13 Underrated Types Of Sugar You Should Use More Often

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Good old sugar. As the Mary Poppins' song goes, a spoonful of it makes the medicine go down. Whether it's caster sugar for the perfect shortbread or a hefty dose of brown sugar in a creamy hot cocoa cake, it's the ingredient that seemingly knows no bounds. And it's not just about suffusing your dessert concoctions with a sugar rush (though, let's be honest, who can resist the good stuff?). Sweetness aside, sugar has myriad uses in baking. "Using sugar in baking isn't all about sweetness," nutritionist Kerry Torrens told the BBC. "It also gives us that delicious texture and crumb, the lovely golden-brown color, and it prolongs how long we can store our bakes... Sugar also keeps baked goods moist."

But when you're adding a cube of white or brown to your morning coffee, remember that there's so much more to the world of sugar than the usual suspects. The diversity of sugar is incredibly vast, with so many varieties on offer, all with differing tastes, textures, and aromas. And if you don't have a sweet tooth, fear not! The sugars in this rundown are suitable for pretty much anyone's palate. From marinated tofu and chicken dishes to the most delectable cakes and cookies, there's a range of uses just waiting for your taste buds. Pour a little sugar on it: here's the sweet lowdown on 13 underrated types of sugar you should use more often.

Cane sugar is, as the name suggests, derived from sugarcane, a grass found in tropical and subtropical climates. According to WebMD, Southeast Asian cultures have long used sugarcane in its unprocessed form as a natural remedy for various health ailments, due to its apparent antioxidant properties. But you can also utilize its refined, sugar form — cane sugar — to boost your bakes.

The main difference between cane sugar and white sugar is the color: refined cane sugar is darker than the white variety, possessing a golden brown hue. It's not to be confused with raw cane sugar (also known as turbinado — but more on that later), however, which is a much darker brown and has a more caramelized taste, per Helps Master. 

Although it functions pretty much the same as white sugar, bestowing the same taste in baking, the darker color of refined cane sugar can change the overall look of your finished products. This is particularly helpful for foods that require a slightly darker shade for presentation purposes, such as banana bread, fruit loaves, or ginger snaps, in turn making your treats look more decadent and thus more delectable.

Unlike plain powdered sugar, confectioners' sugar is distinct due to the inclusion of starch, per Martha Stewart. The starch gives confectioners' sugar that famously thick consistency, making it one of the lightest yet most adaptable additions to your baking pantry. While this concoction is best known for its uses in royal icing and frosting, there are many other overlooked ways to use it.

The starchy nature of confectioners' sugar makes it the ultimate ingredient to incorporate into fudge recipes. While granulated or caster sugar can lead to a lumpy mix, confectioners' sugar gives fudge its smooth and refined texture. Additionally, the light and fluffy powder is ideal for making whipped cream. Simply mix 1 ½ cups heavy cream with ½ cup confectioners' sugar, and a pinch of vanilla extract for the perfect whipped topping.

There's nothing quite like sinking your teeth into the delicate texture of confectioners' sugar. Subsequently, you can use it as a dusting topper for various sweet treats, including cookies, scones, and donuts. Another firm favorite among sweet-toothed foodies is Turkish delight. A Middle Eastern delicacy, Turkish delight is traditionally made from lemon or rosewater and dusted with confectioners' sugar for a mouth-wateringly airy finish, per Hotel Chocolat. You can also sprinkle it upon cakes, particularly chocolate or lemon varieties, with the sugar both beautifying the treats and enhancing their taste.  

Turbinado sugar is a form of cane sugar renowned for its rustic and raw appearance. As cookbook author Shauna Sever explained on "The Leonard Lopate Show," (6:35), the sugar gets its name from the way it is spun in a turbine during the refinement process. The thick and coarse granules resemble the salt found on pretzels, rather than sugar. But make no mistake: turbinado sugar can make all the difference to your kitchen concoctions.

As SFGate highlights, the rich color of turbinado sugar can be used to darken light baking mixtures. If you're sick of dry, bland bakes, consider adding this unique sugar to bread for an extra moist recipe. Turbinado also enhances the flavor of pancakes, so it works as a great substitute for traditional white sugar. Namely, the granules have a smooth caramel tang, which makes this one a particularly satisfying accompaniment to chocolate chip pancakes.

In addition to incorporating turbinado sugar into baking mixtures, it can be used as an enhancement in a number of foods, per Healthline. Sprinkle it as a crunchy topping over muffins and bread or add a dash to your oatmeal or toast for a hearty — and heartwarming — breakfast. And here's a boss apple crisp hack: Sprinkle a generous amount of turbinado sugar over your crumbly topping for that perfect crunch (this is ideal for toppings that have turned out a tad too buttery). What's more, it can be used in savory dishes, such as a spice rub for meat, or dusted over baked sweet potatoes to maximize flavor.

Like muscovado, demerara sugar is known for its rich molasses flavor, but it is significantly lighter in color and slightly coarser in texture, per The New York Times. Known for its crystal texture, it has a golden hue resembling sand and hails from the island of Mauritius. Demerara sugar is ideal for slightly bitter recipes such as crème brûlée. Instead of using plain brown sugar, opt for demerara when making the European staple's hard, crystalized topping. This will give your recipe a distinct toffee flavor that's pleasing to your taste buds and your nostrils.

Demerara is also one of the best sugars that you can use to up your gingerbread game. The subtly caramelized flavor is the perfect partner for ground ginger. So, the next time you make gingerbread, add a cup of demerara sugar to the recipe and marvel at that unique yet oh-so-familiar and comforting taste. Just be aware that the crystals are a lot rougher than brown sugar, so be sure to mix your batter thoroughly.

Also, you can make demerara syrup by mixing one cup water and one cup sugar. This makes for a superior alternative to standard syrup, with the demerara bestowing a richer and more flavorful experience. Either drizzle it over cakes or, for those who drink alcohol, add it to cocktails.

Coconut sugar is an oft-overlooked ingredient that can make all the difference to your baking. You've likely seen this one in health food stores, which often tout the benefits of swapping white sugar for a more natural alternative. Indeed, as author Shauna Sever explains in "The Leonard Lopate Show," (4:20) coconut sugar is far less processed than white sugar. "If you want to talk about sugars in terms of refinement or processing, you can find a number of brands of coconut sugar that really have very little done to them. They really are just evaporated coconut flour sap," she said. And according to PETA, coconut sugar has numerous benefits for the environment. For instance, white sugar sometimes contains bone char, which makes it unsuitable for vegetarians and vegans. The coconut variety is thus the more environmentally (and animal) friendly option. It also contains fiber which is beneficial for gut health.

So, how to utilize that coconutty goodness? As the Thai Cookbook points out, coconut sugar has long been used as a sweetener in Southeast Asia. Contrary to what the name may have you believe, it tastes nothing like coconut once harvested, instead bearing a rich palate, not unlike muscovado. Therefore, with its strong tang, it makes a great flavoring for tea and coffee, a more aromatic alternative to ordinary sugar cubes. You can also use it to bake coconut sugar cookies or sprinkle a handful over your next cupcake batch for extra piquancy.

Anyone who's tried Indian candy knows that it's famed for having a soft, mouth-watering texture. This is attributable to jaggery, an ancient sweetener found in South Asia. It is derived from the kithul plant via the boiling and hardening of the cane, per NPR. "Jaggery is what we use in place of sugar in everyday life," local entrepreneur Narmada Mueller told the outlet. "For instance, it's common for a cup of black tea to be served with a piece of jaggery." 

As food therapist Dr. Ria Banerjee Ankola explains on Instagram, jaggery isn't too dissimilar from white sugar, but it does have a number of health benefits that make it the preferable option. Jaggery, for instance, contains iron and has a higher fiber content, so it's better for gut motility than the white stuff, which doesn't contain any nutrients. According to a study published in the Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, jaggery has traditionally been used to treat ailments such as inflammation, premenstrual syndrome, and digestive disorders.

Health benefits aside, jaggery is also a fantastic addition to your cooking pantry — not to mention your taste buds. Due to its molasses content, jaggery has a rich flavor, not unlike brown sugar. The Washington Post suggests incorporating a smidgen of it into spicy eggplant curry, with the delicate sweetness counteracting the piquancy of the spices.