Difference Between Brown Sugar & Sugar in the Raw

Although brown sugar and sugar in the raw are both brown in color, they are very different products. Brown sugar is highly refined, while sugar in the raw is less processed. The two sugars taste different, have different textures, and perform differently in both baking and cooking applications.

Features

Sugar in the raw is made directly from sugar cane juice. White sugar is sugar in the raw which has been bleached, filtered, and otherwise processed, while brown sugar is white sugar to which molasses has been added. Thus, sugar in the raw is coarser than brown sugar and also contains more nutrients and less chemicals than brown or white sugar.

Cooking & Baking

Because sugar in the raw has larger crystals than brown sugar, you cannot directly substitute it for brown or white sugar in recipes. It measures differently and must be measured by weight; it also has a higher moisture content.

Uses

Brown sugar is used frequently in both baking and cooking, while sugar in the raw is primarily used as a sweetener.

Nutritional Information

Brown sugar may contain phosphoric acid, formic acid, sulfur dioxide, preservatives, flocculants, surfactants, bleaching agents or viscosity modifiers; sugar in the raw does not. In addition, sugar in the raw contains calcium, phosphorous, iron and potassium.

Flavor

Although sugar in the raw and brown sugar both have small amounts of molasses in them, sugar in the raw has a much richer, honeyed molasses flavor than brown sugar.

References

• Raw Sugar Vs. Brown Sugar Vs. White Sugar
• Raw Sugar Vs. Brown Sugar
• Unrefined Raw Sugar

Resources

• Joy of Baking: Sugar
• White Sugar Vs. Raw Sugar
• Recipe Zaar