Whats the difference between brown sugar and white sugar

Have you ever encountered a recipe that calls for both brown sugar and white sugar? You may wonder why it requires two different types of sugar. Can you simply use one or the other and get the same result? Can you substitute one for the other? What’s the difference? While they are both a form of sugar, they do have different properties that will affect the final texture, whether you are making a batch of soft chocolate chip cookies or a tender loaf of banana bread.

How Sugar is Made

Typically, sugar is created from tropical sugarcane plants. They are crushed and their juice is extracted. It is then heated in a process that yields molasses. The molasses contains very dark sugar crystals. Manufacturers spin that in a centrifuge to remove the molasses and produce white sugar.

The Difference Between Brown Sugar & White Sugar

• White sugar comes in a number of different granule sizes, but most recipes call for granulated white sugar which features medium-sized granules. Sometimes it is called table sugar. When granulated white sugar is heated it browns to a toffee-like color and takes on a similar flavor.

• Brown sugar is available in a variety of colors, ranging from light to dark brown. The flavor of brown sugar is very strong and should be soft and moist right out of the packaging. Decades ago, brown sugar was simply white sugar before all of the molasses was taken out, but now it is white sugar combine with the molasses that was separated from the original sugarcane. The darker the brown sugar, the more molasses is in the mixture.

Are they interchangeable in baking?

In most cases, you can use brown sugar and white sugar interchangeably. However, you may notice a difference in the texture of your baked goods. Brown sugar is naturally moist, so using it will result in baked goods that are softer and moister. Also, your baked goods may come out darker than you would have expected if you use brown sugar in place of granulated white sugar.

For years, many have believed the urban legend that brown sugar is healthier than white sugar, but that is simply not true. The amount of nutrients in the molasses which gets added back into the white sugar is minuscule, so it is not a healthier product. In fact, you are actually getting a more refined product with brown sugar because of the process of extracting and recombining the molasses with the white sugar.

If you do wish to substitute brown sugar for white sugar while baking, there are a few things to consider. First, since brown sugar contains more moisture, you may need to slightly decrease the amount of wet ingredients in your recipe or slightly increase some of your dry ingredients to compensate. Second, think carefully about texture. If you are trying to bake a cake, it should be relatively dry, so stick with granulated white sugar. If you are baking fruit bread-like banana bread-you may want a moist, rich texture; so brown sugar may be the right choice.

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Never question the differences between the two ever again with this helpful explainer.

Whether you're baking for a birthday or a holiday party, you'll need quite a bit of brown or white sugar on hand. The question then becomes brown sugar vs. white sugar—which do you use? The most notable difference is the color of the sugars, but do they actually taste any different? Which pastries does each work best in? Are they actually interchangeable?

Principal chef of Hello Fresh Claudia Sidoti answers all of your questions below.

Brown sugar vs. white sugar—how are they different?

"Brown sugar is simply sugar that has molasses, which is what gives it that brown color and flavor," says Sidoti.

The chef also adds that brown sugar inherently retains moisture, so it's best incorporated in baked goods that are soft such as cakes, muffins, and soft chocolate chip cookies.

"Cookies made with brown sugar will be [more moist]," she says. "Brown sugar can be great for glazes and sauces, like barbecue sauce."

There are also two different kinds of brown sugar, light and dark, both of which are used in different recipes. Light brown sugar contains about 3.5 percent molasses by weight, whereas dark molasses contains about 6.5 percent. Light brown sugar is what you'll typically find in most recipes, and dark brown sugar is what you'd see in dishes and baked goods that have a more prominent molasses flavor. Gingerbread and spice cakes and homemade baked beans are all good examples of foods with dark brown sugar in them.

White sugar, on the other hand, is made with either beet sugar or cane sugar and is often refined.

"White sugar is best for baked goods that need rising, like mousse or soufflé. It also gives a more neutral flavor, so it's great in fruitier pastries," says Sidoti.

Which one is healthier?

Sugar is sugar, so there are no significant differences between brown and white sugars. According to the USDA, one teaspoon of brown sugar contains roughly 17.5 calories and the same amount of white sugar has about 16.3 calories.

While the two are nearly equivalent in nutrition, there is a marginal difference. Because brown sugar contains molasses, it's a little bit richer in three minerals: calcium, iron, and potassium. However, it's not a good source of either mineral because it comprises such insignificant amounts of each.

RELATED: The easy guide to cutting back on sugar is finally here.

If a recipe doesn't specify, should you use brown sugar or white sugar?

"If a recipe doesn't specify which sugar to use, I think it's best practice to use white sugar," says Sidoti. "However, when swapping in white for brown, I also like increasing or adding a splash of vanilla extract to give it a little more depth of flavor."

Hopefully this brings more clarity to the brown sugar vs. white sugar debate and what really sets the two apart!

Cheyenne Buckingham

Cheyenne Buckingham is the news editor of Read more about Cheyenne

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