Stevia vs Monk Fruit: Which Sweetener Is Better in Protein Powder?

Stevia and monk fruit are both plant-based sweeteners that are far sweeter than sugar, so protein powders need only small amounts. The biggest difference in Europe is legal, and for monk fruit it depends on the form: stevia extract is an authorised sweetener (E960a), and monk fruit can be used as a simple water extract, called a decoction, but the concentrated monk fruit extract isn't authorised as a sweetener yet. In taste, the amount used matters more than which one you pick.

What you'll find here: a side-by-side comparison, how each sweetener tastes, what EU rules say about monk fruit, which one works for baking, how to read the label and answers to common questions.

Stevia vs monk fruit at a glance

	Stevia	Monk fruit extract	Monk fruit decoction
Comes from	Leaves of the stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana)	The fruit of Siraitia grosvenorii (luo han guo)
How it's made	Steviol glycosides are extracted from the leaves and purified	Mogrosides are selectively extracted and concentrated	The fruit is steeped in hot water and filtered; nothing is selectively removed
Sweet compounds	Steviol glycosides (e.g. rebaudioside A)	Mogrosides (mainly mogroside V), concentrated	Mogrosides, together with the other water-soluble parts of the fruit
Sweetness vs sugar	About 200–300 times sweeter	About 100–250 times sweeter, depending on the extract	Much less sweet, so often combined with other sweeteners
On EU labels	"Steviol glycosides" or E960a	Usually "monk fruit juice" or "monk fruit extract"; no E number
EU status	Authorised sweetener since 2011, with an acceptable daily intake set by EFSA	Not authorised as a sweetener; under EFSA assessment since 2025	Not a novel food (confirmed in 2024), so it can be used as a food ingredient
Heat	Heat-stable, works in baking	Generally described as heat-stable
Typical taste at higher amounts	Liquorice-like or slightly bitter note	Fruity sweetness that can linger

What is stevia?

Stevia is a sweetener made from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana, a plant from South America. The sweet taste comes from steviol glycosides, which are extracted and purified from the leaves. In the EU they've been authorised as a food additive since 2011 under the number E960a. EFSA set an acceptable daily intake of 4 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, calculated as steviol. Because steviol glycosides are around 200–300 times sweeter than sugar, a protein powder usually contains only a few hundredths of a gram per serving.

What is monk fruit?

Monk fruit, also called luo han guo, is a small round fruit from southern China that has been dried and used in teas and soups there for centuries. Its sweetness comes from mogrosides, mainly mogroside V. For sweeteners, the fruit is processed in two very different ways: either it's simply steeped in hot water (a decoction or juice), or the mogrosides are selectively extracted and concentrated. That difference matters a lot for how monk fruit is regulated in Europe.

What is a monk fruit decoction?

A monk fruit decoction is a simple water extract of the fruit. The fruit is crushed and steeped in hot water, the liquid is filtered, and it's often concentrated or dried into a powder. It's called "non-selective" because nothing is singled out: the mogrosides stay together with the fruit's other water-soluble parts, such as sugars and flavour compounds. That's the same way monk fruit has traditionally been prepared as a tea. A decoction is much less sweet than a concentrated extract and tastes more of the fruit itself, so products that use it often combine it with another sweetener.

Is monk fruit allowed in the EU?

It depends on the form. Monk fruit decoctions are allowed: in 2024, the UK Food Standards Agency and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland confirmed that these non-selective water extracts are not a "novel food". Under EU rules, a food only counts as novel if it wasn't eaten to a significant degree in the EU before May 1997, and novel foods need an approval before they can be sold. Because decoctions aren't novel, they can be used as an ordinary food ingredient.

Concentrated monk fruit extract, rich in mogrosides, is a different case. It isn't an authorised sweetener in the EU. In 2019, EFSA assessed it as a food additive and concluded that the available data were insufficient to decide on its safety. A new application was submitted in 2025 and is being assessed.

For you as a shopper, that means a monk fruit ingredient on a European label is usually a juice, a decoction or a blend with other sweeteners. That's why the full ingredient list tells you more than the front of the pack. Last checked: November 2026.

Which tastes better: stevia or monk fruit?

Neither tastes better across the board; the amount and the blend decide. At low amounts, both taste clean. Stevia at higher amounts can taste liquorice-like or slightly bitter, which is the aftertaste many people associate with stevia protein powders. Monk fruit tends to taste fruitier, but its sweetness can build slowly and linger. Many products blend sweeteners to round out these notes, so the same "with stevia" or "with monk fruit" label can taste very different between brands. WAM Protein doesn't blend: stevia is its only sweetener.

"Most of the aftertaste people blame on stevia comes from using too much of it. If a protein powder is only lightly sweetened, like WAM Protein, you mostly taste the flavour, not the sweetener." – Dr. Anna Falk, chemist and founder of WAM

Can you bake with stevia and monk fruit?

Yes, both are generally considered heat-stable, so a protein powder sweetened with either can go into pancakes, muffins or mug cakes. That's one of the main differences from sucralose, which can break down at high baking temperatures, as we explain in our article on protein powder without sucralose. Neither stevia nor monk fruit adds the bulk, browning or moisture that sugar does, though. Recipes that use protein powder usually get that from bananas, syrup, nut butter or plant milk instead.

Why are stevia and monk fruit often mixed with other sweeteners?

They're mixed because tiny amounts of an intense sweetener are hard to dose and can taste one-sided on their own. Erythritol is a common partner: it's a sugar alcohol that adds volume and a more sugar-like taste, which is why many monk fruit table-top sweeteners are mostly erythritol. In protein powders, stevia is sometimes combined with sucralose or acesulfame K, while the front of the pack only mentions stevia. If you want to avoid a particular sweetener, the ingredient list is the only reliable place to check. In WAM Protein, steviol glycosides are the only sweetener, with no sucralose, acesulfame K or erythritol added.

How do you check which sweetener is in your protein powder?

Read the ingredient list, not the front of the pack. Sweeteners must be listed by name or E number, so look for these terms:

• Stevia: "steviol glycosides", "steviol glycosides from stevia" or E960a.
• Monk fruit: "monk fruit juice", "monk fruit extract", "luo han guo" or "Siraitia grosvenorii".
• Other intense sweeteners: sucralose (E955), acesulfame K (E950), aspartame (E951).
• Sugar alcohols: erythritol (E968), xylitol (E967).

The order matters too: ingredients are listed by weight, so a sweetener near the end of the list is used in a small amount. Our guide to choosing a vegan protein powder covers the other things worth checking on the label.

Why WAM Protein uses stevia

FAQ

Is monk fruit healthier than stevia?

There's no good evidence that one is healthier than the other. Both are used in very small amounts and add almost no sugar. The main difference in Europe is the safety assessment: steviol glycosides have been evaluated by EFSA, which set an acceptable daily intake of 4 mg per kilogram of body weight. For concentrated monk fruit extract, EFSA said in 2019 that the data were not sufficient to conclude on safety, and a new assessment is ongoing. Monk fruit decoctions, the simple water extracts, are a separate case: they aren't considered a novel food, so they can be used as an ordinary ingredient without a separate approval.

Why is monk fruit not approved in Europe?

Concentrated monk fruit extract isn't approved as a sweetener because the safety data submitted so far weren't enough for EFSA to reach a conclusion. In its 2019 opinion, the panel asked for more long-term toxicity data. That's a "not yet proven" verdict, not a finding that it's harmful. A new application has been under assessment since 2025. Simple water extracts of the fruit don't need this approval and can be used as an ingredient.

Does stevia have an aftertaste?

It can, mostly when too much is used. Some steviol glycosides, especially at higher concentrations, have a liquorice-like or slightly bitter finish, and some people are more sensitive to it than others. Newer steviol glycosides and lower doses taste cleaner. In a lightly sweetened protein powder, most people taste the flavour first and the sweetener barely at all.

Is monk fruit sweetener in Europe usually pure monk fruit?

Usually not. Table-top monk fruit sweeteners sold in Europe are often mostly erythritol with a small amount of monk fruit, and protein powders may combine a monk fruit juice or decoction with other sweeteners. Check the ingredient list: ingredients are listed by weight, so you can see which sweetener makes up most of the product and whether there's more than one.

Which is better for baking with protein powder?

Both work, because both are generally heat-stable. What matters more in baking is how sweet the powder is overall and what the rest of the recipe brings. A lightly sweetened powder lets you control sweetness with fruit or syrup. Our guide to baking with protein powder explains how much powder to use and how to keep bakes moist.

Sources

• EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS). Scientific Opinion on the safety of steviol glycosides for the proposed uses as a food additive. EFSA Journal. 2010;8(4):1537. EFSA Journal
• Commission Regulation (EU) No 1131/2011 amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 with regard to steviol glycosides. EUR-Lex
• EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF). Safety of use of Monk fruit extract as a food additive in different food categories. EFSA Journal. 2019;17(12):5921. EFSA Journal
• EFSA OpenEFSA: application EFSA-Q-2025-00007, monk fruit extract as a food additive. OpenEFSA
• Food Law Consult (2024): Monk fruit decoctions not novel in food. foodlawconsult.com
• Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (ingredient list by weight, naming of additives). EUR-Lex