4 Foods Surprisingly High in Sugar

Fruit may be the first ingredient on the label, and sorbet may be lower in saturated fat than ice cream, but it’s often packed with a lot more sugar. For instance, a ⅔-cup serving of Talenti raspberry sorbet has 30 grams of added sugars, while a similar amount of Häagen-Dazs Sweet Lemon Coconut sorbet clocks in at 41 grams.

Make it healthier: For a DIY sorbet, freeze chunks of whole fruit, then process them in a blender with a little dairy or plant milk. Freeze the mixture in a container before scooping it out to serve. If that preparation sounds too fussy, go for a small portion of ice cream, which can be lower in added sugars. For instance, Breyers Natural Strawberry has 14 grams in ⅔ cup. Plus, ice cream’s fat and protein help slow the release of sugar into your bloodstream, lessening the negative effects.

While they may seem like an upscale treat, coffee drinks can be more sugary than soda. For instance, a small Triple Mocha Frozen Coffee at Dunkin’ has 85 grams of added sugars. Even lattes can deliver a surprising sugar hit. A Starbucks Grande (16 ounces) Vanilla Latte has 35 grams of sugars. Starbucks doesn’t list the amount of added sugars, but we estimate that about 20 grams comes from the four pumps of vanilla syrup. (Each pump adds roughly 5 grams of sugar.) The rest comes from the milk.

Make it healthier: Customize your order. Ask for fewer pumps of syrup, for example. (Starbucks uses three to four pumps for most Grande drinks.) Or try them without the syrup. Also, nix the whipped cream and drizzle, which contribute sugar without much flavor.

Ketchup, barbecue sauce, and other condiments can contain a lot of sugar in a small serving. A tablespoon of ketchup might have 4 grams of added sugars, while some barbecue sauces, like Sweet Baby Ray’s Original, have 8 grams.

Make it healthier: Look for products with no more than 3 grams of added sugars per tablespoon and no artificial sweeteners or other sugar substitutes, such as Bone Suckin’ Sauce Sweet Southern. Primal Kitchen and True Made offer unsweetened ketchups and barbecue sauces. Note that products labeled “no sugar added” or “sugar-free” often contain sugar substitutes.

It shows up in everything from parfaits to smoothies, but it’s not just plain yogurt with a vanilla twist. It often contains a hefty dose of added sugars. For example, Dannon Low-Fat Vanilla Yogurt has 14 grams in ¾ cup.

Make it healthier: Add your own sweetener and a few drops of vanilla extract to plain yogurt. A teaspoon of honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar has 4 to 5 grams of sugar. Or choose yogurt with 6 grams or less per serving, such as Siggi’s Vanilla. (For more on choosing a healthier yogurt, see “Healthy Yogurts that Taste Great Too.”)

Editor’s Note: A version of this article also appeared in the September 2025 issue of Consumer Reports On Health.