This comprehensive review by Ilaria Benucci, Claudio Lombardelli, and Marco Esti explores the impact of natural sweeteners on sensory properties, food structure, and their applications in various food sectors. The authors discuss the rise in lifestyle diseases and metabolic disorders due to excessive sucrose and added sugar consumption, leading to a search for alternative sweetening compounds. Natural sweeteners are categorized into non-nutritive (e.g., neohesperidine dihydrochalcone, thamatin, glycyrrhizin mogroside, stevia) and bulk sweeteners (e.g., polyols, rare sugars). The review highlights the use of these sweeteners in bakery, dairy, confectionery, and beverage industries, comparing their effects on textural and sensory properties to sucrose. It also examines the use of natural sweeteners in blends to complement individual compounds and enhance stability and ease of use. The article further discusses the challenges and advancements in extraction and purification techniques, such as microencapsulation, to address issues like aftertaste and bitterness. The review provides a detailed overview of the most popular natural sweeteners, including thaumatin, glycyrrhizin, monk fruit extract, stevia, and neohesperidine dihydrochalcone, along with their applications and market trends. The authors conclude by emphasizing the growing consumer preference for natural, clean-label ingredients and the potential for natural sweeteners to meet this demand.This comprehensive review by Ilaria Benucci, Claudio Lombardelli, and Marco Esti explores the impact of natural sweeteners on sensory properties, food structure, and their applications in various food sectors. The authors discuss the rise in lifestyle diseases and metabolic disorders due to excessive sucrose and added sugar consumption, leading to a search for alternative sweetening compounds. Natural sweeteners are categorized into non-nutritive (e.g., neohesperidine dihydrochalcone, thamatin, glycyrrhizin mogroside, stevia) and bulk sweeteners (e.g., polyols, rare sugars). The review highlights the use of these sweeteners in bakery, dairy, confectionery, and beverage industries, comparing their effects on textural and sensory properties to sucrose. It also examines the use of natural sweeteners in blends to complement individual compounds and enhance stability and ease of use. The article further discusses the challenges and advancements in extraction and purification techniques, such as microencapsulation, to address issues like aftertaste and bitterness. The review provides a detailed overview of the most popular natural sweeteners, including thaumatin, glycyrrhizin, monk fruit extract, stevia, and neohesperidine dihydrochalcone, along with their applications and market trends. The authors conclude by emphasizing the growing consumer preference for natural, clean-label ingredients and the potential for natural sweeteners to meet this demand.