natural sweeteners 101

everything you need to know about natural sweeteners

This post is intended to be a resource for those interested in learning more about natural sweeteners - what they are, why I prefer to use them, and how they are produced. I hope it comes in handy and that you enjoy learning about and incorporating these natural sweeteners into your life. Enjoy!

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I prefer to use natural sugars - such as, for instance, Sucanat, coconut sugar, honey, and maple syrup (as opposed to regular white or brown granulated sugar) - for a host of reasons. For starters, the natural sugars are just that - more “natural.” In other words, they are closer to the original ingredient with little to no processing involved. In contrast, regular granulated sugar goes through multiple steps involving various mechanical and chemical processes and the addition of preservatives and other additives. Because natural sugars do not go through intensive processing they retain most of their inherent nutritional properties, including antioxidants, minerals, phytochemicals, and vitamins. Of course, even natural sugars should be consumed in moderation, but when choosing what to use in baked goods for myself and my family my clear preference is to use the more natural, less processed option.

Another reason for using natural sweeteners is that they actually add flavor to the baked goods - honey and maple syrup have such distinct tastes that help to round out many baked items and sucanat and coconut sugar add an almost nutty molasses-y flavor that is hard to resist. I also find that I feel different when I eat baked goods that have been made with natural sweeteners - I don’t get that sugar high (and low) that comes from eating baked goods with regular white sugar. Using natural sweeteners doesn’t have to be all or nothing either - you can still use white sugar if you would like for some of your baking and then gradually start to make more recipes that include natural sweeteners. You also don’t have to be a purist about making sure that all of the ingredients you use in your baking use natural sweeteners (e.g., chocolate chips are usually sweetened with regular cane sugar but definitely feel free to keep using them if that’s what you have on hand).

Below you will find descriptions of the natural sweeteners that I primarily use in my baking:

• Sucanat is an abbreviation for “sucre de canne naturel” or natural cane sugar, which is exactly what it is - an unrefined whole cane sugar. As noted above, due to the minimal processing involved in producing Sucanat, it retains more of its nutritional properties as well. The minimal processing does mean that the granules of Sucanat are larger and not uniform though so when adding it to recipes you will need to briefly grind it in a coffee or spice grinder first so that it can better incorporate in with the the rest of the ingredients. If you are new to Sucanat, I recommend trying Wholesome Sweetener's Organic Sucanat or Organic Sucanat from Purcell Mountain Farms.

  • Note: You may see other sweeteners out there, like turbinado, demerara, and muscovado, which are all partially refined cane sugars. I choose not to use these because, per America’s Test Kitchen: “To create more consistent products, some manufacturers fully refine cane sugar and then add molasses back in, resulting in products that look and taste like traditional versions - but don’t meet our standards of being less processed. Because there’s no way for consumers to tell the difference, we ruled them out.“ In contrast, Sucanat is a registered trademark so it is fairly consistent across different brands.

• Coconut sugar is the dehydrated and boiled sap of the coconut palm flower. Because coconut sugar goes through minimal processing, it retains many of its inherent antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. For those of you who may not be a big fan of coconut, I just want to note that the coconut sugar does not have a noticeable coconut flavor. If you are looking to try coconut sugar, I recommend either Wholesome Sweetener's Coconut Sugar or, if you have a Thrive membership, I am a big fan of their Organic Brown Coconut Sugar.

• Honey is produced by honeybees from the nectar of flowers. I recommend using raw honey as it is only very lightly filtered and has a more balanced flavor than traditional honey. If you can find a local beekeeper selling honey near you that’s always a good choice, otherwise a brand I enjoy is Nature Nate’s Raw Honey.

• Maple syrup is made from the boiled down sap of certain maple trees and is rich in minerals and antioxidants. If you are looking for a good brand of maple syrup, definitely check out Tree Juice (love the name too!). Maple sugar is boiled down maple syrup that has gone from a liquid to a solid. If you are new to maple sugar, I recommend trying out Thrive Market's Organic Maple Sugar or Butternut Mountain Farm's Maple Sugar.

• Other natural sweeteners that I use in my baking include fruits and dried fruits. For instance, dates - which are the edible fruit of the date palm tree - are an excellent natural sweetener that add an almost caramel-like sweetness to whatever they're in. In addition, dates are a rich source of potassium, as well as other vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Dates are pretty versatile as well and can be included in baking recipes as is or cooked down into a syrup or paste.

I have really enjoyed switching from white sugar to natural sweeteners and I hope you give it a try as well. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments! Thank you!