I’m pretty excited about this post. And since a bunch of you have asked about the ingredient at hand, I hope you’re just as pumped! Without further ado, let’s get talking about…
SUCANAT!
Sucanat is a type of evaporated cane juice. The history of evaporated cane juice is interesting to me. It was only recently that sugar cane processing technology was developed to create the white, refined sugar with which we’re all familiar. This doesn’t mean people haven’t been enjoying sugar cane. They have – for centuries! So back in the day, when white, refined sugar didn’t exist, our fancily named evaporated cane juice was actually the sweetener of choice by any culture that used sugar cane. Now that unprocessed, all-natural foods are gaining in popularity, evaporated cane juice is back in action. We’ve come full circle.
Sucanat stands for “Sugar Cane Natural.” It’s an unrefined sweetener made from the WHOLE sugar cane – every last bit. It’s sugar in its most natural form. Like all evaporated cane juices, Sucanat is produced by extracting juice from the sugar cane and boiling it in a large vat to remove the water. But unlike other evaporated cane juices, such as turbinado sugar, the sweet syrup left over is not spun and crystallized in that vat. Instead, it’s hand-paddled to cool it and dry it. This process creates the dry, brown granules that are Sucanat and keeps ALL the sugar cane molasses in those granules. Turbinado sugar, to compare, holds on to SOME of the sugar cane molasses.
Because Sucanat retains 100% of the sugar cane, and all that molasses, it ranks highest in nutritional value of all the sweeteners that come from the sugar cane. It also means it has the most distinct and natural flavor.
When I made my Blueberry Coconut Oaties – first time using Sucanat! – I substituted Sucanat one-for-one for refined sugar. And I plan on doing the same in the future. Check out Wholesome Sweeteners if you’re looking for a brand of Sucanat to try!
Have you ever baked with Sucanat? What do you think of it?
Yep, used to bake with it all the time!! Now I prefer turbinado sugar.
Wow, I’ve never heard of Sucanat before! Thanks so much for sharing such great information!
Thanks for all the info, I’ve been wondering a lot about this recently.
I think I used it once, but in a savory recipe rather than sweet.
So is Sucanat similar to turbinado but without the spinning and with added molasses? I’m going to have to get my hands on some to try it out.
thanks for the information!
I love how informative your posts are! I’m definitely going to try Sucanat in the near future.
Thanks for the info, Ashley! I’m always interested in learning about additional natural sweeteners. Did you notice a difference when you used it in your oaties? I’m just wondering how it compares in flavor and texture to turbinado.
Thanks for the info! It’s like you read my mind! When I was reading the ingredient for teh blueberry oaties – I thought hmmm, wonder what that stuff is!
Man, I love learning about food! :)
I’ve never used it! That’s a great ingredient from what I hear – thanks for the info! :)
hmm, i don’t see this as often as the turbinado, so i haven’t tried it yet. for some reason using unrefined sugars and unbleached flours makes me feel less guilty about sweets! now i just need to practice portion control… hehe
I’ve never used this, but heard about it and been curious. Thanks for the info! Did you think it changed the taste of your cookies at all?
I’ve never used sucanat but I am definitely interested in trying it. Is it difficult to find in stores?
VeggieGirl - I actually may prefer Sucanat! I need to bake with it more before officially deciding though. :-P
Sharon - You learn something new everyday!
Hayley, Pearl, Allison, Erin - Glad you found it helpful. :-)
Amy - Sucanat is made from the sugar cane, like turbinado sugar. But it’s grainy rather than crystallized. And it retains more of the sugar cane molasses than turbinado. That molasses isn’t “added” to Sucanat – it’s never taken out in the first place!
Lauren - Let me know what you use it in and what you think!
Andrea [bella eats], Bridget - It’s hard to put a stake in the ground about how it compares to turbinado when this was the first time I used it! But I do think it worked really well in these cookies. You can definitely smell the molasses when you stick your nose in the Sucanat bag – yeah, I did that – so I would say it adds more of a that flavor than turbinado does.
ttfn300, Hayley - Check Whole Foods! They definitely have it.
How interesting! I’ve definitely never had it before, but now I’ll be on the lookout!
This is really interesting. I’ve never had sucant. So, is the only different between sucant and turbinado the way it’s made and not what is actually in it?
Thanks for this info, I’ve been curious about sucanat and hope to try baking with it whenever I can get my hands on some!!
Hope you’re doing well, girl! :)
healthy ashley – Let me know if you find it!
Hangry Pants – Sucanat and turbinado are both made from the sugar cane. But they are produced in different ways – like you said – so Sucanat actually retains ALL of the sugar cane’s molasses whereas turbinado retains SOME of it. Maybe I wasn’t totally clear on that. I’ll edit the post!
Lindsey (Mrs. LC) - Let me know if you like it!
Thanks for this info!! I have not seen it in stores…but then again haven’t looked hard so I will have to do that because I’d love to try this out when baking!
What is the difference between Sucanat and Demerara sugar?
GoldenGirl – Demerara sugar is more like turbinado sugar. So it’s golden in color and crystalized in shape. Sucanat is darker and grainier and contains even more of the original sugar cane molasses.
I am so excited to hear about this! I’ve been looking for a natural alternative to refined sugar for a while. I’m so glad I found your post. I’ll be looking for sucanat next time I go grocery shopping!
I’ve wondered about the difference between Sucanat and other brown sugars. I’ve used it for a long time because I believed it to be the least refined product I could find. Now I know why.
Thanks for explaining.
On a sponge cake, is sucanat gonna prevent my cake from being fluffy?
Jasoda – I’m not sure what Sucanat would be like in a sponge cake b/c I’ve never actually made one myself! It is a bit heavier than refined sugar, so it could be risky. Maybe try a liquid sweetener like agave instead?
a book called “sugar blues” has a ton of info.Raw cane sugar has been used as long as it was known, by old indiginouse people of the tropical areas and were it grew.Pure sugar was never bad on the teeth because of the nutritional value it had.It wasnt until refined, and whitening sugars,eliminating the nutritional values where it started hurting teeth. Same with flours and rice.Its the nutrition if health is concerned,and your teeth.
google:Dr.Max-Henri Beguin(created sucanat),Dr. Adolph Roos(dentist and doc)
I beg to differ. I am no doctor, but I have lived in Papua New Guinea where sugar cane is grown, cut naturally, and chewed/sucked on as a treat. Many of the people’s teeth are TERRIBLE! Teenagers walk around sucking on sugar cane like a pacifier and their teeth are all black and rotted. Too much sugar of ANY kind is not good. Period. I would be curious where mucovado and rapadura fit into this natural sweetener hierarchy.
So is there a difference between “sucanat” and “evaporated cane juice”?
Emily – Sucanat is a type of evaporated cane juice that is completely whole and unrefined. Not all evaporated cane juices are!
I was researching Sucanat because my hisband just brought me some from the Bulk Store. I found this, thought all would liek to see it. :)
Nutritional Analysis of Sucanat:
approximately one cup
◦water…………………………………..2.7g
◦calories………………………………..570g
◦carbohydrate………………………..135.g
◦fat………………………………………..0g
◦sodium……………………………….0.5mg
◦potassium…………………………1,125mg
◦vitamin A……………………………1600IU
◦thiamin (B1)………………………..0.21mg
◦riboflavin (B2)……………………..0.21mg
◦niacin……………………………….0.20mg
◦calcium………………………………165mg
◦iron……………………………………6.5mg
◦vitamin B6………………………….0.60mg
◦magnesium………………………….127mg
◦zinc…………………………………..2.3mg
◦copper……………………………….0.3mg
◦pantothenic acid……………………1.8mg
◦chromium……………………………40mcg
◦phosphorus…………………………..48mg
Source: USDA Handbook of Nutrient Content of Foods
I use it in my dairy free pumpkin pie, and I use 2T less sugar than is called for. It’s wonderful, nice and flavorful which only adds to pumpkin pie. My recipe is at: http://www.thekitchenchemist.com under Food and Recipes on the left sidebar. Agave is worse than high fructose corn syrup as it’s even higher in fructose, so I emphatically recommend sucanat to all as a great white sugar replacement! It’s the least refined sugar and therefore more like a real food as opposed to a processed (junk) food, which white sugar truly is. Eat Well!
~ Molly Malone, The Kitchen Chemist ~
Molly – You say that “agave is worse than high fructose corn syrup as it’s even higher in fructose.”
I use agave because the type I buy is organic, it’s tasty and a natural product. I thought I was doing right for myself. I did not know agave is even higher in fructose than HFCS. eegads. I just googled sucanat since I came home with a bagful today and wanted to know the inside scoop on it. Found out more than I had bargained for!