What can I substitute Coconut sugar with?

Last Updated on October 22, 2021 by Sindhu

Coconut sugar is made from coconut palm sap, which is the liquid present in coconut flowers or blossoms.

This is also called Coconut Palm sugar, but not to be confused with palm sugar which is made from the sap of an entirely different plant called Palm tree. Other names for coconut sugar include Coconut palm crystals, Coconut sap sugar, and Coconut crystals.

coconut-tree-blossom_Spiced-kettle — *Coconut blossoms*

Coconut sugar is famous for being more nutritious and has a lower glycemic index than its counterpart white table sugar. Extensive processing strips all the nutrients and minerals from white sugar.

Whereas coconut sugar is relatively unprocessed and has all the trace minerals and nutrients such as Potassium, Iron, Calcium, and also fiber called Inulin which is responsible for low GI.

But for whatever reason, if Coconut sugar is unavailable to you at the moment, you can easily pick one of the below substitutes and continue your home cooking adventures.

Let’s have a look at all the available substitutes.

1. Brown sugar

Brown sugar can be your best option to substitute coconut sugar in any recipe because they both look similar. But it is always best to go for light brown sugar as it has the right amount of molasses content when compared to dark brown sugar.

Brown sugar tends to be sweeter than coconut sugar, so it is best to substitute 1 cup of coconut sugar with 3/4 cup of light brown sugar.

1 cup Coconut sugar = 3/4 cup light brown sugar

2. Sucanat

Sucanat is raw cane sugar, which shares quite a similarity with coconut sugar. The first being, they both are less processed when compared to white sugar and also they both have a tint of caramel taste with similar golden brown color.

But sucanat has a slightly coarser texture when compared to coconut sugar.

1 cup Coconut sugar = 1 cup Sucanat

3. Raw honey

Raw honey is also one of the easiest substitutes for Coconut sugar. It has many health benefits similar to Coconut sugar. This works great, especially when used as an ingredient in baking dishes.

But one should be careful when using a liquid sweetener in place of a solid sweetener by adjusting the overall liquid added to the dish.

1 cup Coconut sugar = 1/3 cup raw honey

4. Granulated or regular sugar

Granulated sugar or regular white sugar works perfectly as a coconut sugar substitute if you really can’t find anything else.

And coconut sugar can be substituted with equal amounts of regular sugar.

1 cup Coconut sugar = 1 cup Regular or granulated sugar

5. Maple syrup

Maple syrup is made from the sap of the maple trees, same as coconut sugar. Hence it has a lot of nutrients, especially if it is minimally processed. Care should be taken in adjusting the overall wet ingredient quantity that is added to the dish.

We can substitute 1 cup of coconut sugar with 1/3 cup of maple syrup. We should be cautious not to overpower the dish with maple flavor.

1 cup Coconut sugar = 1/3 cup Maple syrup

6. Agave nectar

Agave syrup also called Agave nectar can also be used as a substitute for Coconut sugar. This is made from the Agave plant and is quite famous as a healthier alternative to regular sugar because of its low glycemic index (30).

Agave syrup is very sweet because of high fructose, a little goes a long way, especially when used as a substitute.

1 cup Coconut sugar = 1/4 cup Agave nectar

7. Stevia

Stevia is made from stevia leaves and has no carbs or calories, unlike coconut sugar. This makes stevia the best substitute for coconut sugar for the ones who are on a keto diet.

Both coconut sugar and Stevia have a similar sweetness and they can be replaced with equal amounts.

1 tbsp Coconut sugar = 1 tbsp Stevia

8. Date sugar

Date sugar is kind of different from all the other substitutes suggested as it is nothing but a powdered form of dried and dehydrated dates. This can also be easily prepared at home using fresh dates.

However, dried dates tend to be very sweet and only half the quantity is needed when substituting coconut sugar.

1 cup Coconut sugar = 1/2 cup Date sugar

9. Demerara sugar

Demerara sugar is also a cane sugar that is minimally processed and has a good amount of molasses content in it. It is brown in color with a coarser grain texture looking similar to brown sugar.

This can be a good substitute for coconut sugar as it has a tint of caramel taste.

1 cup Coconut sugar = 3/4 Demerara sugar

10. Muscovado sugar

Muscovado sugar is also a cane sugar that is unrefined and has the molasses content intact. This gives the sugar nice brown color. However, this makes a very good coconut sugar substitute when used in lesser quantities and a combination of regular sugar.

1 cup Coconut sugar = 1/4 Muscovado sugar + 1/2 cup Regular sugar

11. Piloncillo

Piloncillo or panela sugar is a traditional Mexican or Latin sugar made from pure sugar cane juice.

It is very minimally processed and has all the nutrients and minerals.
It can be crushed and used as a substitute for coconut sugar.

1 cup Coconut sugar = 3/4 cup Piloncillo

12. Indian Jaggery

Indian jaggery is very much similar to Piloncillo. It is also made by heating fresh sugar cane juice. It is available both in the form of blocks or powder.

1 cup Coconut sugar = 1 cup Jaggery

13. Monk Fruit sweetener

Monkfruit sweetener is made from the fruits of the monk fruit tree which is native to Southern China. It has a GI score of 0 with no calories, which makes it an ideal substitute for someone who is on a keto diet.

Most of the commercially available monk fruit sweeteners are processed in such a way that they can readily substitute regular sugar in 1:1 ratio. So care should be taken when using this as the original monk fruit in its original form is almost 150 times sweeter than regular sugar.

14. Erythritol

Erythritol is a sugar made from fermented fruit and vegetable sugar. It is easily digestible and is also low on GI when compared to regular sugar.
An equal amount of Erythritol can be used as a substitute for coconut sugar.

1 tbsp Coconut sugar = 1 tbsp Erythritol

On a Final note:

The most easily available Coconut sugar substitute is Light brown sugar.

Whereas most healthy and keto-friendly substitutes would be Monk fruit sweetener or Stevia.

And finally, the most budget-friendly substitute would be Regular granulated sugar in equal quantities.

What can I substitute Coconut sugar with?