All About Coconut Sugar - Coconut Sugar Recipes (2024)

All About Coconut Sugar - Coconut Sugar Recipes (1)

For those who may be new to our site, we’ve been sharing posts devoted to specific sugar alternatives. We want these sweeteners to seem accessible and not completely scary or unknown! Please see theNatural Sweetener Guidefor a list of all the sweeteners we use.

What is Coconut Sugar?

Coconut sugar is made from the flowers of the coconut tree. Coconut sugar can be called by two names, coconut sugar or coconut palm sugar. In addition to that, there is a product called Palm Sugar which is a very popular in Asian cuisine. Coconutpalm sugar is the most common name used by US companies. We have used products that use both names of “coconut sugar” or “coconut palm sugar” in their titles.

The first question you might have about coconut sugar is “does it taste like coconut?” The answer is a big fat “NO”.Coconut sugar does not taste, smell or look like coconut at all! In the above picture, you might find it has a similar appearance to brown sugar, because of it’s rich brown color. It can clump together and has a sweet scent similar to brown sugar. For this reason, coconut sugar has become a favorite sweetener! Especially for it’s nice sweet caramal-y flavor to baked goodies.

Why Coconut Sugar is Healthy

Coconut sugar is a whole, pure and completely natural sugar. It doesn’t through the extensive refining process as sugar does, so it is a whole, pure food. It will not give you sugar high’s and low’s and won’t make you feel sluggish or bloated. It’s naturally full of vitamins and minerals likeamino acids, potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc and is a completely safe as a diabetic sugar substitute. Coconut sugar has a low glycemic index (35), making it safe and convenient for any one concerned with blood sugar levels. Not all natural sweeteners are perfect for those who are concerned with this, but coconut sugar is one that is safe!

Why We Love Coconut Sugar

Aside from the health benefits, we love coconut sugar because it tastes good! It’s doesn’t taste like coconut sugar, despite the name! Coconut sugar is a great sugar alternative for many reasons. It bakes very well (similar to sugar)and helpsgive an amazing texture to all our favorite dishes! It caramelizes like sugar, thus making great brownies or chewy cookies. It’s substituted for sugar 1 to 1 and it mimics the taste of brown sugar. This flavor combines so well with chocolate for healthy Nutella or almond for almond cookies. It’s sweet enough to replace regular white sugar in, but healthy enough to call it a “whole nutrient rich” food. Coconut sugar is so amazing, even Dr. Oz loves it!

How to Use Coconut Sugar

Coconut sugar is a wonderful natural sweetener that can be used in many ways!
Because of coconut sugar’s properties, it’s the perfect natural sweetener for baking and cooking. Here are some of our favorites:

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

All About Coconut Sugar - Coconut Sugar Recipes (2)

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

All About Coconut Sugar - Coconut Sugar Recipes (3)

Martha Stewart’s Chocolate Creme Brulee

All About Coconut Sugar - Coconut Sugar Recipes (4)

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

All About Coconut Sugar - Coconut Sugar Recipes (5)

Coconut sugar is great for lots of different dishes, but it’s not perfect for everything. It’s color and flavor is not ideal for every dessert you make. We don’t use coconut sugar in white, light or delicate flavored treats like whipped cream or white frosting. So sometimes we combine coconut sugar with other sweeteners to achieve the look and taste we want!

Mini Donut Hole Muffins

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies

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Mint Brownies

All About Coconut Sugar - Coconut Sugar Recipes (8)

Where to Buy Coconut Sugar

The best place to find coconut sugar is either at local health food stores (sometimes they go on sale for great deals) or online! We love buying coconut sugar through amazon.com. The products we often purchase are shown in our amazon products list on our blogs sidebar. You can always subscribe to items through amazon.com, helping to save a little money. You can also check out health food sections in any regular grocery store. We also just discovered that you can buy coconut sugar at Costco! If you would like to try out this natural sweetener but don’t want to commit to the cost, split it between you and a few friends. You won’t regret the price nor the delicious health benefits and you’ll be helping to share a healthy sugar substitute with your friends!

Questions: Have you tried coconut sugar before? What do you love about it?

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All About Coconut Sugar - Coconut Sugar Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Is coconut sugar bad for diabetics? ›

In terms of coconut as a sugar substitute, coconut palm sugar has a low glycemic index, but the American Diabetes Association notes that you should treat it the same as regular sugar because it contains the same amount of calories and carbs.

How to use coconut sugar in recipes? ›

The general rule when cooking with coconut sugar is to measure it out in the same quantity of white or brown sugar in a recipe. It's a darker sugar, so don't use it when the baked good needs to maintain a pale color, like in an angel food cake.

How much coconut sugar equals 1 cup of sugar? ›

In general, coconut sugar can replace white sugar using a 1:1 ratio in most recipes, says Roszkowski. However, she recommends grinding coconut sugar into smaller granules using a food processor or blender first.

What are the side effects of coconut sugar? ›

Eating a lot of sugar, including coconut palm sugar, can increase the risk of mouth infections and dental problems. This is because sugars contain high amounts of fermentable carbohydrates. People with diabetes are more prone to infections and gum disease.

What are the negatives of coconut sugar? ›

Potential Risks of Coconut Sugar

While coconut sugar contains very small amounts of minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, it is still high in calories. You would need to ingest so much coconut sugar for your body to use these nutrients that the calorie count would likely outweigh any nutritional benefit.

What is the safest sugar substitute for diabetics? ›

What is the safest sweetener for those with diabetes? The safest sweetener to use is a natural sweetener like pure stevia extract without fillers or monk fruit. However, it's best to use these in moderation.

Is coconut sugar good in coffee? ›

little bit of sweetness with a caramel twist - a perfect. midday pick me up!

Is coconut sugar healthier than white sugar? ›

We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but cane sugar and coconut sugar aren't all that different — and neither of them is particularly good for you. They come from different plants, but they're made similarly and affect your body similarly, so there are no real health benefits, per se, to using one over the other.

Can I use coconut sugar in place of granulated sugar? ›

Use coconut sugar 1:1 in any way you would regular sugar, including in tea or coffee or baking and cooking.

Does coconut sugar act like sugar? ›

It's very similar to regular table sugar, although it is less processed and contains minor amounts of nutrients. If you're going to use coconut sugar, use it sparingly. Coconut sugar belongs in the same boat as most sugar alternatives. It's healthier than refined sugar but less healthy than consuming no sugar at all.

Which is better, honey or coconut sugar? ›

If you're looking to keep it low on the glycemic index, honey is slightly higher than coconut sugar (58 vs. 54, respectively)—so it might not be your best bet.

Does coconut sugar expire? ›

Coconut sugar is very shelf-stable and will almost never go bad. However, if stored improperly where moisture is allowed to enter the package, it will harden and become difficult to use. Therefore, store coconut sugar in a cool, dry area in an airtight container.

Is coconut sugar bad for your liver? ›

Furthermore, organic coconut sugar contains inulin, a type of dietary fiber. Inulin, linked to improved liver health, can actively promote a healthy gut microbiome. A balanced gut flora can reduce the release of harmful lipopolysaccharides into the bloodstream, thus decreasing liver inflammation.

Is coconut sugar bad for your gut? ›

It also contains a small amount of inulin, a dietary fiber that helps keep your gut healthy, reduces your risk of colon cancer, and manages your blood sugar.

Is coconut sugar bad for high cholesterol? ›

Nutritionally, there isn't much of a difference between coconut sugar and table sugar. Both are added sugars we need to limit. Too much sugar of any type – white, brown, coconut, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar – raises blood triglycerides, lowers HDL (good) cholesterol and contributes excess calories to your diet.

Does coconut raise blood sugar levels? ›

With low sugar content, coconut water is suitable for people with diabetes. This drink offers the following benefits: Helps reduce blood sugar: Coconut water helps control blood sugar thanks to its high content of potassium, manganese, magnesium, vitamin C, L - arginine.

What is the healthiest type of sugar? ›

You can opt for coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, and agave nectar, which are some good and healthy options. Another good option is shakkar, an unprocessed sugar rich in nutrients like zinc, iron, potassium, and magnesium. You can also use jaggery to sweeten up your desserts and beverages.

Is coconut sugar worse than cane sugar? ›

Despite popular belief, coconut sugar is nearly identical to regular cane sugar in regards to nutrients and calories. Coconut sugar is a popular sweetener in many vegan diets because it is plant-based and minimally processed.

What is the healthiest sweetener? ›

5 Natural Sweeteners That Are Good for Your Health
  1. Stevia. Stevia is a very popular low calorie sweetener. ...
  2. Erythritol. Erythritol is another low calorie sweetener. ...
  3. Xylitol. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol with a sweetness similar to that of sugar. ...
  4. Yacon syrup. Yacon syrup is another unique sweetener. ...
  5. Monk fruit sweetener.

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