What Are the Different Baking Sugars?

Sugar is one of the most common elements in all baking. Do you know all the types and when and where type to use each type? We all know sugar sweetens cakes, cookies, pies, tarts and other foods, it can also feed yeast to make baked goods rise.

What is Granulated Sugar?

Granulated sugar is the also known as white or household sugar. Its many uses include sweetening coffee or tea and is the most commonly used sugar in baking. It is the one you fine most easily in the baking aisle in a five pound bag.

Granulated sugar gets it white color from having all of its naturally present molasses refined out. It is crystallized and therefore does not cake together making it bet for sprinkling on food or dissolving easily into hot drinks.

What is Confectioners’ Sugar?

Also known as powdered sugar or icing sugar, confectioners’ sugar is just granulated sugar that has been finely ground. Because the crystals are now so small, this sugar tends to cake easily so a small amount of cornstarch is usually added in commercial confectioners’ sugar to prevent caking.

This type of sugar is commonly used for frostings, glazes or sprinkling over baked goods giving that tell-tale “snowy” look.

What is Coarse Sugar?

Coarse sugar has much larger crystals making it stronger and more resistant to heat. Coarse sugar is often used for decorating and is available in a variety of colors, hence the other name, decorating sugar.

You can often see coarse sugar on holiday cookies or even on an apple pie crust.

What is Sanding Sugar?

Sanding sugar also comes in many colors but its crystals are between granulated and coarse sugar in size. You can recognize it by the sparkly shine it gives off.

What is Brown Sugar?

Brown sugar is simply granulated sugar with cane molasses added. Light and dark brown sugar refer to amount of molasses present. Light brown sugar is often used in baking, sauces, and glazes that require a lighter taste. Dark brown sugar has a richer molasses flavor and used in richer foods like gingerbread.

Both light and dark brown sugar can harden quickly if left open to the are so it is best stored in an air tight container. If your brown sugar has hardened, you can microwave it for a few seconds, or place a piece of bread in the bag and leave it for a day.

Ran out of brown sugar? You can make your own by incorporating 1 pound of granulated sugar with 3 ounces of molasses in a food processor. This mixture can be stored up to a month.

What is Cantor Sugar?

Cantor sugar is also known as superfine, ultrafine, or bar sugar and has the smallest crystal size of white granulated sugar. This sugar is best for delicate or smooth desserts or for adding sweetness to cold drinks.

What is Turbinado Sugar?

Turbinado sugar is raw sugar that only has the surface molasses washed off. It usually has a larger crystal and had a bit more moisture content than white sugar. Turbinado sugar is mostly used to sweeten beverages but can also be used in baking.

What is Muscovado Sugar?

Muscovado sugar, or Barbados sugar, is a type of British brown sugar. It has more molasses than dark brown sugar which makes the color a very deep brown. The crystals are large and because of the added molasses, it tends to be stickier.

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