Out of White sugar, one case
Can you substitute coconut sugar for white sugar?
3 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Coconut sugar
1 cup for every cup of white sugar
Yes: use 1 cup coconut sugar for each cup of white sugar. It is a dry, granulated sugar, so nothing else in the recipe has to change, but the bake comes out darker, a little drier and tastes of caramel. The crystals are coarse and slow to dissolve, so grind it in a blender for 30 seconds before using it in a cake, a custard or anything creamed with butter.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Grind it in a blender or food processor for about 30 seconds when the recipe creams butter and sugar or needs the sugar to dissolve.
- Best for —
- cookies, muffins, banana bread and brownies
One casethe full white sugar card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 cup white sugar | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coconut sugarcookies, muffins, banana bread and brownies | 1 cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Light brown sugarchewy cookies and bars | 1 cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Turbinado or raw sugarcoffee, tea and syrups | 1 cupTweak it | Tweak it |
Coconut sugar
caramel and light molasses, slightly less sweet
Dried sap of the coconut palm, sold as coconut sugar or coconut palm sugar. It measures like white sugar, tastes like a mild brown sugar and does not taste of coconut.
- Best for
- cookies, muffins, banana bread and brownies, oatmeal, coffee and tea, spice cakes and crumble toppings, rubs and sauces
- Prep
- Grind it in a blender or food processor for about 30 seconds when the recipe creams butter and sugar or needs the sugar to dissolve.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Meringue, angel food cake and white cakes or icings, where it turns everything tan and will not whip up as light. Candy and caramel cooked to a temperature, because it scorches sooner than white sugar and is already brown, so you cannot judge the color. Tested canning and jam recipes, which should keep the sugar they name.
It has about the same calories and sugars as white sugar, spoon for spoon.
Light brown sugar
caramel and molasses; moister and chewier than white sugar
White sugar with molasses added. It gives the same caramel flavor as coconut sugar with a finer crystal that creams and dissolves easily, and it holds more moisture.
- Best for
- chewy cookies and bars, quick breads and muffins, when the coconut sugar is too coarse for the recipe
- Prep
- Pack it firmly into the cup when you measure.
- Where it fails
- Meringue, angel food cake and anything meant to stay white or bake up crisp.
Turbinado or raw sugar
close to white sugar with a faint caramel note
Pale golden cane sugar with large crystals and only a trace of molasses. It is the closest in taste to white sugar of the three.
- Best for
- coffee, tea and syrups, crunchy toppings on muffins and pies, batters with plenty of liquid
- Prep
- Grind it for 30 seconds for cakes and cookies; the large crystals do not cream into butter.
- Where it fails
- Stiff, low-moisture doughs such as shortbread, where the crystals stay whole and gritty.
Tips for substituting white sugar
4 tips- Cookies: 1 cup coconut sugar per cup of white sugar. Expect a darker, slightly drier cookie that spreads a little less. If the dough looks crumbly, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of milk or water.
- Cakes and anything creamed: grind the coconut sugar for 30 seconds first. Coarse crystals leave brown specks and a denser crumb because they do not cut air into the butter as well.
- The batter is already brown, so you cannot judge doneness by color. Use a toothpick or the time in the recipe, and start checking 5 minutes early.
- Drinks and sauces: stir longer than you would for white sugar, or dissolve it in a splash of hot liquid first.
Questions
5 questionsIs coconut sugar a 1:1 substitute for white sugar?
Yes by volume: 1 cup for 1 cup, 1 tablespoon for 1 tablespoon. It is slightly less sweet, which most people do not notice in a cookie or a muffin. No liquid, leavening or oven change is needed.
Can I substitute coconut sugar for white sugar in canning?
Not in a tested recipe. Do not change the type or amount of sugar in a tested jam, jelly or preserve recipe: the sugar is part of how it sets and keeps. Use the sugar the recipe names, or look for a tested recipe written for a different sweetener.
Does coconut sugar taste like coconut?
No. It comes from the sap of the palm flower, not from the coconut itself, and it tastes like a mild brown sugar with a caramel note.
Can I use coconut sugar in meringue or whipped egg whites?
It is a poor fit. The coarse crystals dissolve slowly, the foam does not whip as high or as stable, and the meringue comes out tan. Use white or superfine sugar there.
Is coconut palm sugar the same as coconut sugar?
Yes, the two names are used for the same product. Plain palm sugar, sold in blocks or paste for Southeast Asian cooking, can come from other palms and is softer and moister, so it does not measure the same way.