What, Exactly, Is Isomalt Sugar?

If you've tuned into any of the myriad Food Network baking competition shows, you've undoubtedly seen competitors using isomalt to make their projects spectacular. Chefs heat a bowl of white grains and suddenly they have magical, molten, edible glass for making decorative gem-like candy, window panes, and all sorts of crystalline accents that take their baked goods into the realm of culinary art. It's even used as an adhesive for building gingerbread houses when royal icing isn't strong enough to get the job done. 

But isomalt is more than just a baking challenge show-stopper, and even if you haven't heard the name before, you've undoubtedly encountered it somewhere in your daily life. As an alternative to table sugar, isomalt is frequently used in hard candies, sugar-free cough drops, and chewing gum. With the incredible amount of sugar Americans eat every day, incorporating a versatile sweetener like isomalt into an industry where sugar rules is a no-brainer.

So what is isomalt, exactly? And how can you work it into your kitchen activities? We set out on a search to learn the facts about this intriguing ingredient to give you the inside story. If you're looking to step up your cake-baking game, or you're simply eager to know how isomalt came to be and how it factors into the food world, our granular explanation will be a sweet revelation.

Isomalt is chemically classified as a polyol, a family of sugar substitutes that also includes sorbitol and xylitol. You may have seen these sweeteners listed on packages of sweetened foods, though they can also be found in toothpastes and medicines. Unlike more familiar sweeteners like sucralose and saccharine that provide powerful sweetness at smaller quantities, isomalt is a one-to-one replacement for refined sugar by quantity, but with reduced sweetness and only half the calories.

This adaptable ingredient is produced through a chemical process that alters beet-derived sucrose (sugar) into isomaltulose by applying an enzyme called isomaltulose synthase. The isomaltulose is then hydrogenated, resulting in a substance comprised of two different sugar alcohols called gluco-sorbitol and gluco-mannitol. This is finished isomalt, which is crystalline in form just like sugar. The similarity of form makes isomalt as easy as granulated sugar to measure and work with. But unlike sugar, isomalt doesn't cause tooth decay, making it a prime sweetener for sugar-free gum and candy. It also doesn't caramelize or discolor when heated, something candy makers and confectioners who work with pulled sugar can appreciate. 

Though isomalt perfectly emulates the texture and consistency of melted sugar, it imparts a taste that's much less sweet. Because some of your isomalt creations may be eaten, you can add oil-based flavorings like what you would add to regular sugar-based hard candies to give them a more palatable taste. This is especially helpful when using isomalt in lollipops and candy decorations to top cakes and cupcakes. Not only will your finished creations look more polished and artful, but the flavors of all the elements will relate to one another, provided you add complementary oils to your isomalt. Choosing a bit of mint for ornaments on a chocolate cake, for example, or cinnamon for a spice-based cake, will keep your flavors aligned rather than causing a catastrophic clash.

Overall, it's best to be conservative when flavoring and using isomalt in your kitchen. Eating isomalt décor that's too thick or over-flavored isn't necessarily a pleasurable experience; the taste shouldn't detract from your main item, but the hard texture of isomalt candy might make chewing a bit of a challenge. If used sparingly in homemade projects, it can be separated from the tastier edible elements when served.

Because isomalt has become a preferred ingredient among bakers looking to make a splash, just about anywhere you buy cake decorating supplies, you'll find isomalt, too. You can look for a wide variety of brands and quantities from Amazon if you prefer shopping online, though you can find it on shelves at brick-and-mortar craft stores like JoAnn and Michael's as well. Specialty cake decorating shops and websites may sell versions that are more suitable to your needs, especially as your skill with isomalt develops.

If you have a dedicated cake shop in your area, you can stop by and ask to see the isomalt selection. If isomalt isn't currently part of the stock, you might ask if it can be ordered for pick-up or added to the store's inventory, if you'll be using it on an ongoing basis. It's unlikely that you'll find isomalt at a regular grocery store.

As with granulated sugar, isomalt is subject to deterioration when it comes into contact with moisture. To get the most out of your isomalt, make sure it's stored in an airtight container for maximum freshness and usability. Your purchased product may include a packet of silica gel to make sure it stays dry; this packet should remain in the container for the life of the product. Whether cooked or in granular form, it should also remain at temperatures lower than room temperature, though it should not be stored in the refrigerator. If kept properly, you can depend on your isomalt to be usable for up to two years.

Because isomalt will most likely be an ingredient you pull out when making cakes and confections, you can keep a container stashed with your decorating kit or your baking ingredients. Having a bit of isomalt handy will allow you to let your imagination run wild when it comes time to make a showstopping creation for whatever special occasion comes next.