How Much Sugar Is in Hoisin Sauce?
One tablespoon of hoisin sauce has about 7 g of added sugar — nearly twice as much as ketchup, thanks to the sugar and fermented soybean paste it's built on.
in 1 tbsp (16 g) · about 1.7 teaspoons
- Per serving
- 7 g
- Per 100 g
- 44 g
- Type
- Added sugar
- In teaspoons
- ≈ 1.7 tsp
Fine in a portion — worth keeping an eye on.
A tablespoon of hoisin sauce has around 7 g of added sugar, close to double what the same spoonful of ketchup carries. Hoisin is built on a base of fermented soybean paste, sugar, garlic, and vinegar, so the sugar is baked into the flavour rather than sitting on top of it — it reads as savoury, not sweet.
Because it's usually brushed on generously — over spring rolls, as a stir-fry glaze, or on Peking duck pancakes — real servings often run 2–3 tablespoons, which puts the sugar in the same range as a scoop of ice cream. A thin brush rather than a thick glaze keeps it reasonable.
How hoisin sauce compares
Out of 114 everyday foods and drinks we track, hoisin sauce ranks #89 for sugar per serving — more than 22% of them.
- Blackberries7g
- Clementine7g
- Hoisin sauce (this page)7g
- Greek yogurt6g
- Kiwi6g
Bars show sugar per serving. Tap any food to see its full breakdown.
Lower-sugar swaps
- A light soy sauce and rice vinegar mix for savoury depth without the sugar base
- Brush on a thin layer instead of a thick glaze to cut the sugar per serving
Frequently asked questions
- Is hoisin sauce as sugary as sweet chili sauce?
- They're close — hoisin runs about 44 g per 100 g and sweet chili about 45 g, both roughly double the sugar density of ketchup.
- Why doesn't hoisin sauce taste as sweet as its sugar content suggests?
- The fermented soybean paste, garlic, and vinegar give it a savoury, umami-forward flavour that masks the sugar underneath — similar to how ketchup and barbecue sauce hide their sugar.
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Sugar values from Typical nutrition label; actual amounts vary by brand, ripeness, and recipe. Last updated 2026-08-28.