When you are on the keto diet all carb-filled things you enjoyed before are in the past. You are going to have to forget about tasty cakes, chocolates, and candy.
But, when a brand markets itself as “sugar-free” it can make your curiosity spark so that maybe you don’t have to give up your sweet tooth when you are following a keto diet.
Especially when one of the most popular brands of chocolate candy, Russel Stover has a sugar-free line with many products in it.
But, can you eat Russell Stover sugar-free chocolate candy on the keto diet? Keep on reading to find out.
About Russel Stover
The Russell Stover Chocolates is an American company and supplier of candy, chocolate, and confections. The company was founded in 1923 by Rissell and his wife, Clara Stovell, but it didn’t start as a candy company at all.
It was first created as a company that created chocolate-covered ice cream under the name Mrs. Stover’s Bungalow Candies. Then their business starts growing rapidly and they expand to Kansas City, Missouri where they open an ice cream parlor, drive-in store, and ice cream factory.
The company’s name was officially changed to Russell Stover Candies in 1943, in 1960 the company was open to public trade and Louis Ward bought a controlling part of the company.
After Russell and Claras’ deaths, it became a privately owned company again in 1981. In 1993 Russell Stover Candies acquired Whitman’s Candies. Their sugar-free line of chocolates was launched in 1998.
In 2014 Lindt & Sprungli, a Swedish company acquired both Russell Stover Candies and Whitman’s Candies.
How many types of chocolate does Russell Stover Sugar-free Chocolates line have?
Russell Stover Sugar-free Chocolates has 10 different types of products and those are Assorted Chocolates, Chocolate Candy, Dark Chocolate, Caramel and Toffee, Nuts and Peanut Butter, Coconut, Mints, Creams, Truffles, Hard Candies and Jelly Beans.
Nutritional Facts
Here is the nutritional information of one serving of some of Russel Stover Sugar-free candies:
| Product | Serving size | Calories | Fat | Protein | Total Carbs | Fiber | Net Carbs | Sugar Alcohol |
| Almond Delights | 2 pieces or 34 grams | 140 kcal | 11 grams | 3 grams | 19 grams | 1 gram | 3 grams | 15 grams |
| Assorted Fruit Hard Candy | 3 pieces or 17 grams | 35 kcal | 0 grams | 0 grams | 16 grams | 0 grams | 0 grams | 16 grams |
| Caramel | 2 pieces or 28 grams | 110 kcal | 7 grams | 4 grams | 17 grams | Less than 1 gram | 3 grams | 13 gram |
| Pecan Delight | 2 pieces or 34 grams | 150 kcal | 12 grams | 2 grams | 19 grams | 1 gram | 3 grams | 15 grams |
| Toffee | 3 pieces or 44 grams | 210 kcal | 16 grams | 2 grams | 24 grams | 1 gram | 0 grams | 23 grams |
| Truffle | 2 pieces or 28 grams | 110 kcal | 8 grams | 1 gram | 17 grams | 1 gram | 0 grams | 16 grams |
Ingredients
There are some common ingredients among Russell Stover products and those are Chocolate Candy {Maltitol, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Sodium Caseinate (Milk), Milk Fat, Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier), Vanilla, Salt, Rebiana (Stevia Extract)}, Maltitol Syrup, Maltitol, Soy Lecithin, Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavors
| Product | Ingredients |
| Almond Delights | Almonds, Polydextrose, Palm Kernel Oil, Sodium Caseinate, FD&C Colors, Sodium Benzoate |
| Assorted Fruit Hard Candy | Maltitol Syrup, Citric Acid, Natural And Artificial Flavors, FD and C Colors |
| Caramel | Polydextrose, Palm Kernel Oil, Sodium Caseinate (Milk), Butter, Cream, FD&C Colors, Salt, Sodium Benzoate |
| Pecan Delight | Pecans, Polydextrose, Partially Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Sodium Caseinate, Milk, FD&C Colors and Sodium Benzoate |
| Toffee | Butter, Almonds, Salt, Mono and Diglycerides with Citric Acid, Soybean Oil, Mixed Tocopherols, Rebiana (Stevia Extract), FD&C Colors, Sodium Benzoate |
| Truffle | Dark Chocolate, Butter, Natural Flavors, Potassium Sorbate |
What sweeteners are used in the Russell Stover Sugar-Free line?
The sugar-free sweeteners that are used in Russell Stover Sugar Free line are stevia extract, maltitol and maltitol syrup, as well as polydextrose in some of their products..
Stevia leaf extract is a sweetener that is used as a common substitute for table sugar and it is 30- 150 times sweeter than table sugar. It’s a plant-based sweetener and its sweetness comes from the active ingredients it contains called steviol glycosides.
Stevia is especially common in sugar-free and carb-free products because the active ingredient it has can not be metabolized by the body and therefore stevia has no calories and no carbs. (*)
Maltitol is a sugar alcohol that is commonly used as a sweetener. It has 70-90% of the sweetness of table sugar. But, even though it is a sugar alcohol, maltitol has the highest glycemic index of all sugar alcohols, which is 35 for maltitol powder and 52 for maltitol syrup. For reference, table sugar- sucrose has a glycemic index of 60, so maltitol syrup comes pretty close to it. (*)
Glycemic index is a number from 0-100 with 100 being pure glucose. It is assigned to food and it represents the relative rise in glucose in the blood (blood sugar level) after two hours of consuming the food.
On the keto diet, of course, you’d want to consume food with a glycemic index that is as low as possible to get into ketosis and to avoid getting out of it.
The high GI index of maltitol means that it will definitely affect your ketosis. Check our article about maltitol on keto diet for more details.
Polydextrose is a synthetic polymer of glucose and it is classified as soluble fiber by the FDA. It is used in the food industry as a sweetener, as well as for texture and bulking, but it is only partially fermented and minimally absorbed in the gut, so it doesn’t have much nutritional value. (*)
Is stevia keto-friendly?
Yes, stevia is completely keto-friendly.
Is maltitol keto-friendly?
No, maltitol should be avoided on the keto diet as it affects blood sugar.
Can You Eat Russell Stover Sugar Free Chocolates On The Keto Diet?
While they technically are sugar-free, the Russell Stover Sugar Free Chocolates, in this case, doesn’t mean that they are carb-free or that they are keto-friendly. The products are sucrose-free, but they still contain sugar alcohol, and not the kind that doesn’t affect blood sugar, but the one with the highest glycemic index- maltitol.
Maltitol powder has a somewhat lower glycemic index than maltitol syrup, but Russell Stover Sugar Free products contain both in most of their products, which means that they will absolutely affect your ketosis, almost as much as common sugar. (*)
They also use artificial flavoring and colors, and they are overall highly-processed.
To sum it all up, consuming Russell Stover Sugar Free products is definitely not recommended when you are following a keto diet as their products contain ingredients that will affect blood sugar even though they technically are sugar(sucrose) free.
If you are on a low-carb diet and do not mind processed foods, and you want to satisfy your sweet tooth with chocolates that have less carbs than regular chocolates, then you can eat them, but keep in mind that 2-3 servings contain 16-24 grams of net carbs.
Where To Buy?
You can find Russell Stover Sugar Free products in common grocery stores, as well as online on their official site or sites like Amazon.com
Bottom Line
No, Russell Stover Sugar Free products are not keto-friendly, as they are highly-processed and contain non-ketogenic ingredients. However, it’s fine to eat on a low-carb diet.
They are sweetened with stevia extract, maltitol and maltitol syrup, and polydextrose.
Conclusion
Not everything that is advertised as “sugar-free” is also keto-friendly, so it is important to check the ingredients for any ingredients that are not ketogenic and may keep you out of ketosis.
But, while Russell Stover Sugar Free Chocolates aren’t ketogenic, you can always try some of our recipes for keto-friendly and low-carb sweets such as this No Bake Coconut Squares or our Chocolate Coconut Cups that can satisfy your sweet tooth.
Up Next: Is Lily’s Chocolate Keto-friendly?
*Photo courtesy of Russell Stover
