Brown sugar is one of the most important things to have in the kitchen, as it is important for both flavour and colour in many recipes.
If you are a fan of it, you should certainly do your best to keep some in the pantry at all times. If you run out, there are a few alternatives that will be just as effective.
According to Healthline, here are a few things you can use in its place.
Coconut sugar. Picture: Healthline
White sugar plus molasses
A combination of white sugar and molasses is your best bet for a brown sugar substitute, as that’s exactly what brown sugar is made of. To make your own light brown sugar, mix one cup of granulated white sugar with one tablespoon of molasses. If you need dark brown sugar, increase the molasses to two tablespoons.
White sugar plus maple syrup
Traditionally, brown sugar is made using a mix of granulated white sugar and molasses.
If you don’t have molasses on hand, you can easily swap it out for maple syrup with almost no change to your recipe’s final product.
Combine one cup of granulated white sugar with one tablespoon of pure maple syrup to make a brown sugar substitute that can fool even the most sophisticated palette.
Coconut sugar
Coconut sugar is made from the sap of coconut trees.
It’s often marketed as a healthier sugar alternative, as it contains vitamins, minerals, and fiber that aren’t found in more refined sugar sources
Raw sugars
Raw sugars like turbinado or demerara make great brown sugar substitutes, as their naturally light amber colors and mild caramel flavors are similar to the real thing.
In most recipes, you can trade raw sugars for brown sugar in an even proportion without noticing much difference.