Muscovado Sugar Substitute

If you're baking and you need a muscovado sugar substitute, look no further! Some recipes call for particular ingredients that are not pantry basics. I've put together this guide on what you can use instead of muscovado sugar in baking so you'll never be caught short again.

Jump to:

• What is muscovado sugar?
• Is muscovado sugar healthy?
• Is muscovado sugar the same as brown sugar?
• What can I use instead of muscovado sugar?
• 1. White granulated sugar + molasses
• 2. Dark brown sugar
• 3. Brown sugar + molasses
• 4. Brown sugar + honey
• 5. Brown sugar + maple syrup
• 6. Jaggery
• 7. Demerara sugar
• 8. Turbinado sugar
• 9. Panela sugar
• 10. Coconut sugar
• 11. Palm sugar
• 12. Date sugar
• 13. Maple sugar
• 14. Molasses
• 15. Honey
• 16. Maple syrup
• 17. Agave nectar
• 18. Sukrin Gold
• So what is the best muscovado sugar substitute?
• Muscovado sugar substitute FAQs
• More baking guides
• The BEST Muscovado Sugar Substitute

What is muscovado sugar?

Muscavado sugar is an unrefined cane sugar made in the early stages of refining cane sugar. In general, sugar is made by extracting the juice from sugar cane or sugar beets, boiling it down to crystal form, and then passing it through a centrifuge which filters out the molasses. The finished product in this process is white sugar.

Muscavado sugar does not go through the centrifugal stage, and is still in an unrefined form so is a dark caramel brown in color, much moister, and has a consistency similar to wet sand.  Muscovado sugar is basically the least refined sugar available.

Is muscovado sugar healthy?

Nutritionally speaking, muscovado sugar still contains certain minerals including calcium, manganese, potassium, and magnesium that are processed out of refined sugar, but the health benefits of using it as a substitute for brown sugar are very minimal. If we bake with muscovado sugar, it is to take advantage of its unique characteristics and the way it behaves and interacts with other ingredients, not necessary because it would be particularly healthy.

Is muscovado sugar the same as brown sugar?

Muscavado sugar and brown sugar are not the same, although they are very similar. The difference comes down to the way they are processed and their molasses content. Brown sugar is refined white sugar with some molasses added back in, and muscovado sugar is unrefined sugar that still retains its natural molasses content.

Muscavado sugar has more moisture, color, and flavor than brown sugar. The taste of muscovado sugar is more intense than brown sugar with a strong molasses flavor and rich, deep color which will translate into your baked goods.

Muscavado sugar contains 8-10% molasses depending on whether or not it is light brown muscovado sugar or dark brown muscovado sugar. Light and dark brown sugar has molasses content of around 3.5% and 6.5% respectively so if one were to substitute light brown sugar with dark brown muscovado sugar, for example, there could be significant differences in your finished baked goods.

To learn more about sugar and its role in baking, read my sugar guide!

What can I use instead of muscovado sugar?

There are several options if you need a muscovado sugar substitute if you have run out or cannot get hold of it. Some of these muscovado sugar replacements are; white granulated sugar + molasses, dark brown sugar, brown sugar + molasses or honey or maple syrup, jaggery, demerara sugar, palm sugar, coconut sugar, turbinado sugar, sukrin gold, date sugar, panela sugar, or syrups like honey, maple syrup, molasses, agave nectar.

Muscovado sugar is also relatively expensive, so you may be searching for a lower-cost alternative, but whatever your reason I have listed the best alternatives to muscovado sugar you can use here.

1. White granulated sugar + molasses

White granulated sugar has had all of its molasses content processed out, so using just white sugar instead of muscovado sugar will create a very different taste, texture, and color in your baked goods. Therefore, add extra molasses to white sugar to create a better alternative to muscovado sugar if this is the only sugar you have in your pantry.

How to use it:

For every cup of granulated sugar or 200 grams, add 3-4 tablespoons of molasses depending on whether or not you are substituting light or dark muscovado sugar.

2. Dark brown sugar

In terms of molasses content, dark brown sugar only has slightly less, usually 6.5% compared to 8-10% in muscovado sugar so it can replace muscovado sugar in baking if needed. There will be less moisture and not such intense molasses flavor, however.

3. Brown sugar + molasses

Similarly, you can also add extra molasses manually to light or dark brown sugar to create a better alternative to muscovado sugar. It will also have a more similar consistency, as adding a large amount of molasses to white sugar will create quite a runny, gloopy mixture.

How to use it:

For every cup or 200 grams of brown sugar, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of molasses as an alternative to light brown or dark brown muscovado sugar.

4. Brown sugar + honey

Honey is mildly acidic, giving it other benefits in baking when used in recipes containing baking soda which needs acid to react with and create fluffy, soft bakes. Brown sugar can be combined with honey to give more moisture as well as acidity and make a good alternative for muscovado sugar.

How to use it:

Add 2 tablespoons of honey to every 200 grams or cup light brown sugar, or 1 tablespoon of honey to dark brown sugar instead of muscovado sugar.

5. Brown sugar + maple syrup

Maple syrup has a delicious flavor profile and is often used in baking to add color, taste, and sweetness. You can mix brown sugar with maple syrup to imitate muscovado sugar qualities, adding more moisture and taste.

How to use it:

Mix 1 tablespoon of maple syrup with every 200 grams of cup brown sugar for light brown muscovado sugar, or 2 tablespoons maple syrup with brown sugar as a substitute for dark brown muscovado sugar.

6. Jaggery

Jaggery and other unrefined brown sugars work well as an alternative to muscovado sugar as it has an intense flavor. It is also made from sugar cane and is often used in Asian recipes. It comes in a block and will need to be broken up before you can use it in baking. You can do this carefully with a knife, or by placing it into a ziplock bag and hitting or rolling it over with a rolling pin.

How to use it:

Use jaggery as a substitute for muscovado sugar in equal quantities.

7. Demerara sugar

Demerara sugar has a large crystal or grain, pale golden color, and a mild toffee flavor. It is another raw cane sugar so similar in profile to muscovado sugar although not as deep or intense in color or taste. It also has a larger grain, and lower molasses content.

How to use it:

Substitute muscovado sugar with demerara sugar in a 1:1 ratio.

8. Turbinado sugar

Also known as raw cane sugar, turbinado sugar is less processed than brown sugar and has some natural molasses so can work effectively as a muscovado sugar substitute. It has a light color and a slight caramel flavor.

How to use it:

Use turbinado sugar instead of muscovado sugar in equal quantities.

9. Panela sugar

Panela sugar, also known as piloncillo sugar is most frequently used in Latin cooking and has a deliciously smoky taste, so pairs beautifully with chocolate! If you're making a chocolate-based recipe and need an alternative to muscovado sugar, try panela! It usually comes in a solid cone and will need to be broken up before use.

How to use it:

Replace muscovado sugar with panela sugar in a 1:1 ratio.

10. Coconut sugar

Coconut sugar is made from coconut flower buds and has a pleasant taste. It has no natural molasses and as such is much drier than muscovado sugar so you may need to make other adjustments to your recipe. Coconut sugar is also expensive compared to other sugars, which is a further consideration.

How to use it:

To replace muscovado sugar, substitute coconut sugar in equal quantities.

11. Palm sugar

Palm sugar is often confused for coconut sugar but is in fact made from the sap of the sugar palm, or date palm tree instead. It has a caramel taste similar to muscovado sugar but much less intense and lacks moisture from the molasses. Palm sugar can be hard to find in grocery stores outside of Asia however, so bear this in mind.

How to use it:

Replace muscovado sugar with palm sugar in a 1:1 ratio.

12. Date sugar

Date sugar is also a product from the date palm like coconut sugar and palm sugar, but is made from the fruit (dates) itself. It has a delicious toffee taste, but less moisture than muscovado sugar so you may need to make allowances for this.

How to use it:

Bake with date sugar substituting muscovado sugar in equal quantities.

13. Maple sugar

Maple sugar is made by reducing maple syrup down over heat until it forms a paste-like sugar. You can even make your own at home! If you reduce maple syrup down until it reaches a similar wet sand consistency to muscovado sugar it can work well as a replacement.

How to use it:

Substitute maple sugar for muscovado sugar in equal quantities.

The following muscovado sugar substitutes are all syrups or liquid in nature so will behave differently in recipes and add a lot more moisture to your bake than sugar grains will.

14. Molasses

Given the high molasses content in muscovado sugar, it makes sense that pure molasses can be used instead. However, the flavor will be incredibly intense, and possibly overpowering in addition to the thick liquid nature of molasses meaning you need to make other adjustments too.

How to use it:

Use two-thirds of the amount of molasses than muscovado sugar that a recipe calls for.

15. Honey

Honey is mildly acidic so can work well when baking with baking soda as it helps with the chemical reaction that causes the rise and a softer texture. Its liquid nature will affect baking, however, and create much looser batters and doughs so you will need to make other adjustments if you are keen to use it.

How to use it:

Substitute muscovado sugar with two-thirds of the amount of honey.

16. Maple syrup

Maple syrup is harvested from maple trees and has a delicious flavor so can be a lovely addition to baking recipes. As I have mentioned above, maple sugar made from maple syrup may be a better alternative to muscovado sugar, especially as you can make it yourself.

How to use it:

Replace muscovado sugar with two-thirds of the amount of maple syrup.

17. Agave nectar

Agave nectar (also known as agave syrup) is another natural sweetener that is quite runny in consistency. It is often marketed as a healthy sugar substitute but its chemical profile and how the body processes it is very similar to normal sugar, so this is not necessarily the case.

How to use it:

Use two-thirds of the amount of agave nectar instead of muscovado sugar.

18. Sukrin Gold

Sukrin gold is a sugar-free substitute and can be used in baking to replace muscovado sugar and other sugars. It is suitable for keto diets as it's low carb and does not have a big impact on blood sugar levels making it an option for diabetics too.

How to use it:

Use Sukrin Gold as a healthy substitute for muscovado sugar in equal quantities.

So what is the best muscovado sugar substitute?

The rich taste, moist texture, and deep color of muscovado sugar are unique and it is always hard to achieve the exact same results using a substitute. Other unrefined cane sugars like jaggery or turbinado sugar do make good substitutes for muscovado sugar, even though they contain fewer molasses so your bake will likely be drier and with a milder flavor.

The best substitute for muscovado sugar in baking would be to use one of these unrefined cane sugars but add more molasses. Adding more molasses, honey, or maple sugar to brown sugar will also give you similar results in terms of moisture and texture.

As I have explained above, there are several alternatives to muscovado sugar you can use as long as you factor in the characteristics it brings to the bake, and why the recipe calls for it in the first place. Is it for taste, texture, moisture, or color perhaps? Once you have worked that out, you can choose the best muscovado sugar substitute to suit you.

Muscovado sugar substitute FAQs

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