5 Energy Drinks Without Sucralose That Taste Great

Let’s be honest. We don’t always make the best choices when we’re tired or stressed. When we’re exhausted, energy drinks can be our saving grace. But, they’re not all created equal. The ingredients in energy drinks can vary a lot. 

As lovers of energy drinks, this is actually a good thing! 

Gone are the days when our only options were big cans of overly sweet concoctions with questionable additives. To be clear, those drinks are still widely available. But now there’s competition from brands that mindfully choose ingredients to support overall health.

Here’s what definitely doesn’t support long-term health and focused energy—a chemical called sucralose. It’s an artificial sweetener commonly added to energy drinks to up the sweetness factor without the calories of actual sugar. 

This might sound like ideal, but sucralose can be a big problem. The FDA says it’s completely safe, but we’ll explain how it can actually contribute to weight gain, wreak havoc on your gut, and more.

But don’t worry. If you want to choose better, you can. The best part? You don’t even have to sacrifice taste! In fact, healthy energy drinks taste better than ever and there’s one to suit every palate. 

So before grabbing the first drink your bleary eyes can find under the fluorescent light of your corner store, we suggest two things: 

• Know your options when it comes to energy drinks—we’ll offer some sucralose-free drink alternatives below (spoiler alert: one is Ethan’s Clean Energy Shots).
• Plan ahead and stock up on your drink of choice so you don't have to settle for the only thing available.

First things first. We can’t encourage you to give up sucralose-laden drinks without making a convincing case against it. Also, we realize you may not even have realized your go-to energy drink had sucralose. That’s ok! It’s why we’re here. 

Sucralose (marketed under the name Splenda) is an artificial, non-nutritive sweetener made in a lab. It’s 600 times sweeter than real sugar with almost no calories. Newer on the market than saccharin and aspartame, it’s now the most popular fake sweetener and is added to an array of different food and beverage products. (1)

Reporting on a study from 2022, Harvard Health notes, 

“Numerous small studies have hinted at potential health problems, including a higher risk of cancer, kidney disease, and heart disease. Now, a large study has found a potential link between artificial sweeteners and an increased risk of strokes, heart attacks, and related cardiovascular problems.” (2)

Scientists have identified at least three main problems with sucralose:

Sucralose Can Contribute To Weight Gain

The idea behind a low-calorie sweetener is to trick your brain into thinking it’s getting a dose of sugary goodness, but without the unwanted side effects like weight gain and spikes in blood glucose. 

But the research shows this logic might be flawed and that sucralose can actually contribute to weight gain in at least three ways (3):

• It makes your brain crave intense sweetness which makes you less likely to choose foods or drinks that aren’t sweet.
• Even though sucralose isn’t sugar, it still can cause spikes in blood glucose the way real sugar does.
• Consuming sucralose can disrupt your metabolism.

It Disrupts Gut Health

We now know sucralose doesn’t pass through the digestive system completely unnoticed as once believed. It doesn’t have any nutritional value, but it does trigger changes within the gut microbiome.

The balance of good and bad organisms in your gut determines more than just your bathroom habits. Your mood, digestion, immunity, nervous system, metabolism, and ability to detox can all be affected. So, consuming sucralose poses a risk to your overall health you may not be willing to take. (4)

Cooking With Sucralose Can Be Dangerous

When heated, sucralose produces harmful chemicals that have been linked to cancer. This is especially troubling because it’s often used in baked goods. 

According to studies, heating sucralose creates toxic chlorinated compounds called chloropropanols and dioxins. These compounds are thought to contribute to cancer. (5)

We go more in-depth about the safety concerns around sucralose in this article. (It’s pretty scary.)

Ethan’s Clean Energy Shots & Powder

Not only are these energy shots formulated without sucralose, they actually have no added sugar at all apart from a tiny bit of fruit juice. Packing a punch of energy without the jitters, it has 150mg of caffeine derived from green tea and guayusa.

But this isn’t your typical energy supplement. Ethan’s products include Lion’s Mane and Cordyceps mushrooms—two other incredible nootropics that help you sustain mental focus and physical stamina. (And no, these energy shots do not taste like mushrooms.)

According to nootropic specialist Dr. Sarah Swanberg,

“Besides supporting clarity and focus, nootropic mushrooms have antioxidants to protect cells from damage that comes with aging. They allow you to perform better in the moment and preserve your ability to learn and recall information down the road.” (6)

Another perk? They come in 2-ounce portions so you won’t have to guzzle a ton of liquid to get the pep you’re after. If you prefer a drink with more volume, just mix a packet of Ethan’s Clean Energy Powder into 4-8 ounces of water or juice. 

All four flavors taste amazing and, well, clean! They also aren’t overloaded with lots of unnecessary ingredients like other energy products. This organic formula contains just B-vitamins, some electrolytes, and Ethan’s proprietary energy and focus blend of caffeine and nootropics.

Energy Drink #2 - Kill Cliff

These energy drinks were formulated with U.S. Navy Seals in mind. Us mortals can still enjoy them without having to endure grueling training drills, though. The inclusion of CBD in some of the products makes this line of energy drinks different from the others on the list.

Kill Cliff offers a few different flavors and formulations. One thing in common is that they’re all sweetened with erythritol, a naturally occurring “sugar alcohol”. Even though erythritol is natural, some people report digestive issues like bloating and discomfort after consuming it. (7) 

Low caffeine alert—The caffeine in Kill Cliff drinks is far less than the others on the list. They contain just 25 mg of caffeine combined with electrolytes and nootropic ginseng.

Energy Drink #3 - Scheckter’s Organic Energy

Scheckter’s Organic Energy drinks are light, fresh and bubbly. Kind of like your favorite seltzer with some added oomph. This company uses real, old-fashioned sugar to sweeten most of their drinks and opts for a touch of agave in the “lite” version.

Is agave better than sugar? Not necessarily. Since it’s made of fructose (fruit sugar), the body handles it differently. But too much of any kind of sugar can raise blood glucose and insulin levels. In this case, the amount of agave seems reasonable and not likely to cause issues in people who generally limit their sugar intake. 

The caffeine in Scheckter’s drinks is also relatively low. They contain just 32 mg derived from green tea, guayusa, and coffee bean extract. However, the addition of ginseng can help with physical stamina and mental acuity.

Energy Drink #4 - EBOOST Super Fuel

EBOOST’s Super Fuel comes in four fruity flavors. The cans contain almost 12 ounces of liquid which could be heavy and inconvenient to carry. Or just be more liquid than you feel like drinking. 

Luckily, like Ethan’s, EBOOST is considerate to those among us who prefer to throw a packet of powder in our bags and get on with our day.

There are a lot of ingredients in EBOOST’s energy drinks, and the website asserts it’s also meant to be like a multivitamin. Check the label to make sure you actually want to consume these particular vitamins and minerals. 

Caffeine from green tea and coffee bean extract is combined with nootropics like L-tyrosine and L-theanine. 

To sweeten this drink, EBOOST uses steviol glycosides (the food-safe version of the stevia plant). Stevia is considered natural and safe, but like with all non-nutritive sweeteners, it may not be the best choice for everyone. It could cause digestive issues, low blood sugar, and hormone imbalances in some people. (8)

Energy Drink #5 - GURU Organic Energy Original & Lite

The original GURU energy drink tastes great if you have a sweet tooth. And it should, because it packs 30 grams of sugar into a 12-ounce can. That’s almost as much as a can of soda! However, if you want a little treat without all the sweet, you can get these in 8-ounce cans.

GURU also offers a “lite” version with only 4 grams of sugar and 25 calories. The issue with this? It’s sweetened by stevia which, as we learned, could be a bad choice for some people. 

The lite version also contains luo han guo (monk fruit) extract, another natural sugar alternative that is great for some and troublesome for others. It’s considered safe in moderation but like any sweetener, can create a dependence on overly sweet food. (9)

Like a few other products on this list, GURU adds the adaptogenic nootropic ginseng to work synergistically with caffeine from green tea and guarana.

Conclusion

Energy can be in short supply at times. What’s not lacking anymore is the number of options you have when choosing an energy drink. 

“Energy drink” doesn’t have to equate to something you feel guilty about, and drinking them doesn’t have to diminish your health. In fact, some can actually support overall health and well-being while helping you improve energy, stamina and focus.

The best example? Ethan’s Clean Energy Shots.

Ethan’s Clean Energy Shots don’t just contain the caffeine that gives you the boost you’re after, they also have two other stand-out nootropics—Lion’s Mane and Cordyceps mushrooms. These nootropics work together with the caffeine to enhance its effects and offer a long list of health benefits of their own.

What about taste? All the energy drinks listed here taste great…without sucralose. Some are heavily sweetened with real sugar, and others use sugar alcohols and other natural low-cal sweeteners. 

Ethan’s prefers to keep it clean. Just a splash of fruit juice so you don’t have to worry about tainting your taste buds or dealing with unpleasant side effects. So go away, guilt! You’re not welcome here anymore.

You have the power to choose wisely. Visit Ethan’s.com and stock up so you always have clean energy on hand when you need it.