigerated.
Get creative with your own flavor combinations like raspberry-lime, peach-mango, or pineapple-coconut. Make a large batch so you have sugar free syrups ready to go all summer long.
How do you sweeten snow cones without sugar?
Aside from buying or making special sugar free syrups, there are a couple easy ways to reduce the sugar content of homemade snow cones:
- Fruit juice – Using 100% fruit juice lets you create snow cones with natural sweetness. Try orange, pineapple, grape, cranberry, or other varieties.
- Puréed fruit – Blend up fresh or thawed frozen strawberries, mangos, peaches, bananas and drizzle over shaved ice. Sweet and flavorful.
- Low-sugar juice concentrate – Mix just a little juice concentrate into plain water to lightly sweeten and flavor snow cones.
- Fresh Fruit – Cut up fresh strawberries, blueberries, peach slices, and other fruits to mix in with the ice as you eat your snow cone for sweetness.
- Sweet herbs – Extracts of naturally sweet herbs like stevia, monk fruit, or licorice root can be added sparingly to water or fruit juice used for snow cones.
- Bittersweet cocoa powder – For chocolate lovers, mix a small amount of unsweetened cocoa powder into plain milk for lightly sweetened chocolate snow cones.
With smart substitutions using fruit and other ingredients with natural sweetness, you can still enjoy sweet snow cone flavors while avoiding added sugars.
What about using sugar substitutes on regular snow cones?
Instead of buying specialty sugar free syrups, another option is to use individual sugar substitute packets to sweeten regular snow cones as you eat them. This allows you to control exactly how much sweetener you use.
Single-serve sweeteners like the blue Splenda packets, pink Sweet’N Low packets, or yellow Equal packets are portable and easy to keep on hand. Stevia and monk fruit packets are also available for a more natural sweetener option.
The downside is that when sprinkled over already flavored snow cones, sugar substitutes don’t fully dissolve and incorporate into the ice like syrup does. You may get pockets of intensely sweet powder rather than evenly distributed sweetness throughout. Also, most sugar subs like aspartame lose their sweetness intensity when frozen, so they may not properly sweeten melted snow cone juice.
Using a liquid version like Sweet’N Low drops, SweetLeaf liquid stevia, or NuNaturals liquid monk fruit may allow more even distribution on shaved ice. But for best results, sugar free snow cone syrups designed for optimal texture and freezing temperatures work best.
Conclusion
Sugar free snow cone syrups provide a delicious way for people limiting sugar intake to still enjoy this iconic icy summer treat. Brands like No Sugar Added, SweetBliss, and others offer huge varieties of sugar free flavors using sweeteners like erythritol, stevia, and more. You can also make your own healthy syrups at home with fruit purees and low glycemic sweeteners.
When made with high quality ingredients and sweeteners, the taste of sugar free snow cones comes extremely close to full sugar versions. Popular fruity flavors cover up any aftertastes the best. With so many options available in stores and online, you no longer have to miss out on the fun of snow cones.
