Surprise! Low-carb sweets can often be quite tasty-unlike some of the healthier low-carb products we taste-tested, several of the candies we tried were authentically delicious. Watch your portion sizes with these sweets: Most have the same calorie count than their sugar-filled originals. Additionally, all of the sweets listed below (with the exception of the ice cream) contain sugar alcohols-which contain roughly half the calories of real sugar, but can result in a "laxative effect" if too much are eaten. (Our bodies can only absorb about half of sugar alcohols. This partial absorption is what causes diarrhea.) So, eat in moderation, as you would with any sweet-and enjoy!

Here's the top-tasting sweets:

1.Judy's Sugar Free English Toffee ( www.judyscandy.com )
This candy has a cruchy toffee center with an authentic buttery taste-and it's coated with creamy chocolate and nuts. No artificial sugar taste was detected. This toffee has 120 calories per serving compared to 106 for regular toffee.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Contains roasted almonds, maltitol syrup, butter, cocoa. Per 24 g serving: 120 cal, 9 g fat (3 g saturated), 12 g carbs, 1 g net carb, 2 g fiber, 9 g sugar alcohol.

2. Judy's Sugar Free Assorted Caramels ( www.judyscandy.com )
Yum! Here's a perfect caramel consistency, with a very rich flavor and no artificial sugar aftertaste. This brand has only 60 calories per piece as opposed to 115 in regular.
NUTRTIONAL INFO: Contains maltitol syrup, half-and-half, heavy whipping cream, evaporated milk, cocoa powder. Per 23 g serving (one piece): 60 cal, 2 g fat (1 g saturated), 12 g carbs, <1 net carbs, 0 g fiber, 11.5 g sugar alcohols.

3. Low Carb Creations Gourmet Brittle (recommended flavors: almond brittle, hazelnut brittle) ( www.lowcarbcreations.com )
A winner! This brittle is not a hard brittle-it's incredibly smooth and rich, very soft and tender. The nut flavor is fresh and vivid. It's appropriately sweet, without an artificial aftertaste.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Contains peanut butter, lycasin (a sugar alcohol), almonds or hazelnuts, maltitol. Per 30 g serving (two pieces): 160-170 cal, 12 g fat (2 g saturated), 17 g carbs, 3 g net carbs, 1-2 g fiber, 12 g sugar alcohol.

4. Russell Stover Mint Patties (covered in dark chocolate) ( www.russellstover.com )
This candy has good, rich dark chocolate with a creamy mint interior. It tastes a lot like a regular peppermint patty-possibly even a bit smoother. Note: The calorie count per serving is higher than regular patties-190 calories per serving for the low-carb version, 165 for regular.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Contains maltitol, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, milk fat. Per 3-piece serving: 190 cal, 11 g fat (8 g saturated), 27 g carbs, 1 g net carbs, 1 g fiber, 25 g sugar alcohol.

5. Pure De-Lite Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate
The milk chocolate version is about as good as the average drugstore milk chocolate. The dark version rates slightly better: it has a deep, rich, not-too-sweet flavor, but is a bit chalky. Both are slightly lower in calories than regular chocolate (170-190 calories per serving vs. 195 for regular).
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Contains maltitol, cocoa mass, cocoa butter. Per serving (38 g bar): 170-190 cal, 14 g fat (8-9 g saturated), 32-37 mg sodium, 21-22 g carbs, 0-3 g net carbs, 1-2 g fiber, 17-20 g maltitol.

6. Pure De-Lite Coconut and Almond Bar ( www.puredeliteproducts.com )
This is a very good knock-off of an Almond Joy, with about the same amount of calories (110 vs. 140 for the regular version). It has a nice coconut taste, very moist and tender.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Contains maltitol, macaroon coconut, almonds, cocoa butter. Per each 28 g bar: 110 cal, 8 g fat (6 g saturated), 14 g carbs, 1 g effective carbs, 2 g fiber, 11 g sugar alcohol.

7. Atkins Endulge Mint Wafer Crisp ( www.atkins.com)
This treat has a good balance of chocolate coating, crispy wafer, and cool mint filling. It feels like a "real" indulgence! It's also lower in calories than a regular version (120 vs. 137).
NUTRTIONAL INFO: Contains maltitol, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, sorbitol, sucralose. Per serving (two thin bars per package): 120 cal, 9 g fat (4.5 saturated), 15 g carbs, 4 g net carbs, 3 g fiber, 8 g sugar alcohol.

8. Breyers Carb Smart Vanilla Ice Cream ( www.breyers.com )
With about the same calorie and fat content as regular ice cream, this version tastes "real" with a good kick of vanilla. Some testers noticed a slight artificial sugar aftertaste.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Contains milk, cream, polydextrose, sorbitol, fructose, gums, Splenda. Per 1/2 cup serving: 130 cal, 9 g fat (6 g saturated), 10 g carbs, 4 g net carbs, 3 g fiber, 3 g sugar alcohol.