15 Substitutes for Brown Sugar & 4 Tips

Diana Barkley (Senior Editor)

Imagine that you started baking your favorite cookies, only to find out that you’ve run out of brown sugar. Don’t panic because today, we’ll share the best brown sugar substitutes that you can use in multiple recipes. These alternatives will satisfy your sweet tooth and save the day, so let’s dive in.

Brown sugar adds a distinct flavor to cookies, baked recipes, and even savory dishes. But what if you can’t find any in your pantry?

Luckily, many ingredients can fill in and won’t mess up the taste or texture, although you might have to adjust the other ingredients used.

Facts about Brown Sugar

Facts about Brown Sugar

So what is brown sugar? Brown sugar is made of sucrose, just like white sugar. This also means that they contain the same number of calories.

The only difference is that it contains molasses, which gives it its distinct color and flavor. After refining sugar, a small amount of molasses is added to turn it into brown sugar.

Brown sugar has a higher moisture content than white granulated sugar and is extracted from sugar cane. It can be soft or coarse, depending on the moisture added.

When a little molasses is added you get light brown sugar. More molasses results in dark brown sugar.
Brown sugar is a source of carbohydrates that your body can use for energy. It’s different from raw sugar because it’s processed.

Due to the added molasses, it contains small amounts of potassium, sodium, and calcium. But it’s still added sugar and will increase your blood sugar levels.

What Brown Sugar Is Good For

What Brown Sugar Is Good For

Brown sugar contains slightly more minerals than white sugar but it’s not significantly healthier.

So, consuming large amounts of brown sugar can still lead to obesity and other health risk factors associated with consuming white sugar excessively.

So, you still want to be careful with your sugar intake. Yet, it’s the main ingredient in several recipes because of its distinct color, flavor, and texture. Here’s what it can be used for in the kitchen.

• Brown sugar is used in baking recipes where you want to add some moisture.
• It’s the main ingredient in several Asian dishes for its smoky and sweet flavor.
• Many people use brown sugar in meat marinades to infuse it with sweetness.
• It can be used in glazes and gravies because it caramelizes faster.
• You can use brown sugar as a topping on oatmeal.
• Some people use brown sugar as a sweetener, just like white sugar, adding it to their tea and coffee.

Reasons for Substituting Brown Sugar

Reasons for Substituting Brown Sugar

So, if it’s that tasty, why do you want to use brown sugar replacements? This can happen for many reasons.

You simply ran out of brown sugar. Either you don’t have enough or any at all to use in your recipe.
You don’t like how brown sugar makes your recipes taste or feel.

• It makes your dishes look too dark.
• Brown sugar’s smoky caramel-like flavor isn’t your favorite.
• Regardless of the reason, there are luckily many substitutes you can use instead of brown sugar and they will turn out fine.

Can You Substitute Brown Sugar for White Sugar?

Can You Substitute Brown Sugar for White Sugar?

What if it’s the other way around? Can you use brown sugar instead of granulated white sugar? Yes. You can substitute it for a 1:1 ratio, and your recipe will turn out amazing.

But your recipe will turn out to be a little darker. If you’re baking goods, they might be a little chewier or more moist.

Moreover, you’ll notice the caramel or molasses flavor which will make your recipe taste different.

Best Substitutes for Brown Sugar

Best Substitutes for Brown Sugar

Now, it’s time to ask the big question. What are the best substitutes for brown sugar? The following alternatives provide the same sweetness level with the least change in flavor.

White Sugar – Your Go-To Substitute

White Sugar – Your Go-To Substitute

You’ve probably guessed this one. It’s pretty common to use white regular sugar instead of brown sugar and vice versa.

So, if you run out of brown sugar, you can use granulated white sugar instead, and you won’t notice a significant difference.

If you’re baking cookies, they might not be as chewy. Yet, this isn’t a deal breaker.

Many people also like to mix dark brown sugar with white sugar if the recipe calls for light brown sugar. This mixture provides the same sweetness and the color won’t be that dark.

White Sugar and Molasses – Your Homemade Brown Sugar Mixture

White Sugar and Molasses – Your Homemade Brown Sugar Mixture

If you want the same color, texture, and flavor of brown sugar, just mix some white sugar with molasses and you’ll be good to go.

This combo provides the natural sweetness of sugar with the caramelized and smoky flavor of molasses. It’s an excellent choice for Asian sauces and desserts where brown sugar is the main ingredient.

But you’ll have to be careful with your ratio, especially if you’re baking cookies. Too much molasses can make your cookie dough too moist.

Mix one cup of granulated white sugar with one teaspoon of molasses or two if you want dark brown sugar. This will give you the best results without having to adjust any of the other ingredients in your recipe.

Once you’ve made this mixture, you can use it as a 1:1 brown sugar substitute.

White Sugar and Maple Syrup – Try a New Flavor

White Sugar and Maple Syrup – Try a New Flavor

This mix of white sugar and maple syrup is another way to enjoy the sweetness or smokiness of brown sugar. Yet, the maple syrup adds a disincentive different flavor with hints of toffee and caramel.

This can be a great addition to your recipe if you want a more intense flavor. Yet, you should always use a lighthand when mixing these two ingredients as you don’t want to mess up your recipe’s texture.

Ideally, you should mix one cup of white granulated sugar with one teaspoon of maple syrup and see how it goes.

Adding more maple syrup to your cakes might require adjusting the amount of other dry ingredients.

Maple Sugar – Canada’s Traditional Sweetener

Maple Sugar – Canada’s Traditional Sweetener

Think of the consistency of brown sugar and the smokiness, caramel-like, and toffee-like taste of maple syrup, then double it by two. This is maple sugar.

Maple sugar is made of maple syrup and changes the taste of your cookies, cakes, and sauces when used instead of brown sugar.

Although the looks aren’t that different, brown sugar lacks the noticeable maple notes you can notice with the slightest addition of this sugar substitute.

It’s often used to top porridges and oatmeal or as a sprinkle on savory dishes to add a new taste. But you can incorporate it into your cookies and cake dough to change the flavor profile.

Muscovado – An Artisanal Option

Muscovado – An Artisanal Option

Muscovado is unrefined sugar made from sugar cane. It tastes like toffee and is rich in molasses. It’s also dark like brown sugar.

This sugar is the least refined form of brown sugar, so it works as an excellent substitute.

Due to the higher molasses content, it has a stronger flavor and tends to be stickier. So, you might need to adjust your cookie or cake recipe if you’re using it as a brown sugar substitute.

Many people consider it an artisanal sugar, as it’s produced using labor-intensive methods, unlike regular white and brown sugars. It’s often sprinkled on top of dishes for an extra touch.

Applesauce – Enhance Your Recipe With Some Freshness

Applesauce – Enhance Your Recipe With Some Freshness

You might not have expected to find this alternative on the list, but applesauce makes a good brown sugar substitute. You can even use it to substitute for oil in some recipes.

Applesauce is made by cooking fresh apples in water and apple sauce. So, as you might have expected, this will totally change the flavor profile of your recipe.

It tastes sweet and tart at the same time. If you’re using it in a recipe as a brown sugar substitute, you can follow a 1:1 ratio but slightly decrease the amount of other liquids.

Some people mix some white sugar with applesauce. This will be a good move if you find it too tart.
It might not be the best alternative for cakes and cookies, but it will work for glazes, marinades, and sauces.

Healthy Brown Sugar Substitutes

Healthy Brown Sugar Substitutes

What if you want to limit your refined sugar intake? Some brown sugar substitutes are healthier because they’re minimally processed and can be incorporated into any sweet or savory recipe without issues. Here are some of them.

Coconut Sugar – A Healthy Caramel-Like Taste

Coconut Sugar – A Healthy Caramel-Like Taste

Coconut sugar is healthier than brown sugar and can be an excellent substitute. This sugar is made from the sap of the coconut tree and it’s commonly used in Asian countries.

So, you can use it in Asian recipes instead of brown sugar if you want an authentic taste.

Coconut sugar has a strong caramel-like taste. So, you want to keep that in mind when using it in your recipes if that’s not your thing.

Moreover, although it’s a bit healthier than brown sugar, it’s still not that healthy. So, you need to use it sparingly, especially if you’re trying to lose weight or watch your sugar intake.

Date Sugar – Enjoy Your Recipes With a Butterscotch Taste

Date Sugar – Enjoy Your Recipes With a Butterscotch Taste

Date sugar is made of ground dehydrated pitted dates and contains more fibers than brown sugar.

However, these fibers won’t dissolve in your drinks, so it won’t be a good alternative if you’re looking for a brown sugar substitute for your tea or coffee.

Yet, if you want to sprinkle some sugar on top of your cakes, cookies, or any other dessert, date sugar will be a good choice.

Date sugar looks a lot like light brown sugar. Some people can’t even tell them apart. But it’s more coarse and has a noticeable butterscotch-like taste.

Date Molasses – An Ancient Alternative

Date Molasses – An Ancient Alternative

Date molasses adds honey-like sweetness to any recipe and it’s one of the oldest sweeteners ever known to man.

This liquid sweetener is made of reduced dates and it’s high in antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. So, it’s a healthier option to use in desserts you bake for your families.

But the sweetness you get from date molasses is more like honey and less like sugar. It’s more intense, so it’s used in marinades, glazes, and sauces. You can also drizzle it as a dressing on top of salads.

It adds the distinct brown color of brown sugar to your recipes, but it’s darker. You can mix it with honey to achieve some balance.

Date molasses is also known as date honey and debes. It’s different from date syrup, which is made by cooking dates in water, reducing the mixture, and then blending it. It tastes caramel-like with a fruity flavor.

Raw Sugar – Enjoy the Sweetness with Minimal Processing

Raw Sugar – Enjoy the Sweetness with Minimal Processing

Raw sugars go through minimal refinement, unlike brown sugar. But their darker color, coarse texture, and toffee-like taste make them great substitutes.

Many types of raw sugars exist like turbinado and demerara. They’re drier as they lack the molasses factor that makes brown sugar cookies so chewy.

As a result, if you use raw sugar to make cookies, they might end up crispier and crunchier.

Monk Fruit Sugar – A Healthier Option

Monk Fruit Sugar – A Healthier Option

Monk fruit sugar is extracted from the monk fruit, and it’s beige in color. It has a more coarse consistency than brown sugar but it’s an excellent substitute.

This natural sweetener is usually sold as a white sugar substitute, but its natural beige color makes it a good brown sugar alternative.

Yet, some people find that it has an unpleasant aftertaste, so you might need to try it first before adding it to any recipe.

Nevertheless, many people opt for this substitute because it’s a healthier option. It’s metabolized differently in the body, so it doesn’t affect blood sugar levels. Moreover, some studies prove that monk fruit extract has some anti-cancer properties.

Vegan Brown Sugar Substitutes

Vegan Brown Sugar Substitutes

If you’re vegan or looking for minimally processed brown sugar substitutes, these alternatives will work for you. Some of them might have a different taste or consistency, so you might need to adjust your ingredients to achieve the desired results.

Agave Nectar – A Sweeter Alternative

Agave Nectar – A Sweeter Alternative

Agave nectar is plant-based and can be an excellent vegan option if you want to use a brown sugar alternative.

It has a thinner consistency than honey, so you’ll need to make some tweaks to your recipe if you’re using it to make cookies or cake.

Ideally, you should use ⅔ cup of agave nectar for every cup of brown sugar because it’s sweeter. Since brown sugar is already moist, this nectar won’t mess up your recipe.

You might also need to adjust the other liquids like milk and reduce them a little. You can also try increasing the dry ingredients like flour.

Agave nectar is different from agave syrup, which is processed. The taste won’t be that different, but if you want a vegan option, stick to the nectar.

Jaggery – An Authentic Substitute

Jaggery – An Authentic Substitute

This unrefined sugar is widely produced in several Caribbean, African, and Asian countries under different names. It’s extracted from sugar cane or palm, depending on the region.

In some cases, you might find it under the name of non-centrifugal sugar. This is because it’s not spun to remove the molasses.

You can find jaggery in specialty stores that sell Indian ingredients as India produces almost 70% of the world’s jaggery.

Jaggery has a dough-like consistency and its color ranges from golden to dark brown. The natural sweetness of jaggery depends on the source, so it might be less sweet than brown sugar.

However, it’s a healthier option and works if you’re following a vegan diet because it’s not processed.
Remember that it’s still sugar and contains the same calories, but it has some iron, potassium, magnesium, and manganese.

If you’re using it as a substitute, you can add the same amount of jaggery to your recipe. It’s a good alternative for cookies and cakes, especially if you don’t like your desserts to be overly sweet.

Barley Malt Syrup – A Malty Alternative

Barley Malt Syrup – A Malty Alternative

Are you a fan of the malty flavor? Barley malt syrup isn’t a common brown sugar substitute, but it can be used as an alternative in several recipes.

It’s a natural vegan sweetener extracted from sprouted malted barley. However, it’s almost half as sweet as sugar. So, if you want to use it in a dessert, you might need to use an additional sugar substitute.

Many people consider using barley malt syrup for its health benefits. Unlike sugar which contains empty calories, barley malt syrup is very good for the intestines and can help with digestion.

It’s also good for the liver and has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-microbial benefits.

It’s a great addition to cakes, oatmeal, pancakes, and other baked goodies. It significantly enhances the flavor profile of cookies, muffins, and spicy cakes.

You can also use it in savory dishes, especially when mixed with winter veggies or roasts to make glazes or marinades.

Amazake – A Japanese Natural Sweetener

Amazake – A Japanese Natural Sweetener

Amazake is a Japanese ingredient that can be used in multiple ways. It’s made of fermented rice and it’s sweet, so you can definitely use it to substitute for brown sugar.

But it lacks the brown color, so it will slightly change the look of your recipe.

People also use Amazake as a substitute for milk and eggs in vegan recipes. It has a delicious sweet flavor and aroma and a porridge-like consistency.

So, if you’re using it in cake or cookies, you’ll have to adjust the amount of your dry ingredients.

Amazake is available in non-alcoholic and alcoholic versions, so you should be careful while picking it up at the store. The alcoholic one tastes like sake.

Tips for Substituting Brown Sugar

Tips for Substituting Brown Sugar

Got your recipe ready but one ingredient is missing? No problem. Cooking is about experimenting and trying new ingredients. So, you can use substitutes and your recipes will still turn out amazing.

However, there are some steps you need to follow to make sure that you won’t mess things up.

Here are the best tips for substituting brown sugar.

Compare the Nutritional Profiles of Brown Sugar Substitutes

Compare the Nutritional Profiles of Brown Sugar Substitutes

If you’re going to choose a substitute, why not pick a healthier one? Some brown sugar alternatives have empty calories and add no nutritional value.

Others contain minerals and vitamins without affecting the taste.

These substitutes make your recipe healthier, despite changing the taste a little bit, while others will be hardly noticeable. For example, you can use date molasses for the flavor while making your recipes healthier.

Think About the Taste

Think About the Taste

Do you want something that tastes just like brown sugar or adds more caramel-like flavor? Mixing white sugar and molasses is probably the closest thing you can get to brown sugar.

It provides the same sweetness level and the molasses adds the needed moisture and brown color.

Muscovado, raw sugar, and jaggery can also provide a similar taste. They’re also good alternatives because they won’t change the color of your recipe.

Carefully Assess the Amounts

Carefully Assess the Amounts

Not all sugar alternatives can be substituted for a 1:1 ratio. In most cases, you’ll have to use a different amount to have the right recipe consistency.

If you’re using white sugar with molasses, you’ll need to add a small amount of molasses to avoid having moist sugar that messes up your recipe.

You can use the same amount of coconut sugar, date sugar, monk fruit sugar, and maple sugar. They might change the recipe’s flavor and color but won’t affect the consistency.

Think About the Other Ingredients

Think About the Other Ingredients

Before you use any brown sugar substitute, you want to ensure the rest of the ingredients have been adjusted.

Some brown sugar alternatives have a different consistency so they might be more coarse or liquid-like.

For example, if you’re using applesauce, agave nectar, Amazake, or barley malt syrup, you’ll be adding more liquid to the recipe.

If you’re using brown sugar in a marinade or glaze, there won’t be much difference. However, if you’re making cookies or cake, you’ll have to adjust the amount of the dry ingredients.

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