What are demerara, turbinado and muscovado sugars? January 22
When it comes to baking, recipes mostly call for powdered/confectioners’ sugar, plain sugar or brown sugar. The textures and properties of these three types are taken into account when the recipe is formulated. But they are not the be-all and end-all of sugars, and a few of the “specialty” sugars (by which I mean that they’re less common here in the US) are gaining in popularity and are becoming more widely available, especially as more consumers become interested in less-processed sweeteners.
Turbinado sugar is a type of relatively unprocessed cane sugar, unrefined and crystallized through evaporation. The crystals tend to be large and have an off-white color. Sugar in the Raw is this type of sugar and you may have seen it at coffee shops, even if you haven’t noticed the name “turbinado” before. It works in place of plain sugar in just about all recipes.
Demerara sugar is similar to turbinado sugar in that it also has large, irregular grains and a light brown color. It is unrefined and produced in such a way as to turn out very large crystals, larger even than those of turbinado sugar. The sugar still has lots of natural molasses flavoring, which makes it a popular sweetener for teas. It works in most recipes that call for plain sugar, although the resulting cookies will sometimes have a slightly crunchier texture and cakes may have a less-fine crumb.
Muscovado sugar is another type of unrefined sugar, a dark brown sugar. Unlike many brown sugars that are white sugars with molasses added back, it is darkly flavored from sugarcane juice left in during the production process. It tends to be sticky and can be used just like brown sugar.
Tory Jan 22
Hi! I check this blog everyday and have found tons of useful information and recipes. This one in particular has my interest as I have recently purchased some cook books that call for Muscovado sugar. My question is, do you think I can replace brown sugar for the muscovado sugar in the recipes and have everything turn out alright? Thank you!
mike Jan 22
ok, but can we bake with them?
Nicole Jan 22
Tory - Yes, I think that your recipe should turn out alright with that substitution. It might not be 100% identical, but it will turn out and should still be very good.
Mike - Yes, you can. I mentioned a couple of possible substitutions above, or you can simply look for recipes that call for them to begin with.
Emma Jan 23
Hi! I have been reading your blog for quite a while, your’s was one of the first I found that turned me onto the wonderful world of food blogging (and then there was no looking back- I was hooked!) For a long time I was just a bystander, reading but not getting involved… I recently started my own blog and have really come to understand the importance of commenting on blogs and “getting involved” Thanks for all the great posts! SO now onto my actual comment re: different sugars…. If you haven’t seen Alice Medrich’s new book Pure Dessert (not sure how to link in comment section) check it out… it kind of goes back to basics in that it focuses on simple ingredients and highlights their flavors (such as different types of dairy, flours/ grains, and sugars/ sweeteners) Very inspiring… this post made me think of it.
Lorrie Jan 23
I’ve used turbinado and demerara sugars in tea and the difference is noticeable. It tastes “brighter,” if that makes sense, with less sugar. I’ll be on the lookout now for muscovado sugar, or just order some online if I don’t find it locally. Haven’t had a chance to try it but it sounds interesting!
Mary Jan 24
I make a thoroughly delicious gingersnap cookie with the tops rolled in demerara sugar. I got one of those two-pound bags at the supermarket and I’ve made so many tasty cookies that it’s almost gone.
Cali Jul 15
Thank you so much for explaining that. I am trying to use ingredients that have been minimally refined.