Brown sugar: nutrition and how to use it

Fun facts

• The brown sugar you buy is often white sugar with a little molasses mixed back in. The molasses brings the color, the moisture and that caramel smell.
• 100g of brown sugar has 380 kcal and 97g of sugar. In short: it is almost all sugar.
• It does carry a little calcium and potassium (83mg and 133mg per 100g). But a teaspoon is only about 4g, so under 4mg of calcium, far less than a sip of milk.
• In Vietnam, brown sugar colors braised pork, sweetens chè and stars in brown sugar boba milk tea.

Choosing and storing

Pick a bag that is still loose, not set into a brick. Brown sugar is moister than white sugar, so it dries out and hardens fast when left open. Keep it in an airtight jar somewhere cool and dry. If it does go hard, put a slice of bread in the jar overnight and it softens again.

Cooking it well

Brown sugar suits dishes that want a deep aroma: cookies, braised meat, barbecue glazes. The molasses holds on to moisture, so baked goods turn out a bit softer and chewier. If you want to cut sugar, kOBE Signature Monk Fruit Blend swaps for sugar 1:1, though bakes will come out a paler gold. For a closer look at brown, coconut and palm sugar, read this article.

Frequently asked questions