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Looking for the perfect substitute for coconut sugar? We’ve got you covered.
Coconut sugar is an excellent pantry staple to have and is a healthy sugar alternative. However, if you’re in a bind without coconut sugar in the pantry and need a substitute, you’ve come to the right place.
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In this article, I will explore some substitutes for coconut sugar. So, next time you’re doing some baking, you have plenty of alternatives to use.
Let’s get into it.
There’s no getting away from the fact that while normal sugar is delicious when it is consumed in excess, it’s not the healthiest thing to keep eating.
People have been searching for ways to cut down their refined sugar intake for years to live a healthier lifestyle.
Enter: Coconut sugar. The popularity of coconut sugar has grown exponentially, especially within the vegan community, due to the fact that it’s natural and widely considered to be a better alternative to white sugar.
What Is Coconut Sugar?
Coconut sugar is derived from the sap of coconuts. It contains fewer calories than regular sugar, and it is widely thought that coconut sugar is a healthier alternative to regular sugar.
This comes down to the fact that unlike white sugar (also known as table sugar) that is processed, coconut sugar is natural.
Many people try to avoid unrefined sugar in their diet. As an unprocessed sugar, this means that coconut sugar retains some of the nutrients found in the coconut palm, therefore offering various health benefits.
For instance, coconut sugar is rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium. It contains some iron, protein, and fiber. In addition to this, it may help lower cholesterol levels. However, it doesn’t contain any vitamin C, B12, D, E, or K.
While it has less fat than table sugar, it has more carbohydrates. A great thing about coconut sugar is that it is much sweeter than table sugar, meaning that you need to use less of it in a variety of different recipes.
If you want to bake something delicious with a healthier alternative to sugar, then it’s easy to see why you’d want to try using coconut sugar instead of regular sugar.
Substituting coconut sugar for regular sugar when baking your favorite foods sounds great in theory. However, what do you do when you run out or can’t find it in the store?
There are several substitutes for coconut sugar, some of which are even better than the original. Try these out instead of using coconut sugar every time you bake or cook.
Substitutes For Coconut Sugar
These substitutes include, but are not limited to:
Maple Syrup
Derived from the maple tree, another good substitute for coconut sugar is maple syrup. Its caramel notes and maple flavor make it a wonderful alternative.
As natural sweeteners go, maple syrup is ideal for various different recipes. Whether you’re making bread, pastries, pies, cakes, and other baked goods.
If you opt for maple syrup, you will want to use it in a 1:4 ratio.
Honey
Honey is a common household food and makes an excellent substitute for coconut sugar when it comes to baking.
As a natural sweetener, honey is often considered a healthier option, but you will want to check your health food stores for honey that is natural and isn’t packed with additives.
This sweetener works well in both sweet and savory dishes, providing a sweet taste that balances so many recipes.
Agave Nectar
Agave nectar is a great alternative to coconut sugar. It is hugely popular as a natural sweetener and can be used in smoothies, on top of oatmeal, and in many other recipes.
Agave syrup is very sweet. In fact, it’s about 1.5 times sweeter than sugar, meaning its sweetening power is off the charts.
Bearing this in mind, for every cup of coconut sugar called for in the recipe, you will only need 1/4 cup of agave syrup.
Maple Sugar
If you’d rather granules over syrup for whatever recipe you’re using, maple sugar is the choice for you.
This sugar is dehydrated maple sap that has been reduced to granules.
The only thing is, you won’t receive the same caramel flavor that you would expect from coconut sugar or maple syrup.
Maple sugar can be used in a 1:1 ratio when used in place of coconut sugar.
Date Sugar
Another great replacement for coconut sugar is date sugar. This sugar is made of finely ground, dehydrated dates that can be used as a sweetener.
Dates have a naturally sweet flavor and date sugar is perfect for enhancing the taste of your baked goods.
When using date sugar, you will want to use it in a 1:1 ratio.
Brown Rice Syrup
This is a great substitute for coconut sugar. This vegan and gluten-free sugar substitute is fantastic and great for both savory and sweet recipes.
You can use brown rice syrup to make desserts such as cakes, muffins, pancakes, waffles, cookies, etc.
That being said, you should note that brown rice syrup isn’t the healthiest alternative, and should therefore only be consumed in moderation.
When using this substitute, use it in a 1:1 ratio.
Where Can You Buy Coconut Sugar?
You can find coconut sugar at the majority of grocery stores. If you can’t find it in-store, then you can also buy it online from a variety of health food stores.
Is Coconut Sugar Ketogenic Friendly?
No, coconut sugar unfortunately isn’t ketogenic-friendly.
This comes down to the fact that despite it being a natural sweetener, it contains too many sugar carbs to reasonably be incorporated into your ketogenic diet.
You don’t want to risk your body being kicked out of ketosis, which coconut sugar has the potential to do if you’re not cautious.
Bearing this in mind, you will want to steer clear of coconut sugar when you are on the ketogenic diet.
In Summary: Substitute For Coconut Sugar
There are several substitutes for coconut sugar that you can use for both sweet and savory recipes.
Hopefully, after reading this article you are more familiar with what you can use instead of coconut sugar when you run out.
Happy baking!
Your turn! Have you tried any other Substitute For Coconut Sugar? I bet you now know the answer to this question.
For more frequently asked questions, visit our index of food-related questions and answers. Here are a few suggestions for you: