White Granulated Sugar + Molasses
In a pinch, you can go the DIY route and make your own brown sugar by “blitzing” some granulated white sugar with molasses. Thats all brown sugar really is, anyway.
And the best part is, its super easy.
Start with 1 cup of white sugar and a tablespoon or two of molasses. Combine the two by mixing them with a fork or a mixer until evenly combined. Voila: you have yourself some fluffy and delicious brown sugar in seconds.
Healthy Substitutes For Brown Sugar
For 1 cup brown sugar, substitute 1 cup organic brown sugar, coconut sugar, or date sugar, or substitute up to half of the brown sugar with agave nectar in baking. Keep in mind: Sugar substitutes replace sugar and omit carbs and added sugar, while sugar substitute blends replace half of the sugar and reduce added carbs and added sugars by half.
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When To Use White Vs Brown Sugar
Brown sugar makes baked goods moister than white sugar because of the molasses content, says Pichet Ong, pastry chef and author of The Sweet Spot: Asian-Inspired Desserts.
This means you may have to adjust some of the other proportions in the recipe if you sub brown sugar for white, like slightly decreasing the wet ingredients or upping the dry ones. Brown sugar will also add a hint of caramel flavor and affect the color.
Ong says he decides which to use based on the texture he wants.
For something like zucchini bread or banana bread, where hes looking for a moist texture, brown sugar works pretty well. But he likes layer cakes to be drier and more aerated, so he sticks to white. He says that many cookie recipes also use a combo.
Speaking of cookies, in her book BakeWise, Shirley Corriher notes that high proportions of white sugar make for a very crisp cookie that stays crisp. She describes brown sugar as more hygroscopic, meaning it draws in water more easily from the air.
Cookies made with brown sugar will absorb moisture from the atmosphere and soften on standing.
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Role Of Sugar In The Making Of Jam And Jelly
Sugar is important in making jam and jelly for the obvious reasons such as sweetening and gel formation. However, the most important role is that it prevents any spoilage. The presence of sugar reduces any available moisture for microbial growth.
The number one thing that spoils jam and jelly is mold. Any microbial growth will be stopped when the concentration of sugar is high enough to cause the jelly mix to boil at eight degrees above the normal boiling point of water. So, for example, if the water boils at 212 F, the high sugar concentration is enough to stop any microbial growth if the jelly mix boils at 220 F.
Making jam and jelly with the no-sugar pectin products makes them more susceptible to spoiling easily. Therefore they require longer processing in the water bath canner to kill the microbial growth that could lead to the growth of the mold.
Can I Use Brown Sugar Instead Of White Sugar In Pudding
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. Youll likely notice a more robust flavor and the color of the finished baked good may be darker as well.
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Sukrin Gold Brown Sugar Alternative
Sukrin Gold Brown Sugar Alternative is mainly made up of erythritol, a sugar alcohol thats a great low-carb substitute for sugar. It also contains malt and a little hint of stevia. Sukrin Gold offers a flavor, aroma, and texture of brown sugar without having any effect on blood sugar.
Along with being low-carb, this brown sugar substitute contains all-natural ingredients, is gluten-free and low-calorie. Its the perfect brown sugar substitute for recipes. One gram of Sukrin Gold Brown Sugar contains zero calories, zero grams of fat, zero grams of protein and one gram of net carbs.
Try Sukrin Gold when making your own keto barbecue sauce. It will offer the delicious molasses flavor of regular brown sugar without kicking you out of ketosis.
What Is The Difference Between White Sugar And Brown Sugar
The difference between white sugar and brown sugar is that brown sugar is made from white sugar, but molasses has been added to give it a richer robust caramel flavor.
Brown sugar also provides moisture to any recipe where its used, making the outcome softer in things like making breads, cookies, and cakes.
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Easy Brown Sugar Substitutes For Every Recipe
When youre looking for that perfect low-carb alternative to sugar, these options do the trick. Theyre a great addition to your favorite keto ice cream recipe and other low-carb treats but they wont kick you out of ketosis. So the next time youre at the grocery store, check out the baking aisle to pick up one of these keto-friendly brown sugar substitutes and enjoy the sweet life without the sugar.
Is Piloncillo Good For Diabetics
The producers of piloncillo will tell you that this is a better sugar for diabetics because of its trace minerals and lower glycemic index. There is no evidence that this sugar is better for the diabetic body than any other sugar, and it should be enjoyed in moderation as part of a regular, healthy diet.
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Use In Cooking And Baking
Because many sugar substitutes are much sweeter than sugar, it takes a smaller amount to achieve the desired sweetness. Therefore, when cooking or baking, your recipe may need to be adjusted if youre swapping white table sugar for a sweeter alternative.
While the sweetener package may have specific instructions for cooking and baking, this may come down to trial and error , or you can search for specific recipes that use sugar substitutes or natural sweeteners in place of white sugar.
A few other things to be aware of when cooking and baking with alternative sweeteners:
- Your baked goods may be lighter in color as natural sugar browns more deeply when baked and artificial sweeteners dont brown as nicely.
- Cooking time may need to be adjusted.
- There may be a texture or aftertaste youre not used to.
- The volume of cakes or cookies may be slightly decreased as youre using much less sweetener.
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How Is Brown Sugar Different From Raw Sugar Cane Sugar Muscovado And Turbinado Sugar
Raw sugar is made by refining sugar cane. It is an added sugar, not a natural sugar, and in the U.S., is mostly produced in Florida. Raw sugar is less refined, therefore containing more of the natural molasses that is present in sugar cane and is light brown in color.
Cane sugar is the sugar made from sugar cane. The molecules that make up sugar cane are identical to the molecular makeup of white granulated sugar, so they are essentially the same product. However, white granulated sugar can be made from either sugar cane or sugar beets.
Cane sugar is lighter in color than brown sugar and isnt moist like brown sugar, but both come from the sugar cane plant.
Muscovado is another sugar that is brown in color but is different from standard brown sugar. It is the most unrefined cane sugar, contains its natural molasses, and is rich, moist , sticky, coarse, has a toffee-like flavor.
It even contains some minerals and antioxidants. It is considered to be more artisanal due to the more laborious process of making it.
Turbinado sugar is also made from cane sugar, is light brown in color, and has larger crystals. Its actually the same thing as raw sugar, and gets its name from minimal processing, in which much of the natural molasses remains in the product.
So, the difference between brown sugar and many other sugars is the process that it goes through, which determines color, taste, granule size, moisture levels, and ultimately, your final product!
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What Is The Same As Powdered Sugar
There are several other names for powdered sugar. It is also known as icing sugar in the UK, and is often also referred to as confectioners sugar.But all powdered sugar really is just regular granulated sugar that has been ground down by milling it into a powdered form. The reason that powdered sugar is often favored over regular granulated sugar is because its fine grounding means that its more easily dissolved. This makes it the perfect sugar to use for frosting, icing, and adding glazes to baked goods. Or sometimes it just looks good sprinkled on top of your bakes to look like delicious snow.But remember too much sugar is bad for you, so please enjoy it in moderation.
Raw Sugars Like Turbinado And Demerara
Raw cane sugars are white sugars coarser cousins. Theyre less processed than brown sugar, but still contain some of their natural molasses. Because of their larger crystals, raw sugars can soak up more liquid in a recipe, resulting in drier or grittier baked goods. You can avoid this with a clever workaround: Blitz raw sugar in a food processor or spice grinder until it resembles granulated sugar.
Substitution ratio: 1:1 by weight or 1 cup of ground raw sugar for every 1 cup of granulated sugar.
Best for: Recipes with higher proportions of liquid, such as pecan pie and loose cake batters.
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Brown Sugar Substitute Types For Diabetic People
Suffering from diabetes and controlling the urge to intake sugar can be tough. But it is very important to keep a tab on your carbohydrates and sugars under control. Now that you have to monitor your food intake and cut down your sugar, then one thing you can do is look for a brown sugar substitute. Here, we will give you some of the best alternatives that you can use instead of brown sugar.
What Can I Use If I Dont Have Brown Sugar
There are more options than we can count these days, but while they all add sweetness to your recipe, there are a lot of things to consider when picking, or making, a brown sugar substitute.
Lets get the first question you might have out of the way: Can you substitute brown sugar for white sugar? While white sugar is not identical to brown sugar, you can sometimes substitute brown sugar for white sugar in a recipe. While your recipe will still be sweet, the consistency and taste may change, as brown sugar has more moisture than white sugar , and a richer flavor.
A direct white sugar for brown sugar substitute may work better in some recipes than others, though, depending on the other ingredients in the recipe.
What can you substitute for brown sugar? Plenty!
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Why Isnt Brown Sugar Keto
Just like regular white sugar, brown sugar is a high-carb food. This is true for sugar by its many other names including agave nectar, coconut sugar, turbinado, raw sugar, maple syrup, and honey.
Some of these sugars might have a slight nutritional leg up from regular white refined sugar, but theyre all high-carb foods that impact your blood sugar and will kick you out of ketosis. Of these, coconut sugar has the lowest impact, but most keto experts still recommend leaving it out.
When it comes to nutritional value, brown sugar is exactly what someone following a low-carb or keto diet should avoid. A quarter cup of unpacked brown sugar contains a total of 137 calories, 35 grams of net carbs , zero grams of fat, and zero grams of protein.
Brown sugar wreaks havoc on your blood sugar, glucose, and on ketosis in general.
How Do You Make Homemade Brown Sugar
When you are baking there is every chance that you may run out of brown sugar mid-bake. If this happens you may not know what to do.
Should you pop to the store, or is there a way that you can make your own brown sugar? Of course there is, and it is really, really easy. All you need is some white sugar and some molasses.
Use a cup of white sugar, and a tablespoon of molasses and combine the two in a bowl until the molasses is completely incorporated with the white sugar. If you want the sugar darker, add more molasses.
It really is that simple. It is not complicated or confusing as you might think it could be.
Not only that, but it can be done within just a few moments, and you will be able to continue your cooking with no problem. If you want to save some for later seal it in an air-tight container.
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Can You Switch Brown Sugar For White Sugar The Straight Answer
Sort of, but brown sugar and white sugar have different effects on your cookies, pastries, brownies, and breads.
The molasses content of brown sugar leads to baked goods that are softer and moister. You can still swap them, but youll need to use less brown sugar in a recipe that calls for white.
Brown sugar will add a caramel-ish hint to your baked good and darken its color.
Well, as with most things in baking, its not as easy as The Great British Baking Show makes it look. We break down when brown sugar does the heavy lifting and when you should stick to white sugar instead.
How To Soften Hard Brown Sugar
Looking for a brown sugar substitute because your brown sugar is too hard to use? There’s actually a really easy fix for that.
Add 1 tablespoon of molasses to a cup of light brown sugar to turn it into dark brown sugar. This will give you the real deal.
If you don’t have molasses, use 1 tablespoon of maple syrup instead, or just use your light brown sugar in place of the dark brown sugar that’s called for. You probably won’t notice any difference in your recipe, if you do. Need light brown sugar and only have dark brown sugar? Go ahead and use it. You’ll hardly notice the difference.
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Dark Brown Sugar Substitute
There are two ways you can make dark brown sugar.
If you only have granulated sugar on hand, you can combine:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
If you have light brown sugar on hand and need dark brown sugar, you can combine:
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon molasses
Mix the sugar and molasses together in a bowl and rub them together with your fingertips. Youll know its ready to use when the sugar is moistened and dark brown.
Use either of the above mixtures in any recipe that calls for dark brown sugar or store your homemade dark brown sugar to use later.
Substituting All Or Part
Another approach to substituting agave nectar for other sweeteners is to swap out only half of the called-for sweetener. In other words, for each cup of sugar, you’d instead use half a cup of sugar plus 6 fluid ounces of agave nectar. In this case you’d only need to leave out a tablespoon of liquid, which is minimal enough so that you might not have to bother at all.
Some recipes fare better with this kind of substitution than others. With cakes, for instance, you can substitute half the sugar, but with cookies, you might want to try swapping out 1/3 instead.
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Is Molasses As Bad As Sugar
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Cons Of Brown Sugar Substitutes
Changing recipe ratios. If a recipe is written with a brown sugar substitute in mind, you dont have to make adjustments. But if youre trying to bake something that calls for brown sugar, you may have to adjust the ingredients to get the right consistency.
Overeating. Its still possible to over-indulge in foods that dont include sugar. Check nutrition labels when you consider brown sugar substitutes. Not all of them make foods healthier, and you should still eat them in moderation.
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How To Use Brown Sugar
To say the options for this homemade brown sugar are plentiful would be an understatement. Some of my favorite uses include:
- In baked goods: including cakes, brownies, muffins, and for more tender, chewy cookies .
- Toffee/Caramel sauce: for a more complex flavor over regular white granulated sugar.
- Syrup: you can also use it to make a simple sugar syrup for recipes.
- BBQ sauce: light or dark either is a perfect choice for homemade BBQ sauce.
- In ice cream: using it in ice cream will provide a caramel flavor.
- Pickles: feel free to use brown sugar instead of other sweeteners when pickling foods. Like these pickled eggs, pickled red onions, pickled turnips, or pickled jalapeños.
- To balance flavors: a pinch of brown sugar added to acidic dishes/sauces like tomato-based sauces and stews and various stir-fry sauces can help balance and add depth to the flavor.