INGREDIENT GUIDE

Best Sweeteners for Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream

Not all sweeteners freeze the same. Here's what actually works.

Published: January 2026 · 8 min read

The Sweetener Dilemma

When you swap regular sugar for a "healthier" alternative in ice cream, you often get a rock-hard brick or a gritty, sandy texture. Why? Because sweeteners don't just add flavor—they control freezing point.

This is measured using PAC (Potere Anti-Congelante), a value that tells you how much an ingredient lowers the freezing point of water. Sugar is the baseline at PAC 100. Choose the wrong sweetener, and your ice cream will freeze solid or crystallize into sand.

Sweetener Comparison Chart

SweetenerPAC ValueSweetness (POD)Ice Cream Rating
Sugar (sucrose)100100⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Perfect
Allulose10070⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent
Honey190130⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great (softer)
Maple Syrup17065⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great (adds flavor)
Erythritol180*70⭐⭐ Crystallizes!
Xylitol220100⭐⭐⭐ Decent (very soft)
Stevia030,000⭐ Too icy (needs PAC helper)

* Erythritol's theoretical PAC is 280, but it recrystallizes at freezer temps, so effective PAC is ~180.

🏆 The Clear Winner: Allulose

Allulose is the closest thing to a "miracle" sugar substitute for ice cream:

  • ✅ PAC 100 — same freezing behavior as sugar
  • ✅ 90% fewer calories than sugar
  • ✅ Doesn't crystallize like erythritol
  • ✅ Mild sweetness (70% of sugar) — great for adding other flavors
  • ✅ Available on Amazon and specialty stores

Pro tip: If you find allulose too mild, blend it 50/50 with monk fruit sweetener for extra sweetness without affecting texture.

⚠️ Why Erythritol Makes Ice Cream Sandy

Erythritol seems perfect on paper—zero calories, no blood sugar impact, and a high PAC value. But there's a catch: it recrystallizes at freezer temperatures.

When your ice cream sits in the freezer, the erythritol molecules slowly clump back together into tiny crystals. The result? A gritty, sandy texture that crunches when you eat it.

Rule of thumb: Keep erythritol under 4% of your recipe's total water weight, or skip it entirely.

Can You Use Stevia or Monk Fruit?

Stevia and monk fruit are high-intensity sweeteners—you only need a tiny amount for sweetness. The problem? They contribute almost zero PAC.

If you replace all your sugar with stevia, your ice cream will freeze solid because there's nothing to lower the freezing point. Your CREAMi will struggle to process it, and the texture will be rock-hard.

Solution: Use stevia or monk fruit for extra sweetness while using allulose or another PAC contributor for texture. This combo gives you the best of both worlds.

Example: Low-Sugar Vanilla Base

Here's a balanced recipe using allulose instead of sugar:

  • • 300g Heavy Cream
  • • 200g Whole Milk
  • • 70g Allulose
  • • 20g Skim Milk Powder
  • • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • • Pinch of Salt

PAC Score: ~24 | Protein: 4.2% | Texture: Creamy and scoopable

Try It in the Calculator

Use Scoop Science to test different sweetener combinations and see PAC values update in real-time.

Open Calculator