13 Best Organic Sugar: Cane Sugar, Brown Sugar & More
I have a love-hate relationship with sugar. While it enhances flavors and provides a quick energy boost, its overconsumption is linked to several health issues. Organic sugar is better in terms of environmental impact but health benefits aren’t much better. But it’s almost impossible to avoid all sugars in our diets, we just need to choose the best ones and consume them in small quantities. So I put together a list of the best organic sugar for you to choose from.
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How to Choose Organic Sugar
- USDA Organic Certification: Look for a USDA Organic seal if you’re in the United States and an EU Organic logo if you’re in Europe. These certifications ensure that it’s made without chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or GMOs.
- Ensure No Additives: Take a look at the ingredient label and make sure it states only 100% organic sugar and doesn’t have additives, preservatives, or artificial sweeteners.
- Fair Trade: Some are also fair trade which means farmers and workers are paid fair wages and are under safe working conditions.
- Type of Sugar: There are many types of sugars including granulated sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, cane sugar, and more. Choose the one that works best for you.
- Packaging: Choose products that are in eco-friendly or recyclable packaging.
Benefits of Using Organic Sugar
- No Synthetic Chemicals or Pesticides: One of the main organic sugar benefits is it contains no synthetic pesticides or genetically modified organisms.
- Environmental Benefits: Since it avoids using pesticides, this helps promote soil health, increase water quality, and maintain biodiversity.
- Social Impact: Many organic sugar brands are also fair trade so they support farmers with fair wages and ensure they have safe working conditions. Organic also means they get exposed to less harmful chemicals.
Best Organic Sugar Brands
1. Best Overall: Wholesome Organic Cane Sugar
Wholesome Organic Cane Sugar is made with natural blonde-color sugar crystals. The sugar is USDA certified organic, kosher-certified, Non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegan.
The organic sugar brand Wholesome is also fair trade certified so they create safe working conditions for their workers.
The Wholesome Sweeteners brand also supports farmers in other areas such as healthcare and investing in better harvesting equipment.
2. Best Granulated Sugar: Public Goods Organic Granulated Cane Sugar
Public Goods Organic Cane Sugar is one of the best organic sugars because it has no additives, pesticides, or preservatives.
It’s also kosher and non-GMO. The result is premium pure cane sugar that goes well in teas, baked goods, and anything else.
It’s also cane granulated sugar so it’s extra fine, making it easier to dissolve. The packaging is in a recyclable paper bag.
3. Best Cane Sugar: Sugar In The Raw Granulated Cane Sugar
This Organic Cane Sugar is granulated so it dissolves easily. It also won’t create texture in your baked goods if you prefer that.
It’s 100% USDA organic, Non-GMO, vegan, kosher, and eco-social certified.
The cane sugar is not bleached and retains the sugarcane molasses flavor. It has a light brown color.
4. Best Turbinado Sugar: Iberia Pure Turbinado Raw Cane Sugar
Organic turbinado sugar is minimally refined so it retains a lot of the natural molasses. The Iberia product is made with organic pure cane sugar.
It’s also non-GMO, gluten-free, and organic. The Turbinado cane sugar is raw organic sugar and has a coarse texture that can be sprinkled on top of baked goods for extra crunch.
This organic raw cane sugar can also be dissolved in drinks easily.
5. Best Sugar Cubes: Sugar In The Raw Turbinado Sugar Cubes
To make your morning cup of earl grey tea or nighttime chamomile tea, these Sugar In The Raw Turbinado Raw Sugar Cubes are perfect to drop into your drinks. This is the best sugar brand for unrefined sugar.
It has a rich molasses flavor that adds a caramel-like flavor to your food and drinks.
The best thing is the golden crystals are not refined and it’s kosher, vegan, non-GMO, and gluten-free.
6. Best Brown Sugar: Wholesome Organic Dark Brown Sugar
Wholesome is a food brand that is dedicated to sustainable sourcing. Their Organic Dark Brown Sugar has a rich natural molasses flavor that tastes good in many types of dishes and sweets.
The dark brown sugar is Non-GMO, Kosher, gluten-free, and vegan.
It’s also fair trade which helps farming communities to achieve good working conditions, provide educational opportunities, provide healthcare, and improved farming equipment.
If your recipe calls for light brown sugar, Wholesome also has an organic light brown sugar option.
7. Best Date Sugar: Date Lady Organic Date Sugar
Date sugar is more nutritious than most other sugars, is less processed, is high in fiber, and has a lower glycemic index for a slower rise in blood sugar.
Date sugar is definitely a healthier sugar alternative and the Date Sugar by Date Lady is one of the top-rated ones.
It’s made with just dried ground dates. Date sugar can also be replaced with white sugar or brown sugar.
The only thing to keep in mind is it doesn’t dissolve too well in beverages because of its fiber content.
If you prefer to eat whole dates, we have a post on the best organic dates.
8. Best Coconut Sugar: Madhava Coconut Sugar
Coconut sugar can prevent high cholesterol and heart disease.
Madhava Organic Coconut Sugar does not have harmful chemicals like heavy metals, pesticides, and insecticides.
The coconut sugar is harvested on a family-owned farm in Indonesia. It’s non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegan.
This can be replaced with refined white sugar or brown sugar.
9. Best Coconut Sugar: BetterBody Foods Organic Coconut Palm Sugar
Coconut palm sugar is another name for coconut sugar and this BetterBody Coconut Sugar is low on the glycemic index so it doesn’t cause blood sugar spikes.
It’s also gluten-free, non-GMO, and kosher.
The flavor of coconut sugar is a subtle caramel-like taste. It pairs well with drinks like coffee and tea and baked goods.
10. Best Beet Sugar: Now Foods Organic Beet Sugar
This Now Foods Organic Beet Sugar is made from beets and is kosher, non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, and dairy-free.
Beet sugar can be used to replace regular sugar or cane sugar in baking.
Many people who are allergic to cane sugar might find beet sugar to be a good alternative.
11. Best Maple Sugar: Frost Ridge Organic Maple Sugar
This Frost Ridge Organic Maple Sugar is made from maple syrup. Maple syrup contains antioxidants and can be a healthier alternative to cane sugar.
This sugar is made in small batches and doesn’t contain any additives or preservatives.
It’s certified organic and non-GMO.
12. Best Powdered Sugar: Wholesome Powdered Confectioners Sugar
If you want good organic powdered sugar, this Wholesome Powdered Confectioners Sugar is your best choice.
The sugar is sustainably grown without chemical fertilizers. It’s also made fair trade so the organic sugar brand support farmers’ livelihoods.
It’s also Non-GMO, vegan, and kosher.
13. Best Monkfruit Sugar: Durelife Monk Fruit Sugar
For people who are diabetic, ketogenic, candida, paleo, or just want to cut down on their sugar intake levels without sacrificing the taste, monkfruit sugar is a great choice.
This Monkfruit Sweetener by Durelife has a zero glycemic response and has zero net carbs and zero calories.
Monk fruit sugar can also be a good sugar substitute.
Is it better to buy organic sugar?
In terms of nutritional levels, organic sugar is not much better than regular sugar. However, consuming it means you’re less exposed to synthetic pesticides and you’re supporting sustainable farming practices. These eco-friendly farming practices include reducing pollution, improving soil health, and maintaining biodiversity.
What is the healthiest type of sugar?
The healthiest type of sugar comes from whole fruits because they contain fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Honey and maple syrup are also healthy because it’s a natural sweetener that contains vitamins. Honey contains anti-inflammatory properties and maple syrup has minerals such as zinc.
Coconut sugar is considered a healthier type of sugar because it is derived from the sap of coconut palm trees. It has minerals like iron, zinc, and calcium.
But sometimes, in order to make certain foods, it’s necessary to use cane sugar or brown sugar. The most important thing is to consume all types of sugars in moderation.
What is Organic Cane Sugar?
Organic cane sugar is an unrefined sugar derived from sugar cane. The sugarcane juice is processed and boiled to create syrup. Then, it’s further processed and dried to form crystals.
The process stops here for unrefined sugar. Refined sugar goes through a process of washing with a sugar solution and putting it through a centrifuge.
Organic cane sugar benefits include giving you a quick energy boost and potentially helping with inflammation. It’s still important to consume it in moderation.
What’s the difference between Cane Sugar and White Sugar?
Like cane sugar, white sugar is also made from sugar cane but the difference is white sugar is refined and highly processed.
Cane sugar goes through minimal processing including clarification and crystallization. But white sugar goes a few steps further and removes all impurities to create a white color.
Since cane sugar is minimally processed, the flavor profile differs slightly from white sugar. Cane sugar typically has a more caramel-like taste whereas white sugar has a more neutral taste. This is mainly because the molasses and other impurities have been removed during the refining process.
Can I use Cane Sugar instead of white sugar?
Since white sugar has a more neutral taste, it won’t add any strong or distinct flavor to the dish. But cane sugar will because of the molasses.
When cooking and baking, cane sugar may affect the texture of the dish or the baked goods. The molasses flavor in cane sugar will also appear in the final product.
Sometimes, baking recipes allow cane sugar to be substituted for white sugar with a 1:1 ratio. Read the recipe instructions to see if it allows for it.
If you enjoy drinking tea, cane sugar can add a subtle caramel note to your teas like chamomile tea, earl grey tea, or ginger tea.
What are the health effects of sugar?
Sugar has its benefits. It can give you more energy and brighten your mood. But the worry is overconsumption.
Overconsumption can lead to weight gain, risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, blood sugar spikes, and tooth decay.
Is Organic Sugar Vegan?
Yes, organic sugar is vegan. It’s derived from sugar cane, coconut, or beets and does not involve animal-derived ingredients.
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