What is it?

Isomalt is a specialist sweetner made from hydrogenated sugars. Less sweet than conventional sugar, it can replace sucrose in suitable recipes while providing many of the physical properties makers need.

Why use it?

Its real magic comes with heat. Unlike conventional sugar, isomalt is highly heat-stable and resists browning, making it brilliant for creating clear, crisp and beautifully finished sugar work. It also has a lower calorie content than conventional sugar, with Sosa's refined isomalt providing around half the calories of traditional sucrose.

Where does it work? 

A favourite for pastry chefs and confectioners, use isomalt for pulled and blown sugar, decorative pieces, lollipops, hard candies and other cooked-sugar creations. It's particularly handy when  you want impressive structure and shine with less sweetness than conventional sugar.

What is it?

Inulin is a soluble fibre, commonly derived from chicory root. It brings relatively little sweetness compared with sugar, but its real talent lies elsewhere, adding body, texture and a creamy mouthfeel to a recipe.

Why use it?

When you reduce sugar or fat, you can lose more than sweetness or richness - you can also lose body and that satisfying sensation on the palate. Inulin can help build some of that texture back into a formulation, while increasing its fibre content. Depending on the type, it can also thicken and help stabilise emulsions.

Where does it work? 

For pastry chefs and chocolatiers, explore inulin in creams, mousses and other smooth, creamy preparations where you're looking to rethink sugar or fat while maintaining mouthfeel. 

For gelato and ice cream artisans, it's particularly interesting for adding body and creaminess to reduced-fat or reformulated frozen recipes. 

Hot or cold? Sosa inulin hot is dissolved into hot liquid before chilling for 12 hours, while Sosa inulin cold can be whisked directly into cold liquid before the same resting period - giving you options to suit the way you work.

What is it?

Maltodextrin is a carbohydrate produced from starch. It has very little sweetness compared with sugar, making it a useful ingredient when you want to add solids or adjust texture without bringing lots of additional sweetness to the recipe.

Why use it?

Consider function rather than sweetness. Maltodextrin can help manage moisture, add bulk and influence texture - useful qualities when reformulating recipes where reducing sugar can change much more than flavour. SOC Chef's corn maltodextrin is particularly useful for absorbing moisture and helping baked creations stay crisp for longer.

Where does it work? 

For pastry chefs and bakers, use maltodextrin to help manage moisture and maintain crisp textures. 

For confectioners and chocolatiers, it can provide useful bulk and solids when developing recipes where sweetness needs careful control. 

For gelato and ice cream artisans, maltodextrin can form part of a considered formulation where additional solids are needed without adding the same level of sweetness as sucrose. 

Maltodextrin is not a straight swap for sugar. It contributes very little sweetness and behaves differently, so it's best used as one part of a carefully balanced recipe.

What is it?

Mannitol is a sugar alcohol obtained from fructose and sugars. It has a subtle sweet taste, but around 60% less sweetening power than sucrose, making it an interesting option when sweetness needs to be carefully controlled. 

Why use it?

Mannitol lets you bring sweetness to a recipe without the same intensity as conventional sugar, while also supporting product stability. It's soluble in cold applications but performs particularly well when heated, giving chefs and makers another useful tool when developing or reformulating recipes.

Where does it work? 

For confectioners and chocolatiers, mannitol can be explored in specialist applications where controlled sweetness and stability are important. 

For pastry chefs, it offers another way to manage sweetness in specialist desserts and preparations, particularly when working with heat. 

Rather than thinking of mannitol as a straight swap for sucrose, consider the role sugar is playing in your recipe first. Its lower sweetening powder and different functional properties mean your formulation may need adjusting to achieve the texture, structure and finish you're after. 

What is it?

Dextrose is a simple sugar derived from glucose. It's less sweet than conventional sucrose but has a greater effect on freezing point, giving chefs and makers another way to fine-tune sweetness, texture and consistency.

Why use it?

Dextrose really earns its place when you need sweetness and functionality to work independently. Its lower sweetening power means it can contribute sugars without making a recipe taste excessively sweet, while its ability to lower the freezing point is particularly useful in frozen creations.

Where does it work? 

For gelato and ice cream artisans, dextrose is a brilliant formulation tool. Used as part of the sugar blend, it can help manage freezing point and support a softer, more scoopable texture while giving you greater control over overall sweetness.

For pastry chefs and confectioners, its lower sweetness can also be useful when balancing recipes where other ingredients already bring plenty of sweetness - consider fruity preparations, creams, fillings and confectionery.

Dextrose isn't a straight swap for sucrose. Due to its sweetening and freezing properties, the amount and combination of sugars should be considered as part of the whole recipe. 

What is it?

Sorbitol is a sweetener derived from glucose, with around 60% of the sweetening power of sucrose. Available in liquid or granulated form, it brings more to a recipe than sweetness alone - it can also play an important role in texture and moisture management.

Why use it?

Sorbitol works as both a sweetener and texturiser, making it useful when reformulating recipes or looking for a different balance of sweetness and texture. Its ability to help manage moisture can be particularly valuable in creations where softness, consistency and shelf life matter.

Where does it work? 

For chocolatiers and confectioners, sorbitol can be useful in soft fillings and other preparations where moisture and texture need careful control. 

For pastry chefs and bakers, explore it in soft-textured creations where maintaining moisture and extending shelf life are important considerations.

For gelato and ice cream artisans, sorbitol offers another way to balance sweetness and texture within a carefully formulated frozen recipe.

Liquid or granulated? Choose the format that works most naturally with your recipe and production process. Whichever you choose, remember that sorbitol behaves differently from sucrose, so it shouldn't be treated as a gram-for-gram replacement.