A sweetening composition having a crystalline matrix that contains a first material that includes nutritive sweeteners, low calorie sweeteners, sugar polymers, sugar alcohols and combinations thereof and is in intimate contact with a second material that includes at least one high intensity sweetener. The sweetening composition having a size that allows a crystal to be selected by hand, with a low caloric content with about 1 gram of the sweetening composition providing at least 4 grams of sucrose equivalent sweetness.