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Hengliyuan application and selection
Sugar-Free Coffee Sweetener Packets: Stick Pack Guide for Hot & Iced Coffee
Sugar-free coffee sweetener stick packs: 5 g at 3x or 2 g at 5x sweetness per cup, with hot vs iced testing methods and sample briefs.
The choice of sugar substitute stick packs for coffee should also consider the sweetness multiple, grams per pack and target beverage. A whole pack corresponds to one cup of coffee. Customers tear it open and add it all at once. There is no need for weighing or conversion.
To do this, determine the specific drink, cup size, and target sweetness level before selecting an existing size or adjusting the single-pack recipe. Black coffee and coffee containing milk or other protein ingredients should be tested separately; in these two types of base formula, hot drinks and iced drinks should also be verified separately.
Decide first whether to use an existing recipe or a custom recipe
Hengliyuan currently has two existing formula routes, and can also develop customized formulas according to customers' beverage requirements.
| Plan | Ingredients direction | What kind of project is suitable for |
|---|---|---|
| Existing natural series | Erythritol, monk fruit sweetener and steviol glycosides | Accepting these three types of ingredients, we hope to use existing natural source sweetener program samples first. |
| Existing artificial sweetener series | Erythritol and sucralose | Accepting sucralose and wishing to sample existing artificial sweetener solutions first |
| custom formulas | Adjust based on ingredient restrictions, target sweetness, and mouthfeel | The existing specifications cannot match the target drink, or a pack is required to accurately match the specified cup type. |
"Natural series" is the product classification used by Hengliyuan according to the ingredient route. Whether expressions such as "natural" can be used in the final packaging must be reviewed based on the complete formula and target market regulations.
How to choose coffee using existing specifications
There are generally two existing sweetness specifications for Hengliyuan original coffee sugar.
| Existing specifications | Net content of single sachet | Converted according to nominal sweetness | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 times sweeter | 5 grams | One packet corresponds to about the sweetness of 15 grams of sugar | One cup of coffee uses a whole packet |
| 5 times sweeter | 2 grams | One packet corresponds to approximately the sweetness of 10 grams of white sugar. | One cup of coffee uses a whole packet |
If the target coffee originally contains about 15 grams of sugar per cup, you can first test the specifications of 3 times sweetness and 5 grams per bag. When adding about 10 grams of sugar to each cup of the original recipe, you can first test the specifications of 5 times sweetness and 2 grams per pack. This is only the basis for the first round of sample selection. The final choice still comes down to how quickly sweetness appears in the complete drink, sweetness intensity, coffee flavor and aftertaste. When the two existing specifications are not suitable, the blending ratio, sweetness or net content of the package should be adjusted. The usage rule is still one cup per package.
What conditions should be fixed first for one cup per package?
Customers should confirm the following information before testing samples. 1. Which type of coffee does the bag correspond to? 2. What is the standard cup type and actual drinking capacity. 3. Whether the coffee beans, extraction method and amount of coffee liquid are fixed. 4. Whether the drink contains milk, plant protein, protein powder or other ingredients. 5. How many grams of white sugar should be added to each cup of the original white sugar version, and whether the target sweetness remains unchanged. 6. Whether the product is sold as hot drink, ice drink or both. Hengliyuan determines the required blending ratio, sweetness and net content of a pack based on this information. A full pack is used for each sample, and the single pack recipe is adjusted until it matches the specified drink and cup size. When the same customer has multiple cup types or types of coffee, they should separately confirm whether they can share the same specification. Beverages with large differences need to use different single-pack formulas, and the taste of a single cup cannot be reduced for the sake of sharing packaging.
Black coffee and coffee containing milk or other protein ingredients should be tested separately
[Coffee without milk and other protein ingredients] This group uses the actual black coffee used by customers as the base. During the evaluation, the speed of sweetness onset, intensity and duration of sweetness were mainly compared, while the bitterness, sourness, roasting aroma and aftertaste of the coffee were recorded. The sweetener in black coffee behaves more directly. Some undesirable aftertaste, bitterness, or other aftertaste is also more likely to be detected in this group. [Coffee containing milk or other protein ingredients] This group must use the complete drink recipe that the buyer is ultimately going to use. Milk, bases containing plant proteins, protein powders and other ingredients contribute their own flavor and texture, and some products may also contain sugar, flavors or stabilizers. When tasting, in addition to the overall sweetness, you should also observe the coffee, milk or plant protein flavor, body and aftertaste. Any changes to milk, plant-based ingredients, protein ingredients, or amounts should be retested. These two types of coffee belong to two separate sets of taste tests. A suitable single-pack recipe for black coffee cannot be directly applied to milk coffee, plant-based coffee or protein coffee.
Each type of base formula is also tested separately for hot drinks and ice drinks.
| Test conditions | Hot drinks | Ice drink |
|---|---|---|
| Drink information | Fix the brand and amount of coffee, milk or other protein ingredients, and record the cup size and temperature | Fix all bases and record final cup size, ice level and serving temperature |
| How to join | Add the entire package in the order planned by the store and stir | Determine whether to add hot coffee liquid first and then add ice, or add directly to the finished iced drink |
| Taste evaluation | Evaluate sweetness, coffee flavor, body and aftertaste | Repeat evaluation at low temperatures and during ice melting |
| Usage performance | Observe whether the powder is easy to pour, stir evenly and the condition of the bottom of the cup | Observe whether there is any residue after actual mixing, and record the changes during drinking |
The cup size, ice volume and production order of iced drinks will affect the final drinking state. A package of formula determined for hot drinks needs to be reconfirmed for the corresponding ice drinks and cannot be used directly after lowering the temperature.
A sample method that can be implemented directly
Customers only need to test drinks that the project will actually sell. The original white sugar version of each drink was retained, and the candidate bars were tested using the same base.
| test group | White sugar control | strip sample |
|---|---|---|
| black coffee hot drink | Add sugar according to original recipe | Same coffee and cup size, add a whole pack of candidate products |
| black coffee iced drink | Fixed cup amount, ice amount and original sugar amount | In the same production order, add a whole package of candidate products |
| Hot drinks with milk or protein | Use the complete original recipe and original sugar dosage | Keep all the base ingredients the same, just swap out the sugar for a whole pack of candidate products |
| Ice drink with milk or protein | Fixed full recipe, ice volume and production order | Add a full package of candidate products under the same conditions |
Each group is compared only with the white sugar sample of this group. Taste scores are not directly compared between black coffee and coffee containing milk or other protein ingredients. When testing samples, focus on recording the following results. 1. After adding the target cup size to a whole pack, the sweetness is low, close to or high. 2. Does the sweetness appear too quickly, is it appropriate or is it too slow? Is the duration after drinking appropriate? 3. Whether the bitterness, acidity and aroma of black coffee are coordinated. 4. In samples containing milk or other protein ingredients, whether the flavor and richness of coffee, milk or plant protein are appropriate. 5. Is there a persistent sweet, bitter or other undesirable aftertaste? 6. Whether the bag can be poured cleanly, whether it can be stirred evenly according to the actual operation, and whether there is any obvious residue at the bottom of the cup. The record should also indicate the name of the drink, cup size, temperature, amount of ice, brand and dosage of milk or other protein ingredients, as well as the formula number and single pack net content of the candidate bar pack.
How to determine the next step based on sample results
| Sample results | Suggestions for next steps |
|---|---|
| 3 times 5 grams or 5 times 2 grams is close to the target sweetness | Keep it one cup at a time and continue to check the coffee flavor, aftertaste and performance. |
| Both available sizes are either sweet or light | Adjust the mixing ratio, sweetness or net content of a single sachet, and then retest with a whole package. |
| Black coffee is suitable, but samples containing milk or protein are not suitable. | Keep the complete drink base the same and adjust the single-pack recipe for milk or protein drinks |
| Hot drinks are suitable, ice drinks are not suitable | Check the cup size, ice volume and production order of the ice drink, and then adjust the formula for the ice drink package |
| The sweetness is appropriate, but the aftertaste or other aftertaste is obvious | Compare another ingredient route, or schedule a custom recipe |
| All target drinks are qualified | Confirm single sachet formula, net content, applicable drinks, cup type and cost per cup |
The price per kilogram of product cannot directly represent the cost per cup. For actual comparison, one full packet should be used per cup.
What information should be provided when requesting samples from Hengliyuan?
- Target market and usage scenarios - Specific coffee name and standard cup type - Hot drinks, iced drinks or both required - Amount of raw sugar per cup and target sweetness - Whether it contains milk, plant protein, protein powder or other ingredients - Complete drink recipe and dosage of each ingredient - Choose between a natural range, an artificial sweetener range or a custom formula - First try 3 times 5 grams, 5 times 2 grams, or the specifications recommended by Hengliyuan. - Packaging form and estimated purchase quantity Learn about Hengliyuan customized blended sweeteners View our hotel and café private label bag selection guide
Review note
Reviewed October 2, 2026.
Common questions
How to choose between 3 times 5 grams and 5 times 2 grams?
First look at the amount of sugar used in each cup of the target coffee, and then compare the taste in the complete drink. A pack of 3 times 5 grams corresponds to about the sweetness of 15 grams of white sugar, and a pack of 5 times 2 grams corresponds to about the sweetness of 10 grams of white sugar. Both sizes require one cup to use the entire pack.
Can suitable strips of black coffee be used directly for milk coffee?
It cannot be determined directly. Milk coffee, plant-based coffee and protein coffee should be retested using the full drink recipe and compared to their respective original white sugar versions.
Can the same bar bag be used for both hot coffee and iced coffee?
Can be tested separately as candidate samples. Only after both hot drinks and ice drinks have been verified by the actual cup shape, production sequence and taste, can they be determined to share the same specifications.
Can multiple cup sizes be maintained in one cup?
Need to verify cup by cup. When there is a big difference between the cup size and the target sweetness, single-pack specifications should be designed separately to ensure that consumers still only use one whole package per cup.
