Low sugar chocolate milk alternatives that still taste like chocolate milk

By Heather Young, co-founder of magic milk

The short answer

The lowest-sugar way to drink chocolate milk is to separate the chocolate from the milk and choose each one on purpose. For the chocolate, use unsweetened cocoa or a low-sugar chocolate powder. For the milk, an unsweetened milk alternative carries the least sugar, and dairy milk adds its own natural lactose. magic milk is a low-sugar chocolate powder with 3 grams of sugar per serving, plus grass-fed colostrum and collagen, so the glass is doing more than tasting good.

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Where the sugar in chocolate milk comes from

Two places, and people usually only think about one.

The chocolate. Classic chocolate milk is sweetened, often heavily, because it was designed for kids. That is added sugar, and it is the part you can cut.

The milk. Dairy milk contains lactose, a natural sugar, whether or not anyone adds anything. That is why a glass of plain milk still lists sugar on the label. Milk alternatives vary widely: unsweetened versions are low, and "original" or "barista" versions are often sweetened.

So a low sugar chocolate milk is a two-part decision. Fix the chocolate and keep a sweetened base, and you have only solved half of it.

How to read the label

Look at added sugars, not total sugars. Total sugars include lactose from milk, which nobody chose. Added sugars are the recipe. A low-sugar chocolate milk keeps the added number small.

Then look at what replaced the sugar. Stevia, monk fruit and sugar alcohols are the usual stand-ins. Some people love them and some taste them immediately. That is personal, and it is worth knowing which camp you are in before you buy a case.

Five low sugar chocolate milk alternatives

1. Unsweetened cocoa in milk, sweetened yourself. Full control, lowest possible added sugar. Cocoa clumps in cold milk, so use a frother or a shaker.

2. Unsweetened milk alternative plus chocolate powder. Swap the base, keep the flavor. Unsweetened almond or oat milk with a low-sugar chocolate powder gives you the lowest-sugar glass that still tastes like the real thing.

3. Reduced-sugar bottled chocolate milk. Convenient. Check the added sugars line, because "reduced" means reduced from the brand's own original, not low in general.

4. Protein chocolate shakes. Usually low in sugar and high in protein. They taste like protein shakes, which is the trade.

5. A functional low-sugar chocolate powder. This is what we make, so weigh it accordingly. magic milk has 3 grams of organic cane sugar per serving with a touch of stevia, 45 calories, and grass-fed New Zealand colostrum and collagen in seven ingredients total. We kept a little real sugar on purpose, because it is the difference between chocolate milk and something that tastes like it is trying.

The lowest-sugar glass of magic milk

If sugar is what you are watching, mix magic milk into an unsweetened milk alternative or water rather than dairy milk. That keeps the glass close to the 3 grams in the scoop. In dairy milk it is still a lot less sugar than the carton you grew up on, but the milk's lactose comes along.

Mix it cold or at room temperature. Colostrum is heat sensitive, so hot chocolate is off the table: heat kills the good stuff, and then it's just very good chocolate milk. A frother gives the smoothest glass. A shaker works too.

FAQ

What is the lowest sugar chocolate milk? One you build yourself: unsweetened cocoa or a low-sugar chocolate powder in an unsweetened milk alternative. Dairy milk adds natural lactose to any glass.

Does chocolate milk have a lot of sugar? Standard chocolate milk usually does, because it is sweetened for kids, and the milk adds its own lactose on top. Check the added sugars line on the label to see how much was put in on purpose.

What can I drink instead of chocolate milk to cut sugar? Unsweetened cocoa in milk, a reduced-sugar bottled version, a protein chocolate shake, or a low-sugar chocolate powder like magic milk, which has 3 grams of sugar per serving.

Is sugar-free chocolate milk healthier? Not automatically. It depends on what replaced the sugar and what else is in it. Low added sugar with a short ingredient list is a better target than zero sugar at any cost.

How much sugar is in magic milk? 3 grams of organic cane sugar per serving, with 45 calories and 4 grams of protein. Mixed into dairy milk, the glass also carries the milk's natural lactose.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

If you want the chocolate milk taste without the kid-sized sugar, magic milk is 3 grams of sugar a serving with grass-fed colostrum and collagen. For what makes chocolate milk worth drinking as an adult, see healthy chocolate milk for adults.