substitute brown sugar for white sugar

Light brown sugar offers the least amount of molasses and therefore can serve as a replacement for white sugar with only a minor effect on flavor. That’s fine too. A teaspoon (about 4 grams) of granulated (white) sugar has 16 calories in it, while the same amount of brown sugar has 11. If you are making a fudge that you have to boil and bring to proper temperature it will not matter as the excess moisture will boil off. But brown sugar has a higher moisture content that causes it to clump and sit in lumps. There are a wealth of other options, so for more details, see our guide to sugar substitutes and alternative sweeteners (both natural and artificial). Chocolate and peanut butter go together like white and brown sugar in these gooey cookies. All featured products are curated independently by our editors. For example, cookies made with brown sugar are softer ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. When baking, can you substitute brown sugar for white sugar and vice versa? In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Try our Easy Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe. Brown sugar is thicker, often moister than granulated sugar, but it also has a more caramel-y flavor that could change the end flavor of your product. Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest tips, tricks, recipes and more, sent twice a week. In spite of their difference in weight, you can substitute brown sugar for granulated white on a 1 to 1 basis, and the most significant difference will be taste. |, 9 Baking Mistakes That Ruin Your Cakes, Cookies, Brownies & Bread, The Top Trending Fall Foods & Recipes, According to Google, The Best Places to Buy Baking Ingredients Online, Chowhound Christmas Gift Guide 2020: The Best Gourmet Food & Drink Gifts, The Cookbooks We're Most Excited for This Fall, Ready or Not, Pumpkin Spice Products Are Back Again, 7 Helpful Produce Subscriptions You Should Know About, Meal Prep Containers That Will Get You Excited to Make Lunch, The Best Food & Drink Advent Calendars for 2020, Chowhound Christmas Gift Guide 2020: Best Gifts for Food-Loving Families and Parents, Christmas Cookie HQ: The Ultimate Guide to Holiday Cookie Baking, How to Make a Memorable Christmas Morning Breakfast, How to Cook Christmas Dinner for 6 on a $75 Budget, A Last-Minute Guide for Those Hosting Christmas Dinner, The Best Baking Books to Sweeten Your Shelves, 11 Ingredients That Will Take Your Baking to the Next Level, guide to sugar substitutes and alternative sweeteners, but in different proportions, and be sure to adjust the moisture in your recipe, Almond-Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffin recipe, Easy Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Easy Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cookies with Ganache Filling, Ganache-Filled Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie recipe, 8 Easy Ways to Make Boxed Mac & Cheese Taste Like You Made It from Scratch, How to Clean & Maintain Your Wooden Cutting Board without Ruining It, 10 Clever Ways to Use Dryer Sheets That Don't Involve Laundry, Everything You Need to Know About Pepperoni, Pizza's BFF, Chefs' Favorite Caribbean Pantry Staples You Can Order Online. The darker the brown sugar, the more molasses it contains. Brown sugar has more moisture than white sugar. If simple sounds better but you have no brown sugar, you can easily substitute white for borwn with the addition of molasses. When measuring it, pack it down into the cup or spoon so it actually fills the entire space. Brown sugar is thicker, often moister than granulated sugar, but it also has a more caramel-y flavor that could change the end flavor of your product. If you are making the kind with the evaporated milk and marshmallows then you need to … Coconut sugar is also a good 1:1 substitute for brown sugar, but it’s not as moist, so it can make your baked goods a bit drier. Coconut sugar is also a good 1:1 substitute for brown sugar, but it’s not as moist, so it can make your baked goods a bit drier. Granulated sugar can be substituted for brown sugar in most recipes — but expect baked goods to be a bit crisper and flatter due to the absence of that extra moisture. But if you want to substitute brown sugar for white sugar, you're in luck; it works, and it's simple and straightforward. It's not a total loss, though, since white sugar excels at making cookies tender/crisp. (You can also use them in this crustless pumpkin pie recipe. White sugar cubes. Calories in 1/4 Cup Sugar Mix 1 1. Brown sugar has 50 calories per tbsp. When baking, can you substitute brown sugar for white sugar and vice versa? His stories on food and beverage topics have appeared in numerous print and web publications, including Visit Florida, Orlando Style Magazine, CrushBrew Magazine, Agent Magazine, Dollar Stretcher Magazine, The 863 Magazine and others. Brown sugar and white sugar both increase the blood sugar levels as they score 65 on the Glycemic Index. But since brown sugar is already moist, you don't need to reduce the liquid in the recipe quite as much—if at all. Best Brown Sugar Substitute For 1 cup brown sugar, substitute white sugar in an equal amount. If you really want brown sugar and all you have on hand is white granulated sugar, you can make it at home, as long as you have molasses, writes award-winning blogger and home cook Deb Perelman in “The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.” “You can make your own brown sugar by mixing 1 cup of granulated sugar with 11/2 tablespoons molasses (for light brown sugar) or 1/4 cup molasses (for dark brown sugar) and measuring what you need from this mixture,” Perelman says. So, when baking, you can't just blindly substitute one ingredient in a recipe for another. You can use the same amount of light brown sugar that your recipe requires for white sugar. Stir dry ingredients into the sugar and egg mixture; fold in chopped pecans. Using brown sugar instead of white sugar won't affect the sweetness of the finished product, but it does alter the taste a bit. But if, for example, you're hankering for thin, crisp cookies, the swap could produce plump, soft ones or vice versa. Contains double the amount of molasses than light brown sugar. Brown sugar used instead of white in shortbread or sugar cookies may also alter the white color to give the dough a more brownish cast. of molasses. It also bumps up the nutritional value of brown sugar and supplies a small amount of several k… Palm sugar is derived from any variety of palm tree and it’s often used in Asian, Middle Eastern and North African cooking. Some brown sugar substitutes may alter slightly the taste, texture, weight, or moisture content of the finished product. Since brown sugar is regular sugar with molasses, you can also substitute the other way around, too. So, the substitution won't yield the same thin, crispy cookies you had the last time you made the recipe with white sugar. A tablespoon less should be plenty. For example, in recipes that call for creaming butter with sugar, the effects are reversed. The more molasses you add, the darker and finer the sugar becomes. However, I caution a 1:1 substitution in certain other baked goods because brown sugar has a higher water content, which could affect other recipes … As you probably know, baking and cooking are very different processes. Flavor: roasted, caramel, brown sugar What It Does : adds moisture and richer flavor than cane sugar; decrease other liquids in recipes by ¼ cup Use It to Make : candy, pudding, ice cream, marinades, glazes Brown sugar gets its rich flavor, as well as its deep color, from molasses. It makes me wonder if you are under the mistaken impression that brown sugar is less refined than white. Brown sugar is more refined and has a slightly higher molasses content, but it will contribute a similar color and flavor to your recipe. In recipes that call for both white sugar and molasses, substituting brown sugar is a good idea. The darker the brown sugar, the more the molasses flavor comes through. Related Reading: 11 Ingredients That Will Take Your Baking to the Next Level. Eric Mohrman is a food and drink, lifestyle, and travel writer. In fact, it’s often marketed as a natural sweetener and sugar substitute that can be enjoyed without all the side effects associated with regular sugar. Keep in mind, substituting brown sugar for white sugar won't make your recipe any healthier; there aren't any brown sugar benefits As a reasonable backup if you don’t have molasses, use maple syrup instead—but in different proportions, and be sure to adjust the moisture in your recipe. Check how much sugar the recipe calls for. I agree with the other comments, you certainly can substitute one to one, but I don't think it wold be a good choice. White sugar is sweeter than brown sugar so they are not substitutes. Brown sugar has more moisture than white sugar. Brown sugar can be bought in every grocery store and even convenience stores. Fortunately, you can use healthy white sugar substitutes in baking and cooking. Substitute the plain white stuff for that brown sugar, and everything changes. Roxanne Webber is a former editor at CHOW. Some recipes call for brown sugar, rather than white sugar, and rely on its distinctive taste for part of their flavor. Substitute equal amounts of white for the brown sugar in your recipe. Use the measurement of volume, such as cups rather than ounces. If you have a bottle of the real stuff at home, use it in place of molasses. Granulated sugar has 46, maple syrup 53, honey 64. TIP: You can make brown sugar by mixing 1 cup of white sugar with 1 tablespoon of molasses. Combine 1 cup of white sugar with 2 tbsp. First, since brown sugar contains more moisture, you may need to slightly decrease the amount of wet ingredients in your 2. I can attest that the flavor is much better. Light brown sugar works as a substitute in some cakes, though you should not use it in white or sponge cakes. Although the texture is similar to its refined counterparts, it excludes the bitter aftertaste and is great for all your baking purposes. You can mix these ingredients together with a wooden spoon, in your KitchenAid mixer , or food processor. Substitute maple syrup: Yes traditionally, homemade brown sugar is made with white sugar and molasses, but you can replace the molasses with maple syrup. He likes to take advantage of the texture of these bigger crystals by using them to crust cakes or cookies. It's more or less noticeable depending on what you're making. Neutral white sugar inhibits gluten formation, so dough spreads, thins and crisps more, while acidic brown sugar encourages gluten development and egg protein coagulation, so the dough sets faster, becoming thicker and chewier. -Substitute white sugar for brown sugar on a 1 to 1 basis, but add 4 tablespoons of molasses per cup, and decrease the total amount of liquid in the recipe by 3 tablespoons. I have cinnamon, white sugar, maple syrup, these all sound like things similar to brown sugar. Each contributes its own gifts to make us go mmm. Try our Apple Dapple Cake recipe. In these recipes, the loose grains of white sugar aerate the dough for softer, fluffier results. You can! Yes, simply swap in white sugar where a recipe calls for brown sugar. © 2020 CHOWHOUND, A RED VENTURES COMPANY. However, Also, many sugar manufacturers just add molasses to refined white sugar and package it as brown sugar. You’ll need both white and brown sugar, but not as much as you would for other muffin recipes. Therefore cookies made with brown sugar “will absorb moisture from the atmosphere and soften on standing.” (So it’s key in chewy chocolate chip cookies, for instance.). Granulated white sugar is a dry, freely flowing grain that naturally fills the space into which it's poured. If you are making a fudge that you have to boil and bring to proper temperature it will not matter as the excess moisture will boil off. He spent 10 years working front- and back-of-house in a few casual and upscale restaurants, adding professional experience to his love of eating and cooking. Almond-Whole … Honey can be substituted for white sugar when the flavor is meant to be more delicate instead of robust. There's one caveat here, though. Substituting turbinado or Demerara (the “natural” brown sugars usually sold as “raw sugar”) doesn’t work so well, says Ong. He says you can also use a combo like many cookie recipes do. You may unsubscribe at any time. Brown sugar is the opposite. Speaking of cookies, in her book “BakeWise,” Shirley Corriher notes that white sugar used in high proportions “makes a very crisp cookie that stays crisp,” while brown sugar is more “hygroscopic,” meaning it draws in water more easily from the air. A brown sugar substitute for people with diabetes is comparatively healthier than normal white sugar, as it serves fewer calories and carbs, but in terms of vitamins and nutrients, both of the sugars are the same. Brown sugar used instead of white in shortbread or sugar cookies may also alter the white color to give the dough a more brownish cast. Can I substitute light or dark brown sugar instead of white sugar in making fruitcake? In some cases, it enhances it, as with the warm, fall flavors of gingerbread, pumpkin, apple, chai, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. It has a sweet, butterscotch-like flavor that’s more nuanced than brown sugar, although it shares a similar appearance. To make dark brown sugar: You would do the exact same thing as above, but add 2 tablespoons molasses to the granulated sugar. For instance, brown sugar is acidic, and white sugar is neutral. Substituting brown sugar for white sugar can be ideal in yellow rather that white cakes. Consuming too much refined or white sugar for the long-term may cause damage to your health in many ways. Regular brown sugar starts out as normal refined white sugar, to which molasses is added. The addition of molasses gives the sugar a dark color and rich, caramel-like flavor. They're less processed than brown sugar, but still contain some of their natural molasses. Opting for a brown sugar alternative affects the appearance and flavor of the finished product. While dark brown sugar may contain too much of the molasses flavor or have too dark a color for some recipes, cutting it with an equal amount of refined white sugar … Get our Cream Cheese Swirl Brownie recipe. They won’t melt down the way granulated white or conventional brown sugar would in a recipe because of the large crystal size. The molasses content in brown sugar results in darker food than white sugar. Whether this is good, bad or indifferent depends on your tastebuds. Use an equal amount of firmly packed light brown sugar as white sugar in the recipe. Brown sugar is just granulated white sugar with the molasses added to it. Brown sugar will also add a hint of rich caramel flavor and affect the color. Try our Ganache-Filled Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie recipe. In most baking recipes, you can substitute brown sugar for white sugar in a one-to-one ratio. The cake delivers a cartful of moist, carrot-ty goodness with that creamy cream cheese topping we crave. But remember, when making a brown sugar substitute be sure to measure accurately for best results. Stack Exchange Network Stack Exchange network consists of 176 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Brown sugar also contains molasses and water and has a slightly lower calorific value than white sugar. It is usually a bid coarser than our usual table/baking sugar. Always store your brown sugar in a sealed plastic bag or airtight container and if you ever find that it has turned into a brick, check out our list of easy ways to soften it in no time. Different Types of Molasses and Which to Use There are different methods for creating molasses and each will result in a slightly different tasting product with various nutritional differences. Brown sugar is granulated white sugar with added molasses. Buy Cook's Science today: http://amzn.to/212U0nCThe Science of Good Cooking: http://amzn.to/1O8oGw7Watch Test Cook Dan Souza illustrate Concept #48, " Sugar … Header image courtesy of Michelle Patrick / EyeEm / Getty Images. It's okay to use dark brown sugar if that's all you have; just know that it will contribute a darker For example, the darkening stands out more in normally pale sugar cookies than in a deep brown pumpkin spice loaf. Mix well. Sugar is sugar. ), Related Reading: A Guide to Types of Sugar. Without getting all sciencey, sugar isn't just for making stuff deliciously sweet. Darker food than white sugar but this is not true ; both are equally harmful in large quantities used cup! Dough would spread out thin and dense tablespoons of molasses used per cup of molasses added it. What brown sugar, but not as much as you would for other muffin recipes substitute white comes! Substitutes may alter slightly the taste, texture, brown sugar interacts with it to clump and sit lumps. Content of the finished product in large quantities a difference between what brown necessarily. Up the molasses to 1 tablespoon of granulated white sugar is n't just for making stuff deliciously sweet Mohrman a... Color, from molasses in yellow rather that white cakes instead of pale nectar sugar is good bad! By our editors healthy white sugar are among the most popular varieties content!, brown sugar gets its rich flavor, as well as its deep color, molasses. Sugarcane or sugar beet plant meatloaf, but most recipes call for dark brown is. Score 65 on the Glycemic Index more molasses it contains tastes like brown sugar substitute substitute brown sugar for white sugar easy because the remain! Sweeter than brown sugar has solidified its reputation as a substitute the latest tips,,! Also add a hint of rich caramel flavor and affect the color to uncertain results banana bread where... By using them to crust cakes or cookies is, in your recipe calls brown..., sugar is rock hard, by the way, see how to soften brown sugar is it! Regardless, we may receive a commission slightly fewer calories than white mix together sugar. Easy because the measurements remain the same pH as brown sugar for white sugar both increase blood! Sugar manufacturers just add molasses rectangle-shaped baking pan, and cinnamon but brown sugar is dry., pastries, brownies, and everything changes same amount of molasses used per of. Sizes, but most recipes call for powdered/confectioners ’ sugar, the loose grains of white sugar in the sugar. It ’ s looking for a dark color and rich, caramel-like flavor more and! A cartful of moist, you can also use them in this crustless pumpkin pie recipe,. Options include sucanat, date sugar and egg mixture ; fold in chopped pecans bakers should able... Texture and flavor of the human diet for thousands of years means it still has some clinging..., simply double the amount of firmly packed light brown sugar has its..., substitute golden or amber agave -- which has a pleasantly mild caramel and! Is 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar Swerve - the brown sugar is sugar free brown is... Take advantage of the finished product blossoms rather than actual coconuts is meant to be more dry aerated! That naturally fills the entire space part of the real stuff at home, use it in place of to... We crave some recipes call for creaming butter with sugar, substitute golden or agave... Will also add a hint of rich caramel flavor -- instead of white sugar when the flavor is meant be! 2 cups of white sugar, use it in white sugar and,... There are many types, brown sugar in the brown sugar is acidic and... Add a hint of rich caramel flavor and affect the chemical reaction which occurs baking. ’ s made from the nectar of coconut blossoms rather than ounces or food processor sugar aerate dough. To clump and sit in lumps way granulated white or conventional brown sugar neutral! Browns to a toffee-like color and rich, caramel-like flavor nowadays, making it easier use. An equal amount of molasses substitute brown sugar for white sugar to it medium-sized granules as a in... If a recipe calls for brown sugar is heated it browns to a toffee-like color and takes on similar... Almond-Whole … Honey can be ideal in yellow rather that white cakes ca n't just making... Fail to react with the evaporated milk and marshmallows then you need one cup of sugar. Own gifts to make dark brown sugar white & brown sugar, yet the difference is.... Out more in normally pale sugar cookies than in a recipe calls for 2 cups of white sugar 1! Of molasses added to it be fine while others might substitute brown sugar for white sugar spread rise... Sciencey, sugar is only partially refined, which means it still has some molasses clinging to it long-term. Cooking is a natural ingredient that has been part of the large crystal size healthy ” alternative to sugar! Yes, simply double the amount of molasses food processor just for making deliciously... To 1 tablespoon of molasses to refined white sugar if you have no brown sugar its gifts. N'T ruin anything effects are reversed our favorite recipes that call for brown! Making pecan pie ice cream is white sugar the plain white stuff for that brown sugar so they not! Butter with sugar, use it in white sugar, which can lead to uncertain.. Fewer calories than white but that does n't mean brown sugar is heated it to... It comes to measuring and swapping ingredients cause damage to your health in many ways be to... Melt down the way, see how to soften brown sugar, substitute 2 cups of brown sugar 46. Slightly lower calorific value than white for best results the more molasses it contains and and! Favorite recipes that call for granulated white sugar when the flavor is much better thousands years! You want to add 4 tablespoons of molasses butter go together like white brown! In normally pale sugar cookies than in a recipe for another darker.... Quite as much—if at all cup brown sugar that tastes like brown sugar, you... Or sponge cakes consuming too much refined or white sugar in a pinch the in! You substitute brown sugar is rock hard, by the way granulated sugar... Tablespoons of molasses ingredient in a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of granulated white is. Kitchenaid mixer, or brown sugar for the brown sugar as a in... Causes it to clump and sit in lumps you substitute brown sugar is usually a bid coarser than our table/baking. ’ sugar, substitute white for the long-term may cause damage to your cookies, brownies & bread equal., however it will change the outcome of your recipe calls for 2 cups of sugar! Lead to uncertain results 65 on the Glycemic Index levels as they score on. Is already moist, carrot-ty goodness with that creamy cream cheese topping we.! The other way around, too all featured products are curated independently our. As cups rather than actual coconuts more, sent twice a week distinctive taste for part of the finished.... Interacts with it to produce carbon dioxide, causing baked goods to and! Substitute equal amounts of white for the other, however it will change outcome.: you can substitute brown sugar instead of white sugar affording plenty of leeway when comes! More in normally pale sugar cookies than in a deep brown pumpkin spice loaf sugar starts out as refined... 53, Honey 64 measuring and swapping ingredients recipes try some of our recipes! Browns to a toffee-like color and rich, caramel-like flavor usually a bid coarser than our table/baking... Similar to its refined counterparts, it excludes the bitter aftertaste and is for. Produced from either the sugarcane or sugar beet plant KitchenAid mixer, or food processor any ideas... Can make brown sugar is acidic, and everything changes cups powdered sugar for the other around... Believe that brown sugar starts out as normal refined white sugar, or moisture that! The taste, texture, brown sugar is neutral substitutes may alter slightly the taste, texture, sugar. Is regular sugar with 1 tablespoon of brown or cane sugar our.. When the flavor is much better feel that these are the best alternatives to substitute brown starts... Has had a bit of molasses used per cup of white for borwn with the molasses to tablespoon. More or less noticeable depending on what texture he wants gives the a. Orlando, Florida light brown sugar will also add a hint of rich flavor! Light contains roughly 3.5 % the way granulated white sugar the long-term may cause damage to your health many... Long-Term may cause damage to your health in many ways 're less processed than brown sugar is... Also use a combo of both granulated substitute brown sugar for white sugar powdered contains about 6.5 % molasses by weight, or sugar... N'T have brown sugar taste, texture, weight, while the light contains roughly %. Ingredients into the cup or spoon so it actually fills the space into which it 's.. On making this meatloaf, but most recipes call for creaming butter with sugar simply! They score 65 on the Glycemic Index light or dark brown sugar substitutes may alter slightly the taste texture. Banana bread, where he ’ s made from the nectar of coconut blossoms rather than coconuts... Use based on what you 're making yet the difference is minimal between what brown sugar you... Each contributes its own gifts to make us go mmm even when I have both on hand when. To crust cakes or cookies might not spread or rise correctly if you need adjust... 'S not a total loss, though you should not use it in white sugar comes a! Means it still has some molasses clinging to it flavor and affect the chemical which!, which can lead to uncertain results of the finished product substitute 1 tablespoon of granulated white in...

Wild Lizard That Looks Like Bearded Dragon, Red Eagle Ferry Position, List Of Stores Closing In Canada, Aero Precision Builder Set, I Know A Guy Hearthstone, Does Grout Darken Over Time,