Brown Sugar Substitute and What Are Their Different Uses

Brown sugar usually includes sugar particles and molasses, while molasses is a refined product obtained from sugar cane and sugar beets. Brown sugar consists of molasses particles in them, hence the brown color. The sugar is also available worldwide commercially. Commercial brown sugar includes molasses and white sugar crystals. There are also many kinds of brown sugar substitute.

Healthy Brown Sugar Substitute

Both brown and white sugars have the same benefits and effects. Commercial brown sugars contain excessive molasses. Periodic consumption can affect your health in dangerous ways. Consumption and an increase in sugar intake can increase your chances of type2 diabetes. It can also contribute to your weight gain and affect your health in many ways.

The easiest brown sugar substitute is making your brown sugar at home. All you need is regular granulated sugar and molasses syrup. If you want to make 500gms of brown sugar, you will need:

• 500gms white sugar
• 50-80gms molasses syrup

Mix them properly and your homemade brown sugar is ready. This is the easiest and fastest way to make brown sugar. There are many other different alternatives for a brown sugar substitute.

Coconut sugar is often not marketed and is not available everywhere. They have essential minerals, vitamins and are very healthy. Coconut sugar is obtained from the sap of coconut trees and the healthiest substitute for brown sugar.

Coconut sugar is much drier than brown sugar. So, if you are planning to add coconut sugar to your baking or cooking, try to add some extra oil sources. Like, try adding butter for baking purposes and olive oil or sunflower oil for cooking purposes. If you do not add extra oil source coconut sugar can alter the textures and looks as it cannot contain moisture.

Brown Sugar Substitute- Keto

Keto sweeteners are an essential part of the keto diet. Sugar intake and calories matter. If you are looking to lose some weight, improve your health, stop consuming sugar. Regular granulated sugar contains added flavoring to taste like sugar. For those following keto diets, it is important to keep track of the healthiest keto sweeteners.

The three most efficient commercial brown sugar substitutes are Erithyritol, Stevia, and Xylitol. These brown sugar substitutes are extremely low in carbs and calories. You can add them to baking processes and even consume them with tea. These are the most naturally occurring sugar alcohol with very low glucose levels.

Erithyritol is the lowest in calorie sugar alcohol that is available in the market worldwide. It has the lowest glucose level that is 1 Gl. Bakers use this sugar alcohol to make crunchy cookies and other baking goods. It usually takes one day for the Erithyritol to make your cookies crunchy. They are bad for ice-cream making as they freeze into crystals.

Stevia is another common sugar alcohol available worldwide. They come in the form of drops and one regular teaspoon of sugar equals three drops of Stevia. You can use them for day to day purposes like tea, coffee, milkshakes, and cocktails. Do not mix with chocolate.

Xylitol is almost sugar-like naturally occurring sugar alcohol. It has a glucose level of 11 Gl and is considered one of the healthier alternatives to brown sugar. You can add them for ice-cream making purposes and baking processes.

Other healthier alternatives are monkfruit, maple syrup, and Erithyritol blends.

Brown Sugar Substitute for Diabetics

Brown sugar is almost as harmful as regular sugar, especially if you are suffering from diabetes. The sugar plays a major role in influencing the blood-sugar levels as well as the number of carbohydrates in the body. It is wise to use a brown sugar substitute to avoid the chances of risking diabetics. Here are some substitutes that you can consider adding to your meals:

Splenda

Sucralose or Splenda is one of the most popular brown sugar substitutes, which come with the sweetness of brown sugar without the added calories or carbohydrates. The small yellow packets of granulated sugary substances are 600 times sweeter than sugar but make no effect on the blood sugar levels.

Saccharin

Saccharin is the oldest available sweetener and is almost 300-500 times sweeter than sugar. It is completely calorie-free and safe for people suffering from diabetes. It is derived from coal and for long was considered to promote cancer. However, the FDA has declared it is not carcinogenic and safe for consumption.

Sugar Alcohols

Sugar alcohols are made from the fibers available in fruits and vegetables. They are completely calorie-free and are used in sugar-free foods.

Stevia

The sweetener made from the Stevia plant is known as steviol glycosides and is used in many foods and beverages for being calorie-free. It is a good substitute for brown sugar as it does not have any influence on blood sugar levels.

Brown Sugar Substitute- Maple Syrup

Maple syrup can be used as an appropriate brown sugar substitute. Most recipes of cakes, bread, and muffins contain brown sugar. However, the calories reflected by the consumption of brown sugar are almost the same as any regular sugar. Therefore, many of us would like to use other substitutes like maple syrup, which is not only healthier but also prevents extra calorie gain.

You can use ¾ cup of maple syrup instead of 1 cup of brown sugar in any recipe. Though the amount of maple syrup required depends entirely on your taste and likeness for sweetness. Brown sugar is a kind of refined sugar, moist in texture and its brown color ranges from light to dark. The sweetness of 1 cup of brown sugar is the same as the sweetness of 1 cup of white sugar.

The only problem with using maple syrup as a substitute for brown sugar is that it is liquid in form and enhances the volume of overall liquid in the recipe, which can be problematic. To maintain the texture of the recipe, you have to eliminate at least 2-3 teaspoons of water or milk.

Maple syrup comes in various grades like Grade A light Amber, Medium Amber and Dark Amber and Grade B. The darker the grade of maple syrup, the more intense is its thickness and flavor. If you are making a pancake, you will need to use a lighter grade of maple syrup. In cases of cooking or baking, medium and darker grades of the syrup are used due to their strong flavor.

Brown Sugar Substitute- Honey

Honey, a sweet, thick, liquid substance obtained from beehives can excellently work as a substitute for brown sugar. It can be used in almost all recipes as an alternative to sugar or brown sugar. However, it is important to measure the amount of honey that you use in a recipe to maintain its standard of delicacy.

Use 1 cup of honey in place of 1 cup of brown sugar in any recipe. If your recipe demands 2 cups of brown sugar then you need to use 13/4 cups of honey to keep up the sweetness. Along with that, you need to balance the amount of liquid in the recipe if you are adding a cup (or more) of honey in it. Eliminating ¼ cup of liquid for every 1 cup of honey can be advised to preserve the balance in texture.

You should also remember that different foods have different levels of tolerance for heat. Honey, for example, heats up faster than other food elements and runs a high risk of getting burnt. If you are adding honey to a recipe, it is recommended to lower the heat by 25 degrees at least. This would prevent the dish from browning quickly or burning.

In case you are planning to add honey to your baking recipe, make sure to add ¼ cup of baking soda for every 1 cup of honey. This will not only reduce acidity but also improve the concentration of the food.

Different Ways to Use Brown Sugar

Brown Sugar is very common in baking practices. It is a good substitute for sugar, as it retains moisture for a longer period. Therefore, keeping your baking products moisturized for longer hours compared to white sugar. Brown sugar is made of sucrose crystals with a small percentage of molasses mixed in them.

Brown sugar has a shelf life of about two years. This makes it a great choice for baking with it. Brown sugar can contain moisture for a longer period because of molasses. Molasses’ liquid state when mixed with sugar gives the normal sugar a moisturized texture.

Many people confuse brown sugar with raw sugar. Both brown and raw sugars are brown. However, raw sugar is more golden and light than brown sugar. Moreover, raw sugar is obtained naturally from the trees, like coconut trees. Molasses are already present in raw sugar, whereas, in brown sugar, you have to add molasses to make it.

There are many ways to use brown sugar for cooking purposes. You can use it for preparing sauces. Yes, brown sugars bring great taste to homemade sauces like ginger-chili sauce and many more. You can use brown sugar for marinating purposes. Many dishes require brown sugar marinating.

Since brown sugar is high in glucose level, it is necessary to consume in small amounts. Regular consumption can easily increase your blood-sugar level, heightening the chances of type2 diabetes. For example, use less than a spoon of brown sugar for two spoons for white sugar.

Brown Sugar Substitute without Molasses

There are a few handfuls of brown sugar substitute without molasses. You can try some of them and make some in your home. There are naturally obtained sugar alcohols like Erithyritol and Stevia which are easily available in markets. There are other substitutes as well like maple syrup, muscovado syrup, etc.

The healthiest substitute is coconut sugar. They are naturally obtained from the sap of coconut trees. The sugar made by coconut trees is rich in minerals and nutrients. The sugar already contains naturally made molasses from the plant. You can use them for cooking and baking purposes. They are much healthier than commercially manufactured sugars which have added flavors in them.

Raw sugars are also an excellent substitute for brown sugar. Their similar color and taste properties make them a valid alternative. Moreover, they too contain naturally made molasses present in them that make it a healthier choice than adding industrial molasses syrup. Turbinado and Demerara are great substitutes for brown sugar.

Muscovado sugar is another refined substitute for brown sugar. They contain more moisture than brown sugar. Therefore, they are difficult to mix especially for baking purposes. However, the color and texture are almost the same and it serves as a good substitute in urgency.

Substitute for Brown Sugar in Baking

Has it ever happened to you that you just started baking and found out that you ran out of brown sugar? If this can easily happen with you then it is best to stay prepared with the cool baking hacks that allow you to use a brown sugar substitute for such occasions.

The easiest substitute for brown sugar in baking processes is simply white sugar. Though the recipe might not taste the same or maybe different in texture, it will still work out in situations of emergency. Brown sugar is not much different from white sugar apart from the fact that it is further processed with molasses.

To make a substitute, for times when you have run out of brown sugar, you can always try making your brown sugar at home. All you need to do to make brown sugar is add a couple of spoons of molasses to the white sugar and mix it well. You can either put the ingredients in a blender or just stir it well with a spoon.

However, it might be difficult to find molasses in times of emergency. In such situations, you can try using other substitutes like maple syrup to make the brown sugar.