Smart Monk - 100% Monkfruit Extract

I bought this product a few years ago, and it lasted me all this time! This batch is a different color, and requires a much larger serving for the same sweetness, but it’s still good! I prefer the flavor of monk fruit over sugar, and this doesn’t disappoint.

This is by far the best sweetener I have ever tried. It’s very sweet so lasts forever as a result. Goes great in smoothies, tea, coffee and as a substitute for sugar in some of my stir fries. Like most (all?) artificial sweeteners, it’s not for baking. If you want to bake then use sugar. Period. Yes, it takes a little effort to dissolve but so what. Just wait a minute and it will dissolve just fine. The bitter taste complaint must be individual specific. I never tasted any bitterness. It doesn’t taste like table sugar and I’m glad. I actually like the aftertaste.

I first purchased it May 2019 for $25.00, then in December 2020 for $30.00, now in 2024 the price is $50.00. It is now 2024.I will continue to purchase it because the quality is so high and everything else has gone up in price for so many reasons since 2019! I mix it in a large container with one bag of Splenda, one bag of Anthony's Erythritol and this 3.5 oz container of Smart Monk. The results is a superior taste experience. Splenda sells blended mixtures, but I have no way of knowing how much Monk is actually in their product. The combination of the 3 has the magic taste and texture and I don't experience the gastric side effects that Erythritol, which is a sugar alchohol, is famous for!

Then about a week later (7/7/19) had a full on grand mal seizure and was hospitalized for 4 days. I had told my roommate that I was going to stop using it due to my suspicion that the weird taste in my mouth occurred after about 3-5 days of use was from the Monk Fruit sweetener. Unfortunately she remembered this (concern about the monk fruit and when I was hospitalized she tossed out the container of "Smart Monk" so testing was not an option.However I had ordered another container of Smart Monk for a friend, a few days after ordering the first for myself....I had not ever considered the possibility of contamination of an entire lot of the product but he told me the other day he had quit using the sweetener as it made him feel (in his words) as if he smoked some weed....bad weed LOL.After seeing all the other reviews of funny tastes etc. I am going to see if he still has the container and how much it would cost to have it tested for contamination.

While this is pricey, a little bit goes a VERY long way. I'm still playing with it but I'd say for my tea (black, with cream) one teaspoon will do for a pint (I make a pot on weekend mornings). The flavour is close to sugar - initially got a little getting used to - and this product definitely is bang for the buck. I probably won't be buying other sweeteners for a while, unless I read of something superior. I've not tried baking it with it. Just be very careful as you start to use it. It is definitely sweeter than conventional sugar.4/11/2020 - some months ago, this stopped dissolving, unfortunately. It gums up in the hot liquid and sticks to the spoon. Eventually you can get most of it to dissolve but I changed it to 4 stars.

I've used it for everything from daily sweetening up to baking so far. You have to watch batter consistencyin baking, in more delicate recipes, but for flavor you really can't beat monkfruit. Using erythritol in the quantities you need for baking gives me the worst stomach cramps so when I heard about this I bought some that same day. The jar lasts a long time-- my advice is to use a pinch and then slowly add til you get the flavor you want. It doesn't take much, I've barely put a dent in my jar and I've been using it every day for a month. 10/10 worth the money and awesome flavor compared to other sugar alternatives.

Great sugar substitute. Cannot get over the small amount to equal a teaspoon of sugar. Cost is expensive, but the amounts used per serving seem to be equalizer. Does not appt mess with glycemic levels.

I've been using monk fruit sweeteners for over five years. Smart Monk is the best tasting monk fruit sweetener IMHO. I use it in my coffee, ice tea, oatmeal and for most of my sweeten needs.