Britannica Sources used in this answer

How does stevia compare with sucrose in sweetness?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Tall, dense stalks of sugarcane grow on both sides of a narrow path, with green leaves arching overhead and sunlight illuminating the plants. — sugar Lines of sugarcane before harvest.

Refined stevia, a nonnutritive sweetener derived from the leaves of the plant Stevia rebaudiana, contains natural compounds such as stevioside and rebaudioside A that are significantly sweeter than sucrose.12

Specifically, these compounds can be more than 300 times sweeter than sucrose, which is the standard carbohydrate commonly known as sugar. While sucrose provides essential functional properties in food—such as bulk, texture, and preservation—stevia is primarily used as a low-calorie or nonnutritive alternative to achieve a sweet taste without the caloric content associated with sugar.12