12 Best Cane Sugar Substitutes

Cane sugar resembles granulated sugar in appearance but is manufactured entirely of sugarcane rather than sugar beets; it also undergoes less processing.

Cane sugar crystals are somewhat bigger in size than granulated sugar and have a light golden tint. However, since both plants generate similar molecules of sucrose, there isn’t much of a difference between the two sugars. Granulated sugar is therefore the finest and closest equivalent for cane sugar.

If you want to exclude cane sugar from a dish owing to health concerns, there are several natural and healthy cane sugar replacements you can use instead, such as honey, applesauce, maple syrup, coconut palm sugar, fruits, molasses, and so on.

If you just cannot get cane sugar, you can use other tasty sugars such as muscovado sugar, rock sugar, or simple sugar syrup.

This article outlines many cane sugar substitutes that you can use to sweeten your cuisine.

Best Cane Sugar Substitute

1. Honey

Honey not only has a lot of sweetness, but it also has a lot of health advantages! Before using honey as a cane sugar alternative, you may need to do some testing to discover the best honey-to-sugar ratio for your palate.

If you want your meal to be exceptionally sweet, use one cup of honey for every cup of sugar, or use half a cup of honey instead to keep the sweetness in control.

When adding honey, you’ll need to alter the quantity of liquid in your recipe. Some of the benefits of using honey instead of cane sugar are faster browning and greater moisture; honey also has less calories, fructose, and glucose than ordinary sugar.

This, however, does not make them acceptable for daily intake by those with diabetes; honey, like cane sugar, should be ingested in limited quantities.

2. Maple Syrup

Maple syrup is also a healthier option to cane sugar since it contains less sugar but must be used in moderation.

Using maple syrup instead of cane sugar reduces your sugar intake by around 33%, and it also contains minerals such as antioxidants, calcium, iron, and potassium.

Maple syrup has a glycemic index of 54, compared to 65 for table sugar, making it kinder to your blood sugar.

Even if you’re wary of the flavor, you may sweeten your food with a modest drop of maple syrup!

3. Applesauce

You may use applesauce as a replacement for cane sugar to lower the amount of calories and boost the fiber content of the final meal.

It is advisable to choose unsweetened products or create your own homemade applesauce for the greatest taste, and it may also be used as an egg alternative.

4. Fruits

If you’re on a low-sugar diet, use fruits like bananas, figs, and dates to sweeten meals. Fruits not only sweeten meals but also provide several nutritional advantages.

Bananas are high in fiber and potassium, while figs and dates are high in minerals like calcium and iron; raisins are another suitable cane sugar substitute.

Simply freeze bananas and combine with other ingredients to make a natural sweetener for smoothies.

5. Molasses

Molasses is produced when sugar is processed. Molasses contains iron, calcium, and vitamins and is somewhat less sweet than sugar.

When added in baked items, its particular taste may improve them.

6. Coconut Palm Sugar

Coconut palm sugar is made from the sap of coconut trees and has a lower glycemic index (GI) than cane sugar. Because of this, people with diabetes prefer this alternative choice, however it has the same carbohydrate and calorie counts as conventional sugar.

Sweetening dishes like popcorn or porridge using coconut palm sugar is simple.

7. Light & Dark Muscovado Sugar

Muscovado sugar, like light and dark brown sugar, has a gritty texture and a somewhat burned caramel taste. Nonetheless, muscovado sugar is somewhat less refined than brown sugar and includes slightly more molasses.

However, the difference is minor, and dark muscovado sugars may be substituted for cane sugar in lieu of light and dark brown sugars. However, take in mind that the depth of the light and dark sugars differs.

8. Turbinado, Demerara & Raw Sugars

These three forms of minimally processed sugar have a faint molasses taste and bigger crystal formations; they may be used interchangeably in lieu of normal sugar.

9. Rock Sugar

Rock sugar is enormous chunks of crystallized cane sugar that must be broken apart before usage.

It is often used in Asian cuisines and gives a touch of sweetness to meals without adding too much taste; as a result, it is a good substitute for cane sugar in savory recipes that need a bit of sweetness.

10. Simple Syrup

You may replace cane sugar with a simple syrup made from equal parts sugar and water. To produce light syrup, use two parts water and one part sugar; to make rich syrup, combine one part water and two parts sugar.

Sugar syrups may be used to sweeten and flavor liquids ranging from cocktails to iced coffee and tea, and they can also be used to keep cakes moist.

11. Light & Dark Corn Syrup

Light corn syrup is transparent in color and has a pleasant, delicate vanilla taste. Dark corn syrup, on the other hand, is just light corn syrup combined with molasses, giving the syrup a toasted and deeper taste than the light variety.

Both syrups have a thick viscosity and are used to keep crystals from forming, particularly when manufacturing marshmallows; a bit of corn syrup maintains them smooth. They also have shellacking abilities, which merely harden the shells of caramel corn popcorn.

12. Molasses (Aka Treacle) & Blackstrap

Molasses, often known as black treacle, is produced by heating sugarcane or sugar beet juice. The molasses becomes darker and less sweet as it is cooked for a longer period of time.

This makes it a suitable replacement for cane sugar and gives meals a unique taste.

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