As the name suggests, white sugar is white in color, while demerara sugar is brown. The two are made from sugar cane- though white sugar (which is also known as refined or granulated sugar) can also be made from sugar beets. Now, let’s compare Demerara sugar Vs. White Sugar.
White sugar has smaller crystals than demerara sugar. It also has a sweet flavors while demerara features hints, molasses, and caramel flavors. The two contain similar levels of calories and carbohydrate content, but they have distinctive differences.
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Differences between Demerara Sugar and White Sugar
There are a number of differences that you can notice with these types of sugars as in the table below:
| Demerara sugar | White sugar |
| Large crystal size and crunchy texture | Small crystal size, though not as castor or powdered sugar |
| It gives a noticeable molasses flavor with a punch of toffee and caramel knots | It is more neutral with a more sweet flavor profile |
| It’s brown in color because it contains molasses | It’s white in color because all the molasses is filtered out. Brown sugar is made by adding molasses back into the refined granules. |
| Demerara sugar undergoes minimal processing and therefore carries most of the nutrients located in sugarcane, such as potassium, Vitamin B3, calcium, and magnesium | White sugar is entirely made of sucrose which is a compound of glucose and fructose. |
| Processed for a shorter time, thus retains some molasses | It goes through more extended processing and gets rid of molasses. |
| It is 93 percent sucrose | It is 99.9 percent sucrose |
Demerara Sugar vs. White Sugar, Can I Substitute One for the Other?
Although demerara is less refined and has larger crystals than white sugar, it’s technically okay to substitute them in recipes that require either. Demerara works the same as white sugar, especially in cookies and candy recipes that call for white sugar. Similarly, you can use white sugar in recipes that require demerara but in less amounts if you don’t want an overly sweet finished product.
Demerara Sugar vs. White Sugar, Which One is Healthier?
Everyone with a sweet tooth loves sugar, but it’s never healthy for anyone in the long run. Excessive sugar consumption is linked with the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart diseases. So, whether demerara or white sugar, none is healthy, but demerara is known to contain more nutrients and minerals than white sugar.
Basically, demerara sugar undergoes less processing than white sugar and therefore retains most nutrients found in sugarcane. It also contains much molasses, which is responsible for its brown color.
On the other hand, white sugar is entirely the opposite and has less of everything- it’s only high in sucrose. For this reason, demerara sugar is considered a healthier alternative to white sugar but taken in large amounts, the disadvantages will definitely outweigh the benefits.
Conclusion
Both white sugar and demerara sugar are extracted from sugarcane through juicing and boiling the sugarcane juice until it gets thick and crystalizes. After this process, the sugar is centrifuged to get rid of impurities by refining. When refining, white sugar is left longer than the demerara sugar, and this makes all the difference. The short process of refining demerara retains most molasses and nutrients, while white sugar, which refines longer, is left only with sucrose.
