Due to the subtle sweetness and mild flavor of brown sugar, a number of organic and natural sweeteners serve as suitable replacements. Aside from natural and organic brown sugars, alternatives include natural sweet molasses, granulated cane juice and a variety of syrup products. As these options often are lower in carbohydrates and rich in vitamins and minerals, replacing brown sugar with natural or organic alternatives is a good way to increase the nutritional value of your dish.
Granulated Cane Juice
Otherwise known as whole cane sugar and sold as Sucanat, granulated cane juice is pure sugar cane juice that has been filtered and dehydrated. With no artificial colors or additives, granulated cane juice made from organic sugar cane is a natural, organic sweetener. It comes in larger crystals and is less refined than brown sugar, so it is less calorie-dense and retains more of the vitamins and minerals present in natural sugar cane. To prevent drying out your dish, do not replace brown sugar with an equal amount of granulated cane sugar. Instead, use a smaller amount of the stronger-tasting granulated cane sugar to retain moisture without compromising your dish's flavor.
Sweet Molasses
Molasses is the byproduct of the sugar refining process. Brown sugar's darker color arises from its higher molasses content than white sugar. Unlike bittersweet blackstrap molasses, sweet molasses has a flavor similar to that of brown sugar. By replacing brown sugar with natural, organic sweet molasses, you can increase your dish's potassium, calcium, iron, vitamin B, copper, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin E content. To retain the texture of your dish when replacing dry brown sugar with liquid sweet molasses, increase your dry ingredients or decrease your other liquid ingredients.
Barley and Brown Rice Syrups
Barley malt syrup is a protein-rich, dark brown, thick liquid sweetener with a malty, mildly sweet flavor. While barley malt syrups can be raw, organic and all-natural, they often are mixed with corn syrup. As these mixtures are not natural products, make sure that you read barley malt syrup labels before your purchase. Brown rice syrup is another natural alternative that is milder in flavor and less sweet than barley malt syrup. Made by cooking a mixture of natural barley and brown rice, brown rice syrup adds a subtle, caramel-like flavor to your dishes.
Maple Syrup
For a sweeter alternative to barley and brown rice syrups, use natural, organic maple syrup. Unlike the sweeter, lighter, milder USDA Grade A syrup that you use to top your pancakes, Grade B syrup has a darker color, richer flavor and higher mineral content. Although Grade B maple syrup is a good replacement for brown sugar, its availability is limited due to its short harvesting season. Similar to molasses and other syrups, you should compensate for the added liquid by increasing your dry ingredients or decreasing your liquid ingredients when replacing brown sugar with maple syrup.
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