7 Clever Substitutes for Brown Sugar
- White sugar plus molasses. A combination of white sugar and molasses is your best bet for a brown sugar substitute, as that's exactly what brown sugar is made of (1).
- White sugar plus maple syrup.
- Coconut sugar.
- Honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar.
- Raw sugars.
- Muscovado sugar.
- Plain white sugar.
Common uses for brown sugar include sweetening baked goods, sauces, marinades, and even bacon. It's also made into a sugar syrup, often with spices, to flavor beverages. Thanks to the granules and slightly acidic pH (as well as its sweet smell), brown sugar has also become a popular ingredient in body scrubs.
Brown sugar is white sugar that has had a small amount of molasses added to it. The molasses gives it a richer, deeper flavor than white sugar and also makes the sugar very moist. A darker brown sugar brings that slightly bitter molasses note to gingerbread and can add depth of flavor to chocolate cake.
For chewier and more flavorful cookies, use more brown sugar than white sugar. Dark Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar and dark brown sugar are interchangeable in most recipes. Though either works in this chocolate chip cookie recipe, I love using dark brown sugar for extra flavor because it holds a little more molasses.
Regular brown sugar is dark and moist and is used for tasks where you want more of a molasses kick. Demerara sugar is darker still, with large crystals that give it a crunchy texture. Some natural foods stores carry unrefined brown sugars, including types like muscovado.
White sugar is produced through a purifying process that removes a brown syrup called molasses. On the other hand, brown sugar either undergoes less processing to retain its molasses content or is produced by mixing white sugar with molasses.
Most brown sugar available in supermarkets is refined white sugar that has molasses added after refining. You can substitute dark brown sugar for the light brown sugar in the cookie recipe, however the cookies will be slightly darker in colour and will have a slightly more caramelly/toffee taste to them.
Since muscovado sugar is an unrefined brown sugar, the best substitutes are jaggery, panela, rapadela, kokuto, or Sucanat. They can be substituted in equal amounts. The next best substitute would be dark brown sugar. However, it has a finer texture, lower molasses content, and milder taste.
Is it better than sugar? Honey has a lower GI value than sugar, meaning that it does not raise blood sugar levels as quickly. Honey is sweeter than sugar, so you may need less of it, but it does have slightly more calories per teaspoon so it's wise to keep a close eye on your portion sizes.
In most baking recipes, you can substitute brown sugar for white sugar in a one-to-one ratio. The sweetness level will be exactly the same, but the brown sugar may change the texture of your baked goods. You'll likely notice a more robust flavor and the color of the finished baked good may be darker as well.
An additional production stage, using sugar cane syrup, is required in order to produce brown sugar. Actually,Brown sugar is refined white sugar with a molasses syrup mixed in, then dried again. This additional process makes the product more expensive than white sugar.
Difference between jaggery and brown sugarJaggery is unrefined sugar made without spinning it in a centrifuge. Whereas, brown sugar is refined sugar and involves centrifuging also. Jaggery is considered as vegan whereas brown sugar is not because the charcoal treatment is a part of the white sugar refinement process.
Despite slight differences in taste, brown and white sugar have a very similar nutrient profile and effect on blood sugar levels. Therefore, brown sugar does not provide any benefits to people with diabetes. Everyone — but especially people with this condition — should moderate their sugar intake for optimal health.
It's very similar to regular table sugar, although it's not as processed and contains minor amounts of nutrients. If you're going to use coconut sugar, use it sparingly. Coconut sugar belongs in the same boat as most sugar alternatives. It's healthier than refined sugar but definitely worse than no sugar at all.
Raw sugar isn't even really raw. It's just slightly less refined, so it retains some of the molasses. But there's no real health real benefit from it. "There's no more nutritional value in raw sugar than there is in white sugar or brown sugar," Nonas said.
Most people believe brown bread, otherwise known as wholemeal or whole-wheat bread, is better for our health than white. And according to most nutritionists, you'd be correct. Wholegrain products contain more fibre and nutrients than their white counterparts.
Over time, this can lead to a greater accumulation of fat, which may turn into fatty liver disease, a contributor to diabetes, which raises your risk for heart disease. Consuming too much added sugar can raise blood pressure and increase chronic inflammation, both of which are pathological pathways to heart disease.
Fructose May Be the Worst for HealthYour body converts fructose to glucose in the liver to use it for energy. Excess fructose places a burden on your liver, which may lead to a series of metabolic problems ( 13 ). Several studies have demonstrated the harmful effects of high fructose consumption.
Top 10 Healthy and Natural Substitutes for Sugar
- Maple Syrup.
- Honey.
- Organic Coconut Sugar.
- Lo Han Go (Monk Fruit)
- Stevia.
- Yacon Syrup.
- Blackstrap Molasses.
- Xylitol, Erythritol and Other Sugar Alcohols.
Compared with table and brown sugars, coconut sugar has impressive amounts of nutrients like zinc and iron as well as antioxidants. Coconut sugar also contains good amounts of inulin, a type of dietary fiber you don't digest in your upper gastrointestinal tract.
A study, published by US researchers in online journal Open Heart suggests that sugar is in fact worse than salt for raising our blood pressure levels and heart disease risk.
5 Best Sugar Brands for Your Kitchen
- Want to learn more?
- #1 – Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Fair Trade Sugar.
- #2 – NJOY Pure Cane Sugar.
- #3 – Domino Premium Pure Cane Granulated Sugar.
- #4 – Madhava Naturally Sweet Organic Pure and Unrefined Coconut Sugar.
- #5 – Organic Cane Sugar by Anthony's.
Pierre has advised on this scale so you can see how your choices stack up.
- Stevia. Type: Natural substitute.
- Honey. Type: An even blend of fructose and glucose.
- Coconut sugar. Type: Mostly sucrose with some nutrients.
- Raw cane sugar. Type: Sucrose.
- Agave.
- Brown sugar.
- Granulated white sugar.
- Sweeteners (aspartame, splenda)
From an appearance and sweetness standpoint, they are interchangeable. Dark brown sugar has a higher molasses content. If your intent is to replace a dark brown sugar with evaporated cane sugar or demerara sugar, your dish may be paler and less flavorful than intended. Of course, this depends on the type of cane sugar.
Dark brown sugar contains some molasses, so combining that with butter makes these cookies have an amazingly soft and chewy texture. This recipe will also work with light brown sugar or white sugar, but the cookies may turn out less chewy and more crumbly.
Brown sugar is refined white sugar with molasses added back to it. Muscovado sugar is less refined, so it retains much of its molasses component. The amount of molasses determines whether it is “light” or “dark”: the darker the sugar, the more molasses it contains.
Both light and dark brown sugar contain molasses, but dark brown sugar contains more. Dark brown sugar has a deeper molasses flavor, and of course, a deeper color. When you think brown sugar, you most likely think sweet treats -- and you aren't wrong.
