How to Replace Refined White Sugar

Refined white sugar is made from sugar cane or sugar beets. During processing, trace minerals and nutrients are removed. Molasses is also washed out, creating the white color. Some health professionals and nutritionists believe processing can cause refined white sugar to have harmful health effects, and advise against regular use. If you are considering replacing white sugar in your diet, there are many alternative sweeteners that can be purchased at your local grocery or health food store.

Instructions

• 1

  Use liquid sweeteners like maple syrup, honey or brown rice syrup. Each can be used to sweeten drinks or as a topping. Honey can also be used to replace sugar when baking, adding moisture and a unique taste to recipes. Use 1/2 cup of honey for every cup of sugar when using it as substitute and reduce the total liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup. If there is no liquid in the recipe, add 3 to 5 tbsp. of flour for each 3/4 cup of liquid sweetener used.

• 2

  Replace refined sugar with granulated sweeteners such as date sugar or evaporated cane juice. Both have a texture that resembles refined sugar, and can be substituted in equal amounts when baking.

• 3

  Use stevia, a plant-based sweetener, as a natural replacement to refined white sugar. Because stevia is much sweeter than sugar, it is not a good alternative when baking. It is commonly used to sweeten beverages.

• 4

  Use a raw unrefined sugar such as turbinado. Like white sugar, turbinado is made from sugar cane. However raw sugar does not undergo the full refining processing that is used to create white sugar. Turbinado retains molasses and has a rich taste.