Brown sugar is a popular sweetener that constantly rivals against traditional cane sugar. It’s one of the best-selling products that sugar wholesale suppliers sell. Even though it’s not one of the zero-calorie sugar substitutes that so many consumers and restaurant business owners gravitate toward, there are still a number of benefits and uses of brown sugar. Before looking into a brown sugar substitute, reviewing the rest of this article to learn all you need to know about brown sugar.
What Is Brown Sugar?
Brown sugar is a sweetener that has a rich tan color and a flavor that’s reminiscent of toffee or caramel due to the presence of molasses. It’s also common for brown sugar to be completely unrefined or just partially refined. Many white label sugar brands distribute it in bulk, as it’s one of the most used sweeteners on the market. However, the sugar wholesale price is pretty similar, if not the same as other sweeteners.
So, if you’re looking into where to buy sugar wholesale, brown vs. cane sugar shouldn’t vary too much. And in regard to the question, “How is sugar shipped,” wholesale packaging for brown and cane sugar is the same, too.
How to Make Brown Sugar
The process of making brown sugar from scratch is super simple. All you have to do is mix granulated white sugar with molasses. For one cup of white granulated sugar, add one tablespoon of molasses. And for one cup of dark brown sugar, add two tablespoons of molasses. If you distribute wholesale dark brown sugar, you should also stock up on molasses in bulk.
Stir the molasses through the sugar until the color and texture is even throughout. Evenly distributing molasses can be time-consuming due to the sticky and viscous consistency. So, it’s important to be patient and take your time.
Once you reach the typical sticky texture and tan shade of the brown sugar that you can find on the shelves, spoon it into an airtight container. Doing so will prevent the sugar from drying out and hardening.
Differences Between Light Brown Sugar vs. Dark Brown Sugar
The primary difference between light and dark brown sugar is the amount of molasses used in the recipe. The use of molasses in brown sugar is what gives it a rich and caramel-like flavor. It’s also the reason why brown sugar has a sticky texture and sweet aroma. If you remove molasses from a sugar recipe, you’ll just be left with granulated cane sugar.
Popular Brown Sugar Brands
Numerous brands sell brown sugar in brick and mortar retail stores as well as via wholesale channels. But which brands are the best? See below for some of the top-selling brands that include brown sugar in the product line:
- Domino
- Great Value
- Good & Gather
- Mother’s Mark
- Kauffman Orchards
- 365 by Whole Foods
- Simple Truth Organic
There are far more brands out there that sell single units of sugar products and bulk sugar wholesale. In fact, some of them even sell artificial sweeteners, such as the high-quality monk fruit sweetener as well as erythritol artificial sweeteners. Even if you’re looking for a powdered sugar substitute, these brands should have what you’re looking for. So when it comes to brown sugar, the list above should serve as a solid starting point.
Benefits of Brown Sugar
There are numerous benefits that go along with using brown sugar. Among all the sugar alternatives, brown sugar boasts several unique aspects. To name a few, brown sugar offers the following benefits:
- A higher moisture volume, which keeps baked goods soft and moist.
- Due to the molasses, brown sugar has a rich flavor profile.
- Brown sugar contains minerals, like magnesium, calcium, and iron.
- If you like the flavor of caramel, brown sugar can be a delicious additive to baked goods and drinks.
As you can see, both light and dark brown sugar have a place in the culinary space. Each type of sugar has the potential to enhance food and beverages while adding a small dose of minerals.
Uses of Brown Sugar
It’s advisable to purchase both light and dark brown sugar wholesale if you run a business in the restaurant industry. That’s just because there are a number of different uses for it. See below for a handful of ways to use brown sugar:
- Sweet treats found on any dessert menu can include brown sugar as its sweetener.
- By combining brown sugar with cinnamon and butter, you’ll have a decadent topping for sweet potatoes.
- Brown sugar is the perfect sweetener for wholesale candy businesses, especially for those that produce caramel and toffee products.
- A pastry chef can use brown sugar to darken the color of baked goods.
- As a complement to savory condiments like barbecue sauce, brown sugar can help create a balance of flavors.
- Baristas can sprinkle brown sugar into coffee drinks to add a rich but subtle flavor.
- If you’d like to purchase naturally flavored sugar wholesale and are a fan of caramel, brown sugar can be a fantastic option.
Now that you know how to use brown sugar, you know how to improve food and beverages. And if you operate an entity that sells organic brown sugar wholesale, you now know how to market it to your clientele.
Frequently Asked Questions About Brown Sugar
Want to learn more about brown sugar? There’s certainly a lot more that we can cover! Take a look at the collection of questions and answers below for more insight.
How Do You Fix Hardened Brown Sugar?
If you need to fix hardened brown sugar, place the bag of sugar or a desired amount in a microwave-safe bowl covered by a damp paper towel. Then, heat up the sugar in ten second intervals until you achieve a loose texture. The reason why brown sugar hardens to begin with is because of its lack of moisture. By wrapping the bowl with a moist towel, the heat of the microwave will create enough steam to revive the dry sugar.
Is Hardened Sugar Expired?
No, when brown sugar hardens, that’s not a sign that it expired. You see, brown sugar has a high amount of moisture. So after it is exposed to air for an extended period of time, the moisture can dissipate, causing the brown sugar to harden. This occurrence is super common with plastic bags that you can’t seal shut. Though it’s easy to loosen hardened brown sugar with a microwave and a damp paper towel-covered bowl, storing it in an airtight container is key.
What Is the Healthiest Type of Sugar?
The healthiest types of sugar are maple syrup and raw honey. Both of these options come from natural sources and are unprocessed. Plus, honey and maple syrup have lower glycemic indexes than cane sugar. If you’re looking for a healthier type of sugar that’s granular like cane sugar, coconut sugar is a great option.
Is Brown Sugar Healthier Than Cane Sugar?
Brown sugar is slightly healthier than cane sugar, as it has fewer calories and more calcium. However, it’s vital to also point out that they both affect blood sugar the same way and can lead to the same health risks if not consumed in moderation.
What Does Brown Sugar Taste Like?
Brown sugar bursts with flavor notes of molasses, toffee, and caramel. It has a rich flavor that’s much more bold than regular white sugar. That’s why when a recipe calls for one, it’s not always advisable to substitute it with the other.
Buy or Sell Brown Sugar Wholesale
Maybe you’re researching ways to improve a wholesale brown sugar business. Or, perhaps it’s an ingredient that your food service entity uses on a regular basis. No matter which side of the coin you’re on, wholesale distribution platforms can save you a lot of time selling sugar or placing separate orders with individual vendors. Would you like to learn how to simplify all operations related to order management? If so, book a demo with BlueCart today to discover all the ways we can help!