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How much sugar is in Licorice? Yes, licorice. You know those super chewy unusual flavored twists that contain licorice extract (or in some cases actually don’t). It is just one of those polarizing candies. You either like licorice or you don’t. However, much sugar is there in licorice? In this post, I am going to be sharing with you the sugar content of licorice and ranking different brands of licorice based on sugar content.
Red and Black Licorice
We can’t talk about licorice without talking about the two main kinds available – Red and Black licorice. The most important thing to know about the two is that “black” licorice almost always contains licorice extract. However, a lot of the strawberry twists (aka “Red Licorice”) on the market don’t actually contain licorice. This makes them technically not licorice.
The reality is though people still think of “Red” Licorice as licorice so I will be covering both in this post.
Now we have established exactly what licorice is, let’s investigate the sugar content of licorice (and strawberry “licorice-like” candy). How much sugar is in licorice and what are the best sugar free licorices out there?
How much Sugar is in Licorice?
As a general rule, most red and black licorices contain 4g-4.7g of sugar per twist. Most sugar free licorice twists contain 0g- <1g of sugar per twist.
Summary Table – Sugar Content of Licorice Brands
Below is a summary table of 12 different licorice brands ranked based on sugar content. As you can see from the table the sugar content varies across these brands ranging from 4.7g to 0g of sugar per serving (in this case a twist). I have also listed the sweeteners used in each brand for your ease of reference.
| Licorice Brand | Sweetener Used | Total Sugar Per Twist |
|---|---|---|
| Twizzlers Black Licorice | Sugar and corn syrup | 4.7g |
| Twizzlers Strawberry Twists | Sugar and corn syrup | 4.3g |
| Red Vines Licorice Red Twists | High fructose corn syrup and corn syrup | 4g |
| Red Vines Black Licorice | Corn syrup and molasses | 4g |
| Smart Sweets Red Twists | Allulose, stevia and isomaltooligosaccharide | <1g |
| Project 7 Low Sugar Red Licorice | Allulose and stevia | <1g |
| Wiley Wallaby Very Berry Twists | Allulose and stevia | <1g |
| Twizzlers Zero Sugar Strawberry Twists | Maltitol syrup, acesulfame potassium and sorbitol. | 0g |
| Red Vines Sugar Free Strawberry Twists | Maltitol syrup | 0g |
| Red Vines Sugar Free Black Licorice | Maltitol syrup | 0g |
| Darrell Lea Sugar Free Strawberry Soft Australian Made Licorice | Sucralose and maltitol | 0g |
| Darrell Lea Sugar Free Black Soft Australian Made Licorice | Sucralose and maltitol | 0g |
Ranking Sugar Content of Licorice Brands – item by item
In this section, I will go through each of the 12 brands I mention in the above table in more detail. This is to help give you a better understanding of all the different licorice options available.
1. Twizzlers Black Licorice – 4.7g of Total Sugar
The highest sugar licorice I came across in my search comes from the infamous Twizzlers. Twizzlers Black Licorice is sweetened with sugar and corn syrup and contains 4.7g of total sugar per twist. See below for the sugar content of Twizzlers Black licorice’s much more popular cousin.
2. Twizzlers Strawberry Twists – 4.3g of Total Sugar
Twizzlers strawberry licorice must be the most well-recognized licorice out there. If you type “sugar in licorice” into Google a plethora of “people also ask” questions comes up around Twizzlers.
However, there is one catch – Twizzlers’ red twists aren’t technically licorice (they do not contain licorice extract like the original black Twizzlers). But still, people think of them as licorice (due to their similar shape and chewy texture), so they are usually referred to as licorice-type candy.
But, what is exactly the sugar content of these popular strawberry licorice-type sticks?
Well, these infamous red twists are sweetened with sugar and corn syrup and contain 4.3g of sugar per twist – slightly less than their black licorice counterparts.
3. Red Vines Licorice Red Twists – 4g of Total Sugar
Next up – Red Vines. Red Vines is to Twizzlers what Coke is to Pepsi. And quite fittingly these red twists have a very similar sugar content to Twizzlers red twists at 4g of sugar per twist.
Red Vines red twists are sweetened slightly differently – with corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup.
4. Red Vines Black Licorice – 4g of Total Sugar
Red Vines Black Licorice sticks have the same sugar content as their red twists at 4g per twist. They are sweetened slightly differently though with corn syrup and molasses.
Sugar Ferree Licorice Options
So far, I have established that red and black licorice twists tend to contain 4g-4.7g of total sugar per twist and there doesn’t tend to be a huge difference in the sugar content of red and black twists. But how about if you like to eat several of these twists at once and so need to know about sugar free licorice options NOW? I have you covered.
5. Smart Sweets Red Twists – <1g of Total Sugar
The first lower sugar licorice type candy (aka red twists) comes from Smart Sweets. Smart Sweets red twists are sweetened with allulose, stevia, and isomaltooligosaccharide.
There are 2g of sugar in an entire bag of Smart Sweets – so the sugar content per red twist is tiny. You can find Smart Sweet red twists on Amazon here.
If you are interested, I have talked about Smart Sweets several times before here at Low Sugar Snax. You can read these posts here:
- How Much Sugar is in Gummy Bears? You Will be Surprised!
- How Much Sugar is in Lollipops?
- How Much Sugar is in Peach Rings Candy?
6. Project 7 Low Sugar Red Licorice – <1g of Total Sugar
My next low sugar licorice candy entry is from a brand I have also talked about before here at Low Sugar Snax – Project 7. For example, I talked about Project 7 in the post I wrote looking at the sugar content of sour candy.
These red twists from Project 7 are keto-friendly, vegan, and do not contain sugar alcohol. Instead, these red twists are sweetened with allulose and stevia.
There is just 1g of total sugar in the entire bag of these twists – making the sugar content of an individual twist pretty negligible. So, get chewing!
You can find these low sugar red twists on Amazon here.
7. Wiley Wallaby Very Berry Twists – <1g of Total Sugar
Just like Project 7 twists, these very berry twists from Wiley Wallaby are also sweetened with allulose and stevia.
There is 1g of sugar in a serving size of 3 of these small twists.
The Very Berry flavor is a mixture of both strawberry and raspberry so if you enjoy your licorice-like twists with a sour element from raspberry then these may be the low sugar twists for you.
You can find there on Amazon here.
8. Twizzlers Zero Sugar Strawberry Twists – 0g of Total Sugar
If you are a Red Twizzlers fan who is trying to cut down on sugar content, then I have some great news for you. Twizzlers also make a sugar free strawberry twist. I repeat – Twizzlers now make a sugar free strawberry twist.
These twists are sweetened with maltitol syrup, acesulfame potassium, and sorbitol.
Each contains 0g of sugar per twist.
You can treat yourself to these zero-sugar twists on Amazon here. Get twizzling!
9. Red Vines Sugar Free Strawberry Twists – 0g of Total Sugar
If you are on team Red Vines rather than team Twizzlers, then I also have some good news for you – Red Vines also make a sugar free version of their strawberry twists.
Red Vines strawberry twists are just sweetened with maltitol syrup and 0g of total sugar per twist.
You can find Red Vines sugar free strawberry twists on Amazon here.
10. Red Vines Sugar Free Black Licorice – 0g of Total Sugar
If the real deal black licorice is more your thing, then Red Vines also make sugar free black licorice.
These sugar free black licorice twists are also sweetened with maltitol syrup and contain 0g of total sugar per twist. Plus, they actually contain licorice extract!
You can treat yourself to these sugar free black licorice twists on Amazon here.
11. Darrell Lea Sugar Free Strawberry Soft Australian Made Licorice – 0g of Total Sugar
If you find regular licorice too chewy then you may be interested in this soft licorice from Darrell Lea. These soft red licorices are sweetened with sucralose and maltitol and each piece contains 0g of total sugar.
What is also unique about these red licorices other than the fact they are chewy, is that they contain licorice extract.
Most red twists don’t contain licorice extract. How cool is that?
So, if a sugar free, soft red licorice that contains licorice extract sound like your kind of thing you can check Darrell Lea sugar free strawberry soft licorice out on Amazon here.
12. Darrell Lea Sugar Free Black Soft Australian Made Licorice – 0g of Total Sugar
Darrell Lea also makes a black version of their sugar free licorice. It is still sugar free, still soft, still sweetened with maltitol and sucralose, and still contains licorice extract. Win.
You can find this black soft licorice on Amazon here.
Sugar In Licorice F&Q
What Kind of Sugar is in Licorice?
Most licorices are sweetened with sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, and/or molasses.
Is There Sugar in Twizzlers?
Regular Twizzlers are sweetened with sugar and corn syrup. Twizzlers also make a sugar free version of these twists which are sweetened with maltitol syrup, acesulfame potassium, and sorbitol.
How Much Sugar is in Twizzlers Licorice?
A black Twizzlers twist contains 4.7g of total sugar whilst a red Twizzlers twist contains 4.3g of total sugar. A sugar free Twizzlers twist contains 0g of sugar.
How Much Sugar Is In 2 Twizzlers?
There are 9.4g of total sugar in 2 black Twizzlers and 8.6g of total sugar in 2 red Twizzlers.
How Much Sugar is in a Stick of Red Licorice?
Most regular red licorice twists contain 4g-4.3g of total sugar per twist.
Does Red Licorice Contain More Sugar Than Black Licorice?
Red Vines red and black licorice twists contain the same amount of sugar. Twizzlers Black twists contain slightly more sugar than Twizzlers Red twists.
How Much Sugar is in Licorice? You Need to Know This! – The Final Bite
How much sugar is in Licorice? What have we learned from the above? Well, (1) red licorice is not always “technically licorice” and (2) there are plenty of sugar free licorice options available even from the bigger brands like Red Vine and Twizzlers. That means you can never feel too guilty about eating that stock of licorice again. As for me, I am happy just sticking to the red licorice.
And Remember…
Ingredients and/or manufacturing processes may change. Always double-check ingredient lists and nutritional information before purchasing any food items.
WANT TO FIND MORE LOW SUGAR OPTIONS?
Do you want to learn about some other low-sugar options at your favorite coffee chains, fast food, or restaurant joints, or just while you are shopping for groceries? If you do, then check out some of my other articles below:
