How to Get Rid of Stevia Aftertaste (9 Tips That Work)
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If stevia tastes bitter or has a strange aftertaste, you’re not imagining it—and you’re definitely not alone.
For some people, stevia tastes perfectly sweet. For others, it has a strong, lingering bitterness or even a slightly metallic flavor that can ruin a drink or recipe.
The good news?
There are simple ways to fix it.
In this guide, you’ll learn exactly why stevia has an aftertaste—and the most effective ways to get rid of that bitter taste so it actually tastes good.
When many people first try stevia, the experience can be surprising—in a not-so-good way. What seems like a great sugar alternative can come with a strong, bitter aftertaste that’s hard to ignore.
If that’s been your experience, you’re not alone. The good news is that there are simple ways to fix it—and once you know how to use stevia properly, it can be a great option.
I actually liked stevia when I first started using it. I was thrilled to have a low-carb way to address my sweet cravings. But over time I realized that in some recipes, it could easily become too strong or develop an aftertaste if not used carefully.
Learning how to balance it made a huge difference.
How to Get Rid of Stevia Aftertaste (Quick Fixes)
Here's a quick list of how to get rid of stevia's aftertaste. Scroll down for more information about all of these.
- Use less stevia (too much = bitterness)
- Choose a better-tasting brand
- Add acid (like lemon juice or vinegar)
- Combine with another sweetener
- Use liquid stevia instead of powder
- Add fat (like cream or coconut milk)
- Chill or freeze foods
- Use strong flavors (like chocolate or vanilla)
- Let taste buds adjust
What is Stevia?
1. Stevia is a natural sweetener derived from the Stevia rebaudiana plant and can be up to 300 times sweeter than sugar (the typical range is 200-300). As a result, stevia can be difficult to use as a sweetener.
2. Stevia is a zero calorie sweetener that does not contain any sugar or carbohydrates, nor does it feed candida.
3. Easy on your digestion–stevia lacks the unpleasant tummy-lurching side effects that are a characteristic of some other low-carb sweeteners like xylitol, erythritol, and allulose.
4. Stevia comes in many forms with varying amounts of processing. Among theses are: homemade extracts, powder extracts, liquid stevia, and ground whole leaf stevia.
– Homemade extracts, also known as “teas”, are made by steeping the leaves of the stevia plant, which can often be found at local greenhouses.
– Liquid or powdered extracts are made by using either water or alcohol to extract two types of glycosides from the leaves of the stevia plant (Stevioside and rebaudioside A).
– Ground Leaves – The third process simply involves the grinding of dried stevia leaves into a green powder with no extraction process.
Does Stevia Taste Like Sugar?
While stevia and sugar share sweetness, there are some big differences. Stevia tastes different than sugar for the following reasons:
- Other compounds: Stevia, whether you are using the whole leaf or an extract, has other compounds in it that affect its taste.
- No bulk: Since stevia is so much more concentrated than sugar, that leads to its bitter taste/aftertaste.
- Taste receptors: Due to how stevia interacts with taste receptors, it tastes different than sugar and also tastes different to different people.
What Does Stevia Taste Like?
Stevia, again is super sweet but also super strong. It tastes sweet up front, but then can have a bitter, licorice, or even metallic taste for some. How it tastes varies by person based on genetically influenced taste receptors, similar to how different people feel about cilantro's taste.
Why Does Stevia Have an Aftertaste?
Our taste buds have receptors that identify sweet, bitter (and also sour and salty) flavors. Interestingly, there is only one receptor that identifies sweet tastes, but there are 25 different receptors for bitter ones! One reason for stevia's bitter taste is that the stevia plant has chemical compounds that interact with both the sweet and bitter receptors, leading to its signature bitter aftertaste.
However, if you get quality stevia (and also follow the tips in this post), a lot of that bitterness can be mitigated.
What Stevia Has the Least Aftertaste?
If you’re struggling with stevia’s taste, switching types or brands can make a big difference in your experience.
- Liquid stevia tends to have a smoother, less bitter taste (especially in drinks).
- Powdered stevia extract can taste stronger and more bitter if even slightly overused.
- Some brands are noticeably cleaner tasting than others.
- Blends (like stevia with monk fruit or erythritol) often reduce aftertaste due to the bulk and combining tips mentioned below.
Why I Didn’t Like Stevia at First (and What Changed)
9 Tips to Fix the Stevia Taste Problem
1. Use Less Stevia (Overuse Causes Bitterness)
Don't one day decide to put it in everything, on everything. Instead, start with a little bit of stevia and increase your use with time.
Using too much stevia at once causes an overload of the bitter receptors in your mouth and also a plateau effect where the sweetness of stevia plateaus and you end up sensing the bitterness more instead.
2. Buy a Good Brand
Stevia extracts are not created equal. I have purchased my share of brands and while some are palatable, others just don't make the cut. However, as you learn to like stevia you will likely be more tolerant of even the most unpalatable brands. Here are some better tasting brands to start with.
Now Brand Better Stevia
Many people love Now's Better Stevia. I seems to need more stevia to get the sweetness level that I want, but the taste is better than most.
NuNaturals
My personal favorite used to be new NuNaturals. Sadly, they had to change their formula, but they still have a smooth flavor with minimal to no aftertaste.
Got a brand of stevia you love? Let me know and I might add it to this list.
3. Let Taste Buds Adjust
Stevia can be an acquired taste. Many people find that the more they use it (especially when used correctly), the less noticeable the aftertaste becomes over time.
4. Combine with Other Sweeteners
Especially in baking, use stevia along with other sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, fruit juice, coconut sugar, molasses, xylitol, erythritol, erythritol / monk fruit blend, monk extract, allulose, bocha sweet, or some other option that works for your diet.
When stevia is mixed with another sweetener, the taste is greatly reduced and often not even noticeable. This is also true when there is fruit in the recipe (the fruit being the other sweetener), like in fruit crisp or this mixed berry chia pudding. The stevia taste is much less, if at all, noticeable.
Slowly, steadily, each subsequent time you prepare something, decrease the other sweetener and increase the stevia with the potential goal of cutting out the other sweetener completely over time.
5. Freeze It
If you added too much stevia to a recipe or if the stevia taste is too strong, don't throw out your hard work. Instead, freeze it for a day or two (letting it sit in the fridge works well too).
Chilling helps mask the strength of both the stevia sweetness and the bitterness on your tongue.
6. Add an Acid
Adding an acid like lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or citric acid can help mask stevia’s aftertaste—especially in drinks and fruit-based recipes. In baked goods, it can help slightly, but it’s usually more effective when combined with other strategies.
7. Add Fat
Fat smooths out the bitterness of stevia. Adding coconut milk to coffee or coffee substitute, using cream or butter in drinks, and avoiding fat-free or reduced-fat baked goods are another way to help with stevia's aftertaste.
8. Use Liquid Stevia
Liquid stevia often tastes smoother than powdered versions, especially in drinks.
One big reason is that it’s easier to control the amount. Using drops instead of a scoop makes it easier to get the right level of sweetness without overdoing it.
Liquid stevia also mixes more evenly, which can help prevent strong pockets of flavor that make the aftertaste more noticeable.
9. Add Flavor
Adding strong flavors like chocolate, coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and more can help mask stevia's aftertaste issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does stevia suddenly taste worse to me?
Stevia can seem to taste stronger over time, especially if you start using more of it or using it in different types of recipes. It’s also easier to notice the aftertaste in certain foods, like baked goods, compared to drinks.
Why does stevia taste fine in drinks but bad in baking?
In drinks, stevia dissolves evenly and is often balanced with acidity, which helps reduce bitterness. In baking, it’s easier to use too much and harder to balance flavors, so the aftertaste can stand out more.
There you have it, my tips for helping you like stevia.
As a result, why not go and try out these stevia-sweetened Dairy-Free Fudgesicles and Sugar-Free Lemonade soon!
Have any of these tips worked for you?
I bought a protein powder that I thought was unsweetened since it did not list a sweetner in the ingredients. My first sip was “ewww” because there was a sweet aftertaste. So I looked all over the container to try to find what it was and on the side, nowhere near the listed ingredients, it said stevia. I had to find something to cut the taste because tossing an expensive product like that was out of the question. I found that organic apple juice was the answer. It turned out delicious. The next time I tried not using it but adding a very ripe banana. It didn’t work so it was definitely the apple juice that cut it.
Interesting! Bears out what the post said – glad you didn’t need to toss it!
my wife & I were recommended to use stevia in our morning coffee, not splenda because splenda has the chemical aspartame (could be spelled incorrectly, this is my best guess) in it, & one of our doctors is not a fan of aspartame at all—very unhealthy she says—aspartame is found most/many sugar free sodas, food stuffs, etc.
we’re using “stevia in the raw” brand, a product of Cumberland Packing Co. in Brooklyn, NY; we purchase it from our local Kroger Grocery store–the challenge for us is its bitter after taste when used in our coffee—any ideas of something, other than store-bought sugar, to add to this combination to sweeten &/or cover up this bitterness. Thanks, AB.
You might wish to check this post out but have you tried other brands? I love my stevia in my coffee substitute.
1. https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/how-to-like-stevia/
2. https://wholenewmom.com/kitchen-tips/stevia-what-it-is-and-how-to-use-it/ hope those help. I hope you will come back and maybe subscribe to my blog. Thanks!! Loads of stevia stuff around here. https://mad.ly/signups/97092/join
Oh, and BTW…my favorite Brand is a liquid version by “Trader Joe’s”! 🙂
I love stevia…when considering going sugar free it saved us. BUT, I have recently read that that stevia (it’s chemical makeup) mimics a steroid. We have considered doing and SCD diet and the founder of that diet, who was a chemist, warns against using stevia for that (steroid) reason. Any thoughts?
Was that the founder of SCD? I don’t know what to think. I’ve done a bunch of research and can’t find that anywhere. Can you? Just a few quotes in a few blogs.
Hi Candace,
Thank you for the stevia tips. I have purchased only the NOW brand and find it gross. GROSS! I have been using the NOW brand xylitol to sweeten my sweets. I feel very confused by all this new all natural sweeteners. Would you be able to tell me what is the difference between stevia and xylitol. Is xylitol “bad” in your opinion?
Thanks,
Stephanie
I don’t like the NOW brand. Sadly. I use xylitol but IMO it’s less natural than stevia so I mix it w/ the stevia. Like in this post. https://wholenewmom.com/kitchen-tips/stevia-what-it-is-and-how-to-use-it/
I was just wondering about how you use it in baking since it is sweeter than sugars. What ratios do you use? Let’s say a cake that calls for 1 cup sugar how would you go about that so you still have the right consistency in the finished product? I hope that makes sense what I am trying to say. Thanks for any advice
Hi Kristin!
Good question! For every cup of sugar in a recipe I replace it with 1/4-1/2 cup of a bulking “agent”. My favourites are pureed zucchini and pureed spaghetti squash. I place these in a strainer over a bowl and let as much moisture drain out as possible, sometimes leaving them for a few hours. What I am left with is an almost pasty glop and the measurement is taken from this drained substance, not the pre-drained squash. So, if that cake recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar I would use 1/4-1/2 cup of the drained zucchini or squash (start with a 1/4 cup and add more until you reach a good consistency for the type of recipe).
Other bulking agents can include apple sauce, apple butter, pureed fruit, nut butters etc.
I always add stevia to taste in my recipes. I know there are conversion charts out there but it always depends on the type of recipe and what other ingredients are present. I have followed the charts before and always ended up with too much stevia in the final product, so follow your taste buds, and always add a TOUCH more as stevia seems to cook off just a bit.
I hope that helps!
I know I’m a few weeks late on this one. I’ve been using stevia for yearrrsss! 🙂 My go-to brand has been KAL. After many attempts at different brands, that is the brand I’ve found to be sweetest (needed to use much less) and least after-taste. KAL’s label has recently been saying it’s from China, so I called the company to find out what’s up. The person I spoke with said their bulk product has always been from there and they do their own testing for purity. I’m not keen on any food products from China, so when my current bottle finishes, I’m going to try the NOW brand of stevia – also water extracted, using the whole herb (not RebA) with no added fillers. I will NOT be using any of NuNaturals product. I’m a little surprised that it’s being so heavily promoted – anyone read the labels? In none of their product on the shelves, liquid or powdered, is stevia the sole ingredient. Even their plain powder has “natural flavors” added. As a gal who is meticulous about ferreting out MSG, that is a red-flag label (plus, who needs additional “natural flavors” in plain sweetener??)
A few tips about using stevia:
#1) the chemical makeup of stevia is such that there is a delayed sweet sensation when we eat it. That’s the reason for the feeling that it’s not sweet enough at first – we’re used to that “up front” sweet hit with sugar. This is also why adding a small amount of a natural sweetener which does taste sweet up-front, helps tremendously. You’ll probably find that using less stevia with a small amount of a natural sweetener will be satisfyingly sweet.
#2) Bitter after taste = too much stevia. The delayed sweet sensation can easily lead to using too much stevia. If your food/drink tastes bitter, you’re most likely using too much stevia. Any brand will have a bitter taste if you’ve added too much.
#3) I saved the best tip for last! 🙂 A pinch of sea salt will do *wonders* for helping “round out” the taste of stevia, as well as counter the delayed sweet sensation. It has to do with the way our taste buds sense salt/sweet/bitter/sour; some tastes can enhance or sub for others (salt always enhances sweet and cuts bitter, which is why salt sprinkled on grapefruit works so much better at neutralizing the bitter, than adding salt or honey 😉 ) I’ve found that even for folks who aren’t used to stevia, if I add a bit of sea salt when I use it, they can’t tell the difference. 🙂
Hi Cheryl. I did talk w/ NN and their flavors are all OK – not MSG. So you can rest assured about that. I do think your salt tip is great – I have been doing something w/ that daily and like it. But it doesn’t always work in baked goods. I always put salt in those and I still get a bitter taste w/ some stevias. Hmmmm..Thanks!
I think stevia is just nasty, bitter and chemical-tasting. My mom and sister happily put a dropperful or two of liquid stevia in a mug of tea and love it. I put in one drop and can’t even force myself to gag the tea down and I’m left with a horrible aftertaste for hours. I don’t think I can force myself to try it often enough to learn to like it.
Stop back and tell me what happens :).
You sound exactly like me a year ago. It was so gross to me, like want to wash my mouth out gross, but I did learn to not just tolerate it but love it too. It sounds crazy but it can happen!
I tried Stevia liquid drops in coffee and hated it! I started with 2 drops, then 3 drops, then I tried other things like increasing the amount of different nut milks, vanilla and cinnamon, almond extract and nutmeg. Nothing helped that horrid aftertaste! One day when in a rush I squirted almost a full dropper into my travel mug and ran out the door. Surprise! It was delicious! I am still baffled as to why more was better when usually less is more but I guess I just had to find the right flavor balance. My recommendation – experiment:)
That is crazy! I am not on the hunt for a new fave brand so I’ll be back writing when I have it!
I love your posts, Candace! 🙂 Keep ’em coming! I read this one as soon as it came out but I forgot to comment. I love the freezer tip – mind blowing.
Thanks for linking at Trim Healthy Tuesday!!
You are so kind! Freezing it really does help, crazy I know!
Adrienne, since it was announced yesterday on the Facebook private group for Trim Healthy Mama, I thought I’d let you know that Pearl and Serene will be selling their own version of pure stevia extract soon within the next few months. I’ve sampled it, and it is even better than the old NuNaturals brand. Keep an eye out for this information, because I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how delicious it is! I was so disappointed to learn that NuNaturals and KAL changed their formulation, but now I’m excited to be able to use this new product from Trim Healthy Mama in the future!
Interesting – thanks. I do have 1-2 brands that I was thinking I would recommend but I will check it out.