Need a coconut sugar substitute? Coconut sugar is made from the sap of the palm tree. It is not processed, unlike white sugar. The coconut sugar is made by extracting the sap by tapping the flower bud stem of the coconut palm. Then the sap is mixed with water and then boiled until it becomes a syrup. Then this syrup is allowed to dry. Then this dried syrup is converted into granules like white sugar.
Coconut sugar is preferred because it also contains other nutrients, unlike white sugar. It contains nutrients like calcium, iron, zinc, and potassium. But coconut sugar is still considered high in calories, so here are the substitutes for coconut sugar.
Brown Sugar
The best substitute for coconut sugar is brown sugar. The good thing about this sugar is that you can easily get brown sugar from any nearby store, or it might be at your home. If you do not want a noticeable change in the taste, it is best to use light brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar. The higher amount of molasses in dark brown sugar can affect the taste of the sugar.
Keep one thing in mind that other types of sugar are sweeter than coconut sugar. Use the 2/3 amount of brown sugar in place of coconut sugar to get the same taste.
Date Sugar
Date sugar can also be used as a coconut sugar substitute. You cannot exactly call it sugar as it is only made by dehydrating the dates then grinding them finely.
You can easily make date sugar at home. Take some dates and remove their pits, and cut the dates in half. Then heat the dates in the oven until they are hard to squeeze. It means that they are completely dehydrated. Then take a grinder and grind them finely, and your date sugar is ready. Add one teaspoon of cornstarch in 1 pound of dates to store them properly.
To get the exact taste, you desire to use the same amount of date sugar as you take coconut sugar.
Raw Honey
The other substitute the coconut sugar, can be raw honey. Raw honey means the honey that is removed from the beehive, then strained, and then packed. This type of honey has all its nutrients as it is not processed.
On the other hand, the processed honey does not have all its nutrients. The honey undergoes commercial processing in which the honey is first heated, then cooled, and then undergoes skimming. In this whole heating, cooling, and skimming process, the honey loses many of its nutrients. So you should prefer raw honey.
As you know that honey is very sweet, so you should use the right proportion of it while substituting it with coconut sugar. Use ¼ amount of raw honey in place of coconut sugar to get the same taste.
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup is made by collecting the sap from the maple tree. Then this sap is boiled until its consistency becomes syrup-like. Then without any further processing, this syrup is filled in bottles and sold.
Maple syrup is considered a good and quick substitute for coconut sugar. You can easily get it from any store. There is processed maple syrup, too, in which many other ingredients are added. If you want maple syrup for a coconut sugar substitute, then go for the pure one.
Use ¼ amount of maple syrup in place of coconut sugar to get the same taste.
Sucanat
Sucanat can also be used as a substitute for coconut sugar. It is considered a good substitute as its large texture and light brown color resemble coconut sugar. It also gives a slight taste of caramel.
Sucanat has large crystals which it hard to dissolve in water. You can use it to sprinkle on the top of the baked good. To make it finer, you can also grind it in a food processor. Then it will look like superfine white sugar.
You can use the same amount of Sucanat as coconut sugar to get the same taste.
Turbinado Sugar
Turbinado sugar is considered a good substitute for coconut sugar. You can replace the coconut sugar with it in any dish. You can easily find this sugar from your nearby store. But turbinado sugar comes with a difference in some countries like the UK. There you can find this sugar under the name of Demerara.
There is no considerable difference between these two sugars. But their demerara sugar is slightly lighter in color than turbinado sugar, and demerara sugar is mildly less sweet than turbinado sugar. But these differences are so slight that sometimes you do not notice them.
You can use the same amount of both these sugar as you take coconut sugar to taste.
Stevia Sugar
Stevia is extracted from the leaves of the stevia plant. It is a sugar-free sweetener. You can find it in both liquid and powdered form.
You can use it in the same proportion as you use coconut sugar. Or some people think that it is slightly sweeter than coconut sugar, then you can use half the amount.
Xylitol
Xylitol is best to use as a coconut sugar substitute. It is similar in taste and has fewer calories as compared to coconut sugar. It is extracted from natural resources like vegetables and fruits.
As xylitol has the same taste as coconut sugar, you can use it in the same proportion as you use coconut sugar.
Agave Syrup
Agave syrup is a good substitute for coconut sugar in baking. Agave syrup is made from the sap that is extracted from the agave plant. Then this sap is heated and treated with enzymes. Due to its processing, the syrup loses almost all of its nutritional benefits.
Agave syrup is sweeter than coconut sugar. Use the right proportion of it to get the desired taste. You should use ¼ cup of agave syrup for 1 cup of coconut sugar.
Conclusion
If you need a substitute for coconut sugar, there is nothing to worry about as you have got plenty of options. Some of the substitutes mentioned above are in liquid form, so check the proportion of other liquids when using these substitutes with them.
