10 Different Types of Sugar and How to Use Them for Cooking and Baking
When you think about sugar, the first thing that probably comes to mind is sweetness. And while it does sweeten baked goods, savory dishes, and drinks, sugar has a wide variety of uses outside of simple sweetening. Sugar can add flavor, texture, and decoration. It also works to make dough tender, balances the acidity of tomato sauce, provides stability when making meringues and pavlovas, and help baked goods achieve a nice golden-brown color.
When it’s time to shop for sugar though, the choices can be a bit overwhelming. There are a lot of kinds of sugar out there, just check the baking aisle. What’s the difference between turbinado and demerara? Is caster sugar the same as powdered sugar? From white sugar to cane sugar to rich brown sugar, here are 10 sugar varieties you need to know, plus our favorite ways to use them.
Granulated Sugar
Granulated sugar is a highly refined, multi-purpose sugar. It’s also sometimes called refined, table, or white sugar. When people use the general term “sugar,” this is usually what they’re talking about. Granulated sugar is made from sugarcane and sugar beets. It’s also the most common type of sugar used in baking and cooking.
Best for: Baking, general use, syrups
Caster Sugar
Caster sugar is superfine granulated white sugar. Because the crystals are so fine, they dissolve much quicker than standard granulated white sugar, which makes it ideal for making meringues, simple syrups, and cocktails.
Best for: Syrups, meringues
Light Brown Sugar
Light brown sugar is refined white sugar with a small amount of molasses added in. You can even make your own at home in a pinch by adding a small amount of molasses to granulated sugar. It has a wet, sandy texture (although less sticky than muscovado sugar) and a delicate caramel flavor. Brown sugar is a common ingredient in many baked goods — often in combination with granulated sugar — for its color, flavor, and added moisture content.
Best for: Baking, sauces, glazes
Dark Brown Sugar
Like its lighter counterpart, dark brown sugar is refined white sugar with molasses added in. It contains more molasses than light brown sugar, which gives it a stronger, more intense flavor and slightly higher moisture content. Light and dark brown sugar can sometimes be used interchangeably, but always check your recipe to be sure as the additional moisture present in dark brown sugar can sometimes affect the texture of baked goods.
Best for: Baking, sauces, glazes
Powdered Sugar
Also referred to as confectioner’s sugar and 10x sugar, this is a type of white sugar that has been ground into a fine powder. A small amount of cornstarch is typically blended in to prevent clumping. Powdered sugar easily dissolves in liquid, and is ideal for making icing and all kinds of frosting, as well as sprinkling over baked goods.
Best for: Frosting, dusting, icing
Sanding Sugar
Sanding sugar is used mainly for decorating. It has large crystals, which are fairly resistant to heat and add extra texture and crunch to cookies and other baked goods. You can find sanding sugar in a rainbow of colors.
Best for: Decorating
Cane Sugar
Unlike granulated sugar, which comes from sugarcane or sugar beets, cane sugar is produced solely from sugarcane and is minimally processed. It has a slightly larger grain, darker color, and higher price tag than granulated sugar. You can use cane sugar the same way you would granulated sugar.
Best for: Anywhere you would use granulated sugar, baked goods, general use
Demerara Sugar
Demerara sugar is a variety of raw cane sugar that is minimally refined. It has large grains with an amber color and a natural, subtle molasses flavor. Use it to sweeten coffee or tea, or as a topping on baked goods, like muffins, scones, pastries, and cakes.
Best for: Decorating, sweetening beverages
Turbinado Sugar
Turbinado is another type of minimally refined raw cane sugar. This sugar variety has large, medium-brown crystals, and is often mistaken for standard brown sugar because of its color, but it’s not the same thing. Turbinado sugar has a delicate caramel flavor and is commonly used to sweeten beverages and can also be used in baking.
Best for: Baking, sweetening beverages
Muscovado Sugar
Also referred to as “Barbados sugar”, muscovado sugar is a variety of unrefined cane sugar with added molasses. Standard brown sugar is made in the same way, but muscovado has little (light muscovado) or none (dark muscovado) of the molasses removed, resulting in a sticky sugar with a very high moisture content and a rich, complex flavor. While muscovado sugar can be used as a substitute for brown sugar, its flavor is much stronger. It’s especially wonderful in barbecue sauce, marinades, and savory dishes.
Best for: Baked goods, savory sauces, marinades