3. Coconut sugar
Similar to brown sugar in taste and color, coconut sugar comes from the nectar of flower buds of the coconut palm.
It has a low glycemic index, meaning that it doesn’t spike your blood sugar as quickly as white sugar.
Coconut sugar also contains minerals such as potassium, zinc, iron, or calcium, as well as some polyphenols and antioxidants.
It adds a lovely, aromatic flavour to your dishes, similar to molasses, and it can also be caramelised for your recipes.
1 cup of coconut sugar equals 1 cup of white sugar.
4. Palm sugar
This unrefined sugar made from sugar cane or palm takes different names depending on where in the world we are. It is also known as jaggery, panela, piloncillo, tapa dulce, namtan tanode, kokuto, or gula melaka.
Due to its molasses content, it is more nutritious than white sugar, and it is rich in minerals such as calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, etc.
Palm sugar works well in almost any recipe that calls for white sugar and adds a caramel flavour to the dish (like in this brownie).
Instead of substituting brown sugar by adding molasses to white sugar, you can use palm sugar for similar flavour and moisture.
You can use it as a 1-to-1 substitute for white sugar.