Demerara sugar is mostly used for the decoration of sweets like muffins, cakes, and cookies but it can also be added to everything that needs sweetening. So, here is the question, is Demerara sugar easily replaceable, and if yes what are the best substitutes for demerara sugar in baking?
The 9 Substitutes for Demerara sugar list are
- White Sugar (aka regular sugar)
- Light Brown Sugar
- Turbinado Sugar
- Muscovado Sugar
- Black Sugar
- Sand Sugar
- Dark Brown Sugar
- Maple Sugar
- Coconut Sugar
All these types of sugar have different textures and add a different type of sweetness to your food so make sure to keep on reading this article to find out more about them.
What Is Demerara Sugar?
Demerara sugar is a type of large grain sugar made from sugarcane and will give your baked goods a nice, crunchy texture. This type of sugar originates from South America, Guyana but in today’s age, it’s mostly produced in Mauritius, Africa.
This sweetener belongs to the brown sugars group even though its brown color is a little bit lighter than the usual brown sugar.
Demerara Sugar Substitutes
White Sugar(Regular Sugar)
I mean, do I really need to explain what white granulated sugar is and its purposes? White sugar or all-purpose sugar is a popular ingredient that is mostly in everything you see on the market. From chips, breakfast cereal, and chocolate to cocktails and drinks.
It is hands down, the cheapest and most popular type of sugar in the world with a long shelf life. So, when you’re put in a tough spot and don’t know what to substitute Demerara sugar with, this is the easiest and, let’s face it, the most logical option.
The difference in taste isn’t that drastic. Demerara sugar tastes very similar to regular but with a milder taste. The only thing about white granulated sugar is that it’s not that healthy for consumption in high doses since it’s been put through a lot of industrial processing.
Light Brown Sugar
Light brown cane sugar is made by mixing together refined white sugar with a low dose of molasses just to get that brownish but paler color.
The brown color and the caramel-y flavor are all a result of the presence of molasses. The light brown sugar doesn’t contain much molasses in it, at most is only 3 or 4 percent molasses.
Light brown sugar is a healthier alternative to white, granulated sugar so If you have a problem with your blood sugar levels, you might want to switch your regular white sugar with this one.
If it happens that you don’t own light brown sugar in your home there is an easy way to make it by yourself. All you’re gonna need is one tablespoon of molasses and one cup of granulated sugar.
Add the molasses content to your cup of sugar and using an electric mixer, incorporate the ingredients together. Make sure everything is well mixed up and store it in an airtight container.
Turbinado Sugar
Turbinado sugar has a golden-brown caramel color, similar to regular brown sugar but the texture totally isn’t the same. This sugar looks like large crystals. Turbinado sugar is half refined cane sugar with a subtle, yet rich caramel flavor.
Another name for this sugar is ”raw sugar” since it’s put through minimal processing. It is made from sugarcane, just like most types of sugar. Please note that even though some may call it raw sugar, it doesn’t really mean that it’s actually raw.
That is just a way of saying that the product is very minimally processed, unlike the white granulated sugar. This raw cane sugar does come with a heftier price tag so it is definitely not very reachable to many people. The price is usually three or four times higher than regular white sugar.
Muscovado Sugar
Muscovado sugar is probably one of the closes alternatives to Demerara sugar. This is one of my favorite types of sugar on the market. I can honestly eat it all by itself.
Muscovado sugar has a toffee flavor that is a great fit for every occasion, you can put it on top of ice cream, mix it with plain Greek yogurt (seriously, you have no idea how good it is), mix it in any cake recipe or use it as a cake topping(it gives such a nice texture in baking), plus it has actual health benefits, unlike other types of sugar.
Muscovado sugar is maybe the least refined sugar on the market and it’s much healthier than regular granulated sugar, it contains antioxidants which are good for people with heart diseases.
Muscovado definitely has a much higher price than another type of cane sugar on the market but hey, this is a specialty sugar that shouldn’t be used in coffee or tea, it would be such a shame.
So if you think about what kind of a delicacy to treat yourself with, I strongly recommend this sugar. Just be careful of your sugar intake, you never want to have too much sugar.
Black Sugar
Yep, black sugar exists. It is an unrefined sugar, just like the raw sugars like Turbinado and Muscovado. The process of making this darker sugar is by the pressing of sugar cane until all the juices are out and then they are boiled to make a paste-like substance. This Asian sugar is has a delicate texture and a milder flavor and melts in your mouth right away.
Sand Sugar
Sand sugar or some may call it ”sanding sugar” and it’s a type of decorating sugar that comes in many colors and glitters. The form is the one that really sticks out the most. Its shape is like large white sugar crystals and the best thing is that it won’t dissolve with heat.
The large size of the crystals of sand sugar creates a light reflection and a sparkly effect. Sanding sugar is great for decorating cakes, muffins, cookies, candies, and other types of sweets.
Dark Brown Sugar
Dark brown sugar is a very popular sugar with a subtle molasses flavor in the culinary and dietary world. You can use it as an alternative to table sugar for coffee, tea, cakes, banana bread, surprisingly lots of savory dishes, and of course, who doesn’t love a tasty Mojito that just doesn’t taste the same without brown sugar.
You can also use it as a crunchy topping for cakes and of course, Creme Brulee. Brown sugar gives an amazing caramel flavor to every dish or recipe.
Maple Sugar
Maple sugar is a natural sweetener made from Canadian maple trees. This is an excellent substitute for Demerara sugar because it has that sweet, nutty, caramel taste.
Maple sugar is also a natural type of sugar and is minimally processed and much healthier than all-purpose sugar. It also contains high amounts of antioxidants and minerals which is always a big plus.
Coconut Sugar
Fun fact: Coconut sugar or coconut palm sugar as some may call it comes from the sap of the palm tree, not the actual fruit. Coconut sugar is used as a sweetener in vegan diets because minimally processed and of course, plant-based.
Coconut sugar is all-natural and is a great way to substitute your table sugar or your Demerara sugar with it. You might sense a tiny bit of a coconut flavor so if you’re not a coconut fan, this might not be the sugar for you.