The short answer
Of 16 dark bars labelled « no added sugar », 14 replace the sugar with a polyol, maltitol in 13 cases. The calorie saving is small: 525 kcal per 100 g against 591 for 70% dark chocolate according to Ciqual, or 11% less. The alternative without a substitute exists: bars with 100% cocoa contain less than 1 g of sugars, with no maltitol or sweetener. The taste is more bitter; that is the only price to pay.
The « no added sugar » bars
| Brand and product | Sugars | Energy | Sugar substitute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karéléa, 85% dark chocolate | 0 g | 564 kcal | maltitol |
| Karéléa, dark chocolate | 0 g | 513 kcal | maltitol, inulin |
| Villars, 70% dark, no added sugar | 0 g | 510 kcal | isomalt, stevia |
| Bovetti, maltitol chocolate | 0.3 g | 505 kcal | maltitol |
| Diablo, sugar-free dark chocolate | 0.5 g | 477 kcal | maltitol |
| Franprix, dark tasting bar, low sugar | 0.5 g | 532 kcal | maltitol, lactitol |
| Torras, 72% Zero | 0.5 g | 557 kcal | not specified on the listing |
| Céréal, dark chocolate | 1 g | 453 kcal | maltitol, inulin |
| Karéléa, dark with whole hazelnuts | 1 g | 488 kcal | maltitol, inulin |
| Gerblé, dark chocolate, no added sugar | 1.2 g | 463 kcal | maltitol, inulin |
| Fin Carré (Lidl), dark, no added sugar | 1.2 g | 522 kcal | maltitol, lactitol |
| Gullón, dark chocolate bar | 1.3 g | 451 kcal | maltitol |
The promise is kept on sugar: from 0 to 1.3 g per 100 g, against 17.9 g for a 70% dark chocolate according to Ciqual. But the sugar is not replaced by nothing. It is replaced by another carbohydrate, and that is where the choice is made.
What this table tells us
Maltitol does not make the calories disappear
Maltitol provides 2.4 kcal per gram instead of 4 for sugar: this is the value set by European regulation for polyols. As chocolate gets most of its calories from cocoa butter, the saving stays modest. Ciqual gives 525 kcal per 100 g for dark chocolate with no added sugar, against 591 kcal for a 70% one. On a 10 g square, the difference is 7 kcal.
Gullón and Céréal come down to 451 and 453 kcal, while Karéléa 85% goes up to 564 kcal. If you are watching your calories, the amount you eat matters far more than which bar you choose.
Maltitol has digestive effects
Above 10% polyols, the statement « excessive consumption may produce laxative effects » is mandatory. All the maltitol bars in this comparison are affected. Two or three squares are fine for most people; half a bar, much less so.
For blood sugar, it is better, not neutral
Maltitol has a glycaemic index of around 35, against 65 for table sugar. For someone with diabetes, a maltitol bar raises blood sugar less than ordinary chocolate, but it does raise it. Our guide to type 2 diabetes goes back over how to manage sugary products.
In milk chocolate, « no added sugar » does not mean no sugar
The four no-added-sugar milk bars in the set (Gerblé, Villars, Torras, Diablo) still contain 6 to 12 g of sugars per 100 g: this is the lactose from the milk powder. Nothing misleading, since no sugar is added, but the figure surprises you if you read the packaging too quickly.
The alternative without a substitute: go up in cocoa
| Brand and product | Sugars | Energy | Sugar substitute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saveurs & Nature, 100% dark, Madagascar | 0.2 g | 617 kcal | none |
| Biocoop, 100% dark chocolate | 0.9 g | 590 kcal | none |
| Kaoka, 90% organic dark | 11 g | 595 kcal | none |
| Villars, 85% dark | 13 g | 590 kcal | none |
| Carré Suisse, extra dark 85% | 14 g | 614 kcal | none |
| Lacasa, 85% dark | 15 g | 501 kcal | none |
At 100% cocoa, there is no sugar at all, neither added nor replaced: the ingredient list comes down to cocoa mass. At 85 to 90%, 11 to 15 g of sugars remain, i.e. 1 to 1.5 g per 10 g square. Five of these six bars are higher in calories than the maltitol versions, at 590 to 617 kcal, but their bitterness has an effect that maltitol does not: you eat less of them.
Cocoa also provides magnesium: 200 mg per 100 g for a 70% dark chocolate according to Ciqual, against 152 mg for the no-added-sugar version. Our ranking of foods rich in magnesium places it among the best sources, and our dark chocolate page gives its full composition.
How to choose
- You want zero sugar without a substitute: a 100% cocoa bar. Saveurs & Nature or Biocoop, under 1 g of sugars.
- You want the taste of classic dark chocolate without sugar: a maltitol bar, keeping portions small. Karéléa, Gerblé and Fin Carré at Lidl are the easiest to find.
- You are watching your blood sugar: 85 or 90% cocoa, two squares. That is 2 to 3 g of sugars, with no polyol.
- You are trying to lose weight: none of these bars changes much. On 30 g, 11% fewer calories is 20 kcal, less than half a square.
Our sources
- Open Food Facts, collaborative database, accessed on 24/09/2026: 129 usable listings, 26 bars retained.
- Ciqual 2025 table (Anses): dark chocolate with no added sugar with sweeteners, 70% dark chocolate, milk chocolate.
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011: energy value of 2.4 kcal per gram of polyols (Annex XIV) and mandatory statement of laxative effects above 10% (Annex III).