What Are Sugar Alcohols? Most sugar substitutes taste much sweeter than sugar. Since they are so sweet, only a tiny amount is needed to give the same sweetness of sugar, with almost no calories. Unlike other “high-intensity” sweeteners, sugar alcohols are less sweet than sugar, but they have fewer calories per gram, making them a “low-calorie” sweetener. Don’t let the word “alcohol” confuse you, sugar alcohols are not the same as the alcohol that causes you to “get a buzz.” The word “alcohol,” in this case, is talking about to the shape of the molecule – so don’t worry, it’s just a chemistry