Out of Brown sugar, one case

Can you substitute coconut sugar for brown sugar?

4 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 4 options

Use Coconut sugar

1 cup for every cup of brown sugar

Yes: use 1 cup of coconut sugar for each cup of packed brown sugar, and add 1 tablespoon of water or milk per cup, because coconut sugar is dry where brown sugar is damp. The flavor is close, a slightly smoky caramel, but cookies come out darker, drier and less chewy. Coconut sugar is also lighter per cup, about 160 g against 200 g, so weigh out 200 g if you want the full sweetness.

Verdict —: You'll taste it
The tweak —: Add 1 tbsp of water or milk per cup. For a dough that creams butter and sugar, grind the coconut sugar in a food processor for 15 seconds first so the coarse crystals dissolve.
Best for —: muffins, quick breads and banana bread

One casethe full brown sugar card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Brown sugar substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of 1 cup brown sugar	Verdict
1	Coconut sugarmuffins, quick breads and banana bread	1 cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
2	Granulated sugar + molasseschewy chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies	1 cup + 1 tbspWorks	Works
3	Turbinado or demerara sugarstreusel and crumble toppings	1 cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
4	Granulated sugarwhen there is no coconut sugar or molasses in the house	1 cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it

What changesWhat changes, option by option4 options

Coconut sugar

caramel with a faintly smoky edge, slightly less sweet

Coconut palm sap boiled down and dried to coarse brown crystals. It tastes of caramel, as brown sugar does, but it is dry and free-flowing, closer to granulated sugar than to brown sugar in the bowl.

Best for: muffins, quick breads and banana bread, oatmeal, crumbles and streusel, marinades, rubs and sauces, cookies where a drier, crisper result is fine
Taste: caramel with a faintly smoky edge, slightly less sweet; it does not taste of coconut
Prep: Add 1 tbsp of water or milk per cup. For a dough that creams butter and sugar, grind the coconut sugar in a food processor for 15 seconds first so the coarse crystals dissolve.
Suits: vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free
Where it fails: Chewy cookies bake drier and sandier. Pale bakes such as blondies and light frostings turn beige to brown. Do not use it in caramel, toffee or other candy cooked to a temperature; it scorches early.

A cup of coconut sugar weighs about 160 g against 200 g for packed brown sugar. By weight, use 200 g, which is about 1 ¼ cups.

Granulated sugar + molasses

the same as brown sugar

This is how brown sugar is made, so it behaves the same in the bowl and the oven. Reach for it when the recipe depends on chew.

Best for: chewy chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies, gingerbread and spice cakes, any recipe written for brown sugar
Prep: Rub 1 tbsp molasses into 1 cup granulated sugar for light brown, or 2 tbsp for dark brown, until no dark streaks remain.
Suits: vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free
Where it fails: Poured in without mixing, the molasses leaves dark streaks in the crumb.

Turbinado or demerara sugar

mild caramel, closer to white sugar

Raw cane sugar with a thin film of molasses on large, dry crystals. Like coconut sugar it is dry, with a milder caramel flavor.

Best for: streusel and crumble toppings, sprinkling on muffins and oatmeal, rubs
Prep: Grind it for 15 seconds before using it in a creamed dough, and add 1 tbsp of liquid per cup in cakes and cookies.
Suits: vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free
Where it fails: Unground, the crystals stay gritty in cakes and cookies.

Granulated sugar

cleanly sweet, with no caramel

Plain white sugar sweetens and creams correctly. It has no molasses, so the caramel flavor, the color and the chew all drop out.

Best for: when there is no coconut sugar or molasses in the house, recipes where brown sugar is a small part of the sugar
Prep: Measure it level, not packed. Add 1 tbsp of water or milk per cup if the dough looks dry.
Suits: vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free
Where it fails: Cookies spread wider, bake paler and crisper, and go hard by the second day.

Tips for substituting brown sugar

5 tips

Measure coconut sugar by weight if you can: 200 g replaces 1 cup of packed brown sugar. A level cup is only about 160 g, which takes out about a fifth of the sugar.
Add 1 tbsp of water or milk per cup of coconut sugar to cookie doughs and cake batters. Brown sugar carried that moisture and coconut sugar does not.
For cookies, grind the coconut sugar for 15 seconds in a food processor or blender before creaming it with the butter. Coarse crystals leave dark specks and a gritty bite.
Coconut sugar browns sooner than brown sugar. Check baked goods 3 to 5 minutes early and go by doneness, since the dark color makes them look done before they are.
In sauces, marinades and oatmeal, swap cup for cup with no other change and stir until the crystals dissolve.

Questions

5 questions

Is coconut sugar a 1:1 substitute for brown sugar?

By the cup, yes: 1 cup of coconut sugar for 1 cup of packed brown sugar, plus 1 tablespoon of water or milk. By weight the cups are not equal. Coconut sugar is about 160 g per cup and packed brown sugar is 200 g, so a cup-for-cup swap is slightly less sweet. Use 200 g, about 1 ¼ cups, to match it.

Can I use coconut sugar in chocolate chip cookies?

Yes. Use the same volume, add 1 tablespoon of milk per cup, and grind the sugar briefly if it is coarse. The cookies will be darker, a little drier and less chewy, with a deeper caramel flavor. For the chewy texture brown sugar gives, granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon of molasses per cup is the closer swap.

Does coconut sugar taste like coconut?

No. It is made from the sap of the coconut palm flower, not from the coconut itself, and it tastes of caramel with a slightly smoky note. Most people cannot tell it from brown sugar in a spiced or chocolate bake.

Can coconut sugar replace dark brown sugar?

Yes, the same way: 1 cup per cup with 1 tablespoon of liquid. Coconut sugar is dark in color but has less of the strong molasses taste. If that flavor matters, as in gingerbread or baked beans, add 1 tablespoon of molasses per cup of coconut sugar in place of the water.

Is coconut sugar lower in sugar than brown sugar?

No. Coconut sugar is sugar, mostly sucrose, with about 4 g of sugar per teaspoon, the same as brown sugar. Use it for its flavor and color, not as a way to cut sugar.