When is comes to baking, coconut sugar is in general my sugar of choice. Dark brown with a rich caramel flavour, some say it's a healthy sugar. But that's not necessarily true! Coconut sugar is less refined and nutrient deficient than other sugars but, at the end of the day, it is still sugar! It's much better to get sugars from whole foods, but when it comes to cake, that's not so easy. So coconut sugar is a compromise.
What exactly is coconut sugar?
Many think it comes from coconut, but actually it's a sap taken from the coconut palm tree. Like maple syrup, this sap conveys nutrients in the tree; this are retained in the sap after it's been drained off. Compared to most whole foods, these are scant, but they're still there, including minerals like iron and zinc as well as antioxidants and helpful polyphenols. There's even a little fibre in it!
Once drained, the sap is then heated so the water is evaporated leaving a thick syrup which is then dried and crushed into a powder or small crystals; a more natural, less industrialised process than most sugar production.
What is the down side?
- Coconut sugar is still sugar, so can never go on the healthy list!
- It's more expensive than most other sugars.
- It's very brown! This is actually caramelisation from being heated. This has an impact on the colour of your cake
- It has a strong, rich flavour that comes through in your cake
What's the up side?
- It's intensely sweet so you need to use less (especially once you're used to eating a more unrefined diet)
- It has not been through a highly chemical refining process
- It has a little fibre in it so may be digested a little slower (probably very little!)
- It's not 100% glucose!
Uses for coconut sugar
- Baking as mentioned above. As it's rich, you will need to use less than standard recipes, so take care if you're adapting a recipe. If you're not sure, follow a recipe that already includes it
- Sprinkled on porridge adds a lovely rich flavour and subtle crunch
- Add to desserts like rice pudding
- Add to hot drinks like hot chocolate or coffee for an alternative sweet flavour
