Is Cotton Candy Just 100% Sugar?

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Cotton Candy (or if you are in the UK – candy floss) – is it just 100% sugar? In this post I am going to answer the question – how much sugar is in Cotton Candy and is there any low sugar or zero sugar versions available?

Cotton Candy is that pastel blue and pink (usually) colored fluffy candy that looks like a cloud. Traditionally always found at fairs and carnivals. Because who doesn’t love to bite into an airy pastel-colored sugary cloud – particularly at fun fairs? It brings out the inner child in all of us. But seriously is cotton candy just made up of sugar?

To answer that question, I randomly selected 4 cotton candy brands and examined the sugar content of each. I have listed the sugar contents below per 28g (1oz serving). I also managed, in addition, to find 2 sugar free cotton candy alternatives. So, all you cotton candy lovers who are trying to reduce your sugar intake – make sure to read to the end to find out what they are.

How Much Sugar is in Cotton Candy?

As a general rule, cotton candy is predominantly made up of sugar – there is usually 1g of sugar in every 1g of cotton candy. There are a few sugar-free cotton candies available, which are instead sweetened with isomalt and contain 0g of sugar.

Ranking Cotton Candy Brands Based on Sugar

In this section, I will go through 6 different brands of Cotton Candy and examine the sugar content of each. As you will see only 2 of these contain 0g of total sugar.

1. Fruidles Cotton Candy – 28g of Total Sugar

The first cotton candy I examined the sugar content of was the pink and blue cotton candy from Fruidles. I have talked about Fruidles before in the posts I wrote on the sugar content of Candy Corn, Lollipops, and Gummy Worms. Now it’s time to look at the sugar content of Fruidles cotton candy.

The ingredients are sugar and artificial colors and flavors. It isn’t a huge surprise then that in a 28g serving (i.e. an ounce) there are 28g of sugar.

2. Fluffy Stuff Cotton Candy – 28g of Total Sugar

The sugar situation is pretty much the same with Fluffy Stuff’s cotton candy. This cotton candy is also made up of sugar and artificial colors and flavors – it just also contains some natural flavors too.

This cotton candy is also almost completely made up of sugar with 28g of sugar in a 28g serving.

3. Justhangin’ Cotton Candy – 28g of Total Sugar

The next cotton candy I looked at is from Justhangin’. A 28g serving of Justhangin’ cotton candy is made of sugar and artificial colors and flavors and contains you guessed it…28g of sugar in a 28g serving.

4. Chocolate Storybook Gourmet Handspun Cotton Candy – 27g of Total Sugar

The final “full sugar” cotton candy I examined is Chocolate Storybook gourmet pink cotton candy. This cotton candy is made of sugar and pink flossine (which is made up of sugar, vanillin and you guessed it…artificial colors and flavors).

There is 33g of sugar in a 34g serving of this cotton candy. This equates to 27g of sugar in a 28g serving – so still pretty much completely made of sugar.

By this point of examining the sugar content of cotton candy, I think I safely concluded that cotton candy is pretty much made up of sugar.

I won’t then bore you by going through more full sugar cotton candy brands. Let’s get to the good stuff and the real reason you are here – sugar free cotton candy!

Does sugar free cotton candy even exist?!

Ok so first up the bad news – there are not many sugar free cotton candies on the market. But the good news? There are a few – like this sugar free cotton candy from Mitten and Columbus below. As you will see from the below descriptions both use isomalt instead of sugar to sweeten them.

If you are wondering – “isomalt” is a sugar alcohol made from beet sugar. It acts as a sugar substitute and does not affect blood sugar levels or the release of insulin. You can read about it more here on Wikipedia.

5. Mitten Gourmet Sugar Free Cotton Candy – 0g of Total Sugar

Mitten’s cotton candy, like all cotton candy, contains artificial colors and flavors, but instead of sugar contains isomalt. It contains 0g of sugar per serving. Incredible!

Mitten cotton candy is available in a mouthwatering selection of flavors such as blue raz, cherry, green apple, grape, and watermelon.

I would be most interested in trying the watermelon variety – I love anything watermelon flavored. The green apple for come in a close second for me.

You can find this sugar free cotton candy on Amazon here.

6. Columbus Sugar Free Blue Raspberry Cotton Candy – 0g of Total Sugar

One of the other rare sugar free cotton candy is from Columbus. Just like Mitten’s cotton candy, this one is made from isomalt, artificial colors, and flavors.

This cotton candy is a mix of pink and blue and can be found on Amazon here.

Sugar In Cotton Candy F&Q

Does Cotton Candy Have Sugar in it?

Cotton candy’s primary ingredient is sugar.

How Much Sugar is in Cotton Candy?

Cotton candy is mainly made up of sugar. It is not unusual for a 28g serving of cotton candy to contain 28g of sugar. The only other ingredients added to cotton candy tend to be colors and flavors.

How Much Sugar is in a Cup of Cotton Candy?

A cup of cotton candy can contain as much as a cup of sugar.

How Much Sugar is in an Ounce of Cotton Candy?

An Ounce of Cotton candy can contain as much as an ounce of sugar.

Does Sugar Free Cotton Candy Exist?

Sugar free cotton candy does exist, but it is rare. The two most easily accessible sugar free cotton candy brands are:

• Mitten Gourmet Sugar Free Cotton Candy (on Amazon here)
• Columbus Sugar Free Blue Raspberry Cotton Candy (on Amazon here)

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Is Cotton Candy Just 100% Sugar? – The Final Bite

Is Cotton Candy just 100% sugar? Well, in most instances the answer is basically yes. Yes, it is. There are, however, some brands that offer sugar free Cotton Candy products. These are from Mitten (entry no.5) and Columbus (entry no.6). However, if you are at a fair or carnival and see some cotton candy the chances are most likely that this will be regular full sugar Cotton Candy. Though, it never hurts to just ask the vendor…you never know if they have a sugar free version.

And Remember….