coconut sugar substitute

Since everybody is getting aware of how processed white sugar is unhealthy for their body, people are switching towards healthy alternatives to white sugar. However, coconut sugar is still not known to many people.

Before we get into the deeper side of how coconut sugar is a healthy substitute or how it can be used in your day-to-day lifestyle, should we consider other coconut sugar substitutes? Let’s first understand what coconut sugar is and how it is made.

What exactly is coconut sugar and how is it made?

Well as the name suggests people might think that coconut sugar is extracted from coconut, however, that’s not completely true. It is mainly made from the sap of flower buds. And these come from the coconut palm tree.

The sap of the flower buds is boiled at moderate heat so that most of its water content is evaporated and then the final product that comes out of it is known as coconut sugar. Its fragrance and taste are quite similar to brown sugar.

After understanding how coconut sugar is made and used you might get confused between coconut sugar and palm sugar. But both palm and coconut sugar are different from each other and extracted in different ways.

Coconut sugar is said to retain some nutrients that are usually found in the coconut palm.

 Coconut sugar contains –

• calcium
• zinc
• potassium
• iron and other minerals

This is why it is slightly a better option than regular sugar. But since it is also high in calories you must use it in moderation instead of overusing it, considering it as a natural sweetener.

In most Asian recipes you will see that coconut sugar is used as an all-purpose sweetener but it is not always easy to find coconut sugar. Thai dishes also consider using coconut sugar as an excellent choice as it is a less harmful sweetening option.

Can I use regular sugar instead of coconut sugar?

Coconut palm sugar is said to have a low glycemic index but has the same amount of carbohydrates and calories. However, the American diabetes association considered it the same as regular sugar and claimed that it should not be recommended to a diabetic patient

If you like eating desserts but you are afraid of eating too many sweets as it may spike your blood sugar levels or increase your risk of diabetes then you must look for healthy sugar alternatives.

Although coconut sugar is better than regular sugar, still you must not completely rely on intaking it. There are multiple alternatives to coconut sugar that you can use. We will discuss the alternative in detail.

Well sugar is used in multiple sweet dishes and desserts and all of these dishes are made with different methods for example cakes, pastries, and doughnuts are made via baking methods whereas puddings are made on the stove.

One common thing is that all these dishes have the vital ingredient sugar. but what sweetener you are adding to your dishes is your decision at last.

If you use regular white processed sugar it might give you a good taste but it has various drawbacks and is not considered very healthy. However, there are multiple other sugar substitutes that are not only natural but also comparatively safer to use.

Before we jump onto the making process of various sweet dishes we will first discuss some best natural coconut sugar substitutes that are easily available to people.

Best natural substitutes for coconut sugar!

Coconut sugar substitute honey –

Honey is considered to be more beneficial than sugar. For this reason, doctors advise us to consume honey instead of sugar. People who avidly follow a certain diet chart or those who want to lose weight often honey with hot water.

Although it’s not completely true that consuming honey with warm water will help you in losing weight, many people see the difference. However many people don’t & which is why it totally depends from person to person

For our day-to-day consumption, we use regular honey that is easily available in the market in small boxes.

At the same time, some people also use raw honey, but do you know what is the difference between these two?

Why do some people use raw and some regular honey?

Let us understand what is the difference between the two and which honey is beneficial for health. Is honey even a better substitute for coconut sugar? Let’s read further to know more.

The honey that comes directly from the beehive is called raw honey. Only after removing it from the hive, it is filtered in a nylon cloth and used for further Consumption.

Through the process of filtering, all the non-essential things like beeswax and dead bees are removed from it. Apart from this, it is not passed through any filter. That is why it is considered the purest form of honey.

While regular honey which you buy goes through a wholly mechanical process. It is filtered many times, heating and removing yeast from it, just so that the life of the packaged honey is increased & it can be used for a long time.

At the same time, many brands add sugar to the honey to make it sell at cheap prices. Due to the added sugar, the good properties of honey are thus reduced.

It’s a proven fact that honey is more beneficial than sugar and a better substitute as well. For this reason, doctors often advise consumers to consume honey instead of sugar.

People who follow a certain diet chart or those who want to lose weight tend to consume honey with hot water. For this, people use the regular honey that comes in the market boxes.

However, consuming honey with hot water will help in losing weight is still not a proven fact as it might positively affect a few people whereas a few people might see no difference at all.

Which is more healthy?

Of the two, raw honey contains more nutrients. It contains 22 types of amino acids and 31 different types of minerals and vitamins. Along with this, 30 types of antioxidants are also present in it.

Because of this, it protects the body from the risk of heart disease and cancer. But having said that, in the case of packaged honey we never know how pure the product is or how many nutrients it has.

Several studies have shown that raw honey contains 4.3 times more antioxidants than regular honey. At the same time, regular honey mixed with sugar is not good for health.

So, if you want to follow a healthy life by cutting off your sugar, then choosing Raw Honey is the best option. However, if you are allergic to it, then choose the right honey for yourself only after the advice of the doctor.

Maple Syrup a substitute for coconut sugar –

This beautiful golden syrup can be beneficial for your health as well as enhance the taste of your food.

What is Maple Syrup?

The juice that comes from maple trees is termed maple syrup. The formation of this juice in trees begins during the winter season when the sugar present in maple leaves turns into carbohydrates and starts accumulating in the wood of the tree.

By spring, these carbohydrates melt and start flowing from the trees in the form of sap.

The entire process of maple syrup itself tells how healthy and pure it is.

Benefits of Maple Syrup –

1. Increase Digestive Power

Maple syrup can help increase your digestive power. Maple syrup contains various prebiotic properties, which are considered to be beneficial for the gut. These increase the production of lactic acid in the body, which improves digestion power and protects the intestine from any infections.

2. Reduces Inflammation

The benefits of maple syrup can help relieve or prevent you from bloating. Research published on the NCBI website mentions maple syrup has anti-inflammatory properties.

At the same time, maple syrup can also be included in arthritis caused by inflammation. However, it is better to consult your doctor before consuming it further.

3. For Mental Health

Maple syrup can help in maintaining your mental health by protecting you from diseases related to the brain.

It is considered an essential mineral for the brain. Consuming it in the right amount helps the neurons in the brain to function properly.

However, an imbalanced intake of manganese can lead to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease.

4. Helps in preventing Cancer

The maple syrup also helps protect you from cancer. Research has found that the properties of maple syrup can inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells.

It has also been found that more antiproliferative properties are found in darker-colored maple syrup. Hence, it can be said that you can use maple syrup to avoid the risk of cancer.

Benefits of Maple Syrup for Bone Health –

Apart from the multiple benefits maple syrup has, let us tell you that it also helps in keeping bones healthy and strong. Maple syrup contains a variety of minerals including-

• calcium,
• copper,
• phosphorus, zinc,

All these minerals are essential for bone health and strength.

But maple syrup also has a very low amount of the above-mentioned nutrients. Hence it is necessary to consume other nutritious foods to cope with your daily nutritional requirements along with maple syrup.

Sucanat as a substitute for coconut sugar –

It is made by obtaining the juice from sugarcane which is considered to be an unrefined process. The juice is heated and then dehydrated to give it the form of granules.

It is considered to be a type of RAW sugar because it is less processed as compared to white sugar and is more natural. Sucanat has larger crystals and looks brown similar to coconut sugar. It also gives a hint of caramel flavor.

However, you need to be a bit careful with its texture as these crystals are a bit tougher and solid, which means they might not dissolve as quickly as your regular sugars.

Date sugar as a substitute for coconut sugar –

Well, we all know the multiple benefits of using dates as it is a nutritional pack of minerals, fiber vitamins, and other antioxidants. But many people don’t know about date sugar.

Date sugar is a product that is made from finely chopped dry dates and can easily be used in your recipes in place of coconut sugar.

It has various impressive nutritional benefits. However, its taste might differ from your regular sugars, and also it is not easy to dissolve date sugar in your recipes which is why it is preferred to use it either way.

 It has a very mild sweet flavor and is easily found in various supermarkets.

A coconut sugar substitute for baking

Well if you are fond of baking then we will be now discussing coconut sugar substitutes for baking.

Coconut sugar substitute brown sugar –

The color, as well as the flavor of brown sugar, is quite similar to the color and flavor of coconut sugar. Both of them share or toffee brown muted caramel flavor and color.

However, one disadvantage of using brown sugar is that it does not contain the inulin that is found in coconut sugar. but having said that both sugars are identical when it comes to the rest of their health benefits.

The best part about brown sugar is that it is easily available in the market as compared to coconut sugar which is only available in Asian countries and other health food stores. You can easily use brown sugar for your doughnut cakes and all other baking recipes.

Coconut sugar substitute stevia

Stevia is considered to be one of the best substitutes for coconut palm sugar as it is low in carbs & is derived from the sweeter stevia plant leaves making it all-natural and the best healthy replacement for coconut sugar.

Most of the health brands selling healthy eatables now consider adding Stevia to their products as it is a no-calorie healthy substitute for coconut sugar.

The best part about Stevia is that it will not affect your blood sugar levels. However, it is recommended to use it in moderation. Its sweetening power is similar to coconut sugar

Coconut sugar substitute ratio-

The welder ratio of using coconut sugar substitute good differ from product to product. However, you can understand the ratio depending on the sweetness level of the alternative you are using. 

If we talk about brown sugar which is most widely used as a replacement for coconut sugar the ideal intake is a half cup of brown sugar for each cup of coconut sugar for a single recipe.

While using stevia consider using a 1:1 proportion because the sweetening power is similar to coconut sugar. In the case of syrups and other liquids.

It is recommended to use 1/4 of it for every cup of coconut palm sugar. While using date sugar also you can consider a 1:1 proportion as the replacement for coconut palm sugar.

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