You're ready to whip up a batch of cookie dough, cake, or brownies, and you're rounding up all of the ingredients to measure, mix, and bake, only to realize you're out of granulated sugar. Use the Test Kitchen tips below about how to substitute brown sugar for white sugar, and add white sugar to your list for your next grocery shop instead of running to the store mid-bake.
The answer isn't a simple yes or no (apologies!), but more of a "yes, but"…
In most baking recipes, you can substitute brown sugar for white sugar in a one-to-one ratio. So, if your recipe calls for one cup of white sugar, swap one cup of brown sugar. The sweetness level will be the same, but the brown sugar may change the texture of your baked goods. You'll likely notice a more robust flavor, and the finished baked goods' color may also be darker.
These color, flavor, and texture alterations come from how brown sugar is made. Brown sugar is white sugar with molasses mixed in, as much as 10 percent by weight, depending on the manufacturer. That molasses might make the texture more moist, so it may be helpful to slightly decrease the amount of wet ingredients (like milk or water) in your recipe or slightly increase the dry ingredients (such as flour, cocoa powder, or oats). You'll also probably notice a hint of caramel or butterscotch flavor.
Brown sugar generally works much better in quick breads than light and airy cakes—we're looking at you, angel food—since these take advantage of the more delicate texture of the white sugar. Substituting brown sugar for white sugar will be a win if you prefer softer and chewier cookies over crispier ones since the molasses lends that extra moistness.
Can You Substitute Light Brown Sugar for Dark Brown Sugar?
So now that you know you can, in most cases, substitute brown sugar for white sugar without causing a total baking fail, you might wonder if you can swap light brown sugar for dark brown sugar and vice versa.
That's an easy yes. Dark brown sugar offers a more robust molasses flavor, while light brown sugar has a milder flavor, but structurally, the two sugars will work the same. The difference in the amount of molasses is so minimal that no one will likely notice the difference.
Now that you know you can substitute brown sugar for white sugar in most baking recipes, you can get back to baking. Ready, set, preheat that oven!
Baking and cooking both take skill and experience, but when baking, following a recipe usually needs to be more precise than when making a Bolognese sauce or taco Tuesday feast. Measurements of ingredients like baking soda (not baking flour!) must be done carefully to ensure the right texture and flavor, and room-temperature butter (not margarine!) will mix up very differently from still-cold butter.
The right equipment is also crucial to successful baking. You may not think a cooling rack matters, but cookies won't crisp up properly if left to cool on a baking sheet. Another helpful tool not everyone uses is parchment paper, which makes clean-up much easier.
Whether you've baked hundreds of cookies and dozens of multiple-layer cakes or are just getting started creating breads, brownies, and other treats, our list of terms and definitions used in recipes is a great reference guide.
In most baking recipes, you can substitute brown sugar for white sugar in a one-to-one ratio. So, if your recipe calls for one cup of white sugar, swap one cup of brown sugar. The sweetness level will be the same, but the brown sugar may change the texture of your baked goods.
Brown sugar is the simplest substitute for granulated sugar. You can use light or dark brown sugar as a 1:1 substitute. It makes for darker, denser baked goods with a more caramel or molasses flavor, which is wonderful for classic chocolate chip cookies, but less desirable for delicate cakes.
The molasses content of brown sugar leads to baked goods that are softer and moister. You can still swap them, but you'll need to use less brown sugar in a recipe that calls for white. Brown sugar will add a caramel-ish hint to your baked good and darken its color.
Although they can sometimes be used interchangeably, doing so can affect the color, flavor or texture of the final product with the dish. The molasses contained in brown sugar retains moisture, so when used it results in softer but denser baked goods.
Your cakes will still hold up if you use granulated sugar as both the flavour and water content are the same. Caster sugar, however, is much finer and dissolves much easier than granulated sugar which is coarser in texture.
Brown sugar, meanwhile, is dense and compacts easily, creating fewer air pockets during creaming—that means that there's less opportunity to entrap gas, creating cookies that rise less and spread more. With less moisture escaping via steam, they also stay moist and chewy.
So, if your recipe calls for one cup of white sugar, swap one cup of brown sugar. The sweetness level will be the same, but the brown sugar may change the texture of your baked goods. You'll likely notice a more robust flavor, and the finished baked goods' color may also be darker.
Using granulated white sugar will result in a flatter, crispier and lighter-colored cookie. Granulated sugar is hygroscopic, so it attracts and absorbs the liquid in the dough. This slows down the development of the gluten (flour), which makes the cookies crispier.
The molasses content in dark brown sugar will make your baked goods moister than if you use light brown sugar. That means that not only is the flavor affected, but the texture will be, too. Light brown sugar will result in a subtler flavor, while dark brown sugar will give your baked goods a richer flavor.
In the past I've always made my Pound Cakes using granulated white sugar. But for this recipe I decided to change that and use light brown sugar instead. I really liked the results. The brown sugar turns the Pound Cake a lovely honey brown color and provides a mild caramel flavor to the cake.
Superfine sugar: Also called baker's special sugar, extra-fine, or caster sugar, this is granulated sugar that has been finely ground so the crystals are smaller.
Use brown sugar or granulated sugar in the filling: I used to use granulated sugar in the cinnamon sugar filling, but recently switched to brown sugar for extra flavor. Brown sugar doesn't necessarily make the filling more moist—there's so much butter, so it's moist and gooey either way. Use whichever sugar you prefer.
If brown sugar is used instead of granulated white sugar the result will be more flavourful and moister, but the browning temperature will be lower. Brown sugars tend to clump because they contain more moisture than white sugars, allowing baked goods to retain moisture well and stay chewy.
Introduction: My name is Kareem Mueller DO, I am a vivacious, super, thoughtful, excited, handsome, beautiful, combative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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