Coconut Sugar vs. Cane Sugar: What’s the Difference?

In the world of sweeteners, there’s definitely a spectrum of options in terms of perceived healthfulness. Cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup rank lowest on that scale, whereas honey, coconut sugar, and maple syrup are found closer to the top. In fact, if you follow any health food influencers, you’re bound to see them utilizing coconut sugar over cane sugar in recipes as the healthier option.

But how do these two sugars differ? Is coconut sugar actually a better choice? Can these two options be used interchangeably? We’ve polled two registered dietitians to find out and delve into coconut sugar vs. cane sugar!

What Is Cane Sugar? 

If you had a sugar bowl growing up, cane sugar was likely what you found inside. 

“Cane sugar is typically made from the sugarcane plant, which is also used to produce molasses, brown sugar, and refined white sugar,” says Courtney Pelitera, MS, RDN, LDN, CNSC, registered dietitian with Top Nutrition Coaching. The process of transforming sugarcane into cane sugar is more commonly known as refining, and almost every type of cane sugar is refined – even raw sugar.

Here’s the nutritional breakdown for this common household sweetener, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) database:

Cane Sugar (2 teaspoons)

Calories: 30 calories
Total Carbohydrates: 8 g
Calcium: 0 milligrams (mg), 29 percent of Daily Value (DV)*
Potassium: 0 mg, 0% DV

*Daily Value is based on the average adult needs for males and females without pre-existing conditions per the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

In one gram of cane sugar, you’ll find one gram of carbohydrates, which is equivalent to four calories. “Effectively, this type of sugar does not provide any other nutrients besides carbohydrates and calories,” explains Sarah Alsing, MS, RD, registered dietitian and owner of Delightfully Fueled.

What Is Coconut Sugar?

Coconut sugar, on the other hand, is a newer product to the market that has skyrocketed in popularity over the last 10 years as health continues to become an increasingly high priority for food shoppers.

“Coconut sugar, or coconut palm sugar, comes from the coconut palm tree where the sap of the tree is evaporated to form small granules,” says Pelitera. This evaporation process qualifies coconut sugar as an unrefined product, as it generally goes through a lot less processing than cane sugar.

Let’s take a look the nutritional breakdown for this niche sweetener, according to the USDA:

Organic Coconut Sugar (2 teaspoons)

Calories: 30 calories
Total Carbohydrates: 8 g
Calcium: 30 mg, 2% DV
Potassium: 70 mg, 2% DV

Like cane sugar, one gram of coconut sugar also contains one gram of carbohydrates and four calories. However, coconut sugar offers more than just carbohydrates and calories, unlike its counterpart. Aside from the calcium and potassium it contains, Pelitera and Alsing explain that zinc, iron, phosphorus, amino acids vitamin E, vitamin C, and B vitamins can also be found in this sugar. These nutrients combine to support bone, immune, heart, metabolic, and skin health.

“Additionally, coconut sugar contains inulin—a prebiotic dietary fiber that offers health benefits, including stabilizing blood sugars, supporting weight loss, and improving constipation,” says Alsing.

Coconut Sugar vs. Cane Sugar

But do these added nutrients really make coconut sugar that much better than cane sugar? Let’s see how coconut sugar stacks up when further compared to cane sugar.

Added nutrients

“Substituting cane sugar with coconut sugar on a regular basis could help to increase overall intake of some of these nutrients on a daily basis. However, the amount of coconut sugar you would have to consume to see any benefits would be over 100 grams per day,” says Pelitera. 

That would equate to nearly 400 calories and 100 grams of added sugar just to achieve any real benefit from this popular sugar. And yes, coconut sugar is still considered added sugar. This means that it should be limited to less than 10 percent of one’s total daily calories per the U.S. Dietary Guidelines. So, for someone eating around 2,000 calories on a daily basis, that would allow about 200 calories per day for added sugars—half the amount of coconut sugar needed to achieve any real health benefits.

Glycemic index

Some also claim that because coconut sugar does contain inulin, the glycemic index (or rate at which blood sugars spike after consumption) is lower compared to cane sugar. 

“However, coconut sugar has a glycemic index of around 54 to 57, similar to that of cane sugar at about 60,” says Pelitera. And while these numbers can vary depending on the manufacturer and processing method, the general consensus is that there’s minimal difference, which tracks given the small amount of fiber found in coconut sugar.

“One study compared the effects of coconut sugar and cane sugar on blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. There was no significant difference in blood sugar levels between the two,” Alsing emphasizes, adding further evidence to this notion.

Price

Another important difference between these two sweeteners is price. For a concrete comparison, 16 ounces of Kroger brand Simple Truth Organic Coconut Sugar costs $4.99, approximately 31 cents per ounce. On the other hand, Simple Truth Organic Cane Sugar costs $2.79 for 24 ounces, approximately 12 cents per ounce. 

Taste

Coconut sugar does have a slightly different taste compared to cane sugar, offering a more caramel-like flavor, somewhat similar to brown sugar. Coconut sugar also tends to register less sweet to the taste buds. And while its name might have you guessing that coconut sugar is reminiscent of coconut in flavor, this isn’t the case. “Since coconut sugar comes from the palm tree and not the actual coconut, it doesn’t have a coconut flavor,” Alsing explains.

Can You Use Coconut Sugar Instead of Cane Sugar?

Regardless of these differences, coconut sugar can still be used in nearly all the same culinary applications as cane sugar, in one-to-one amounts – though some may opt to add a little more coconut sugar to make up for lost sweetness.  

Coconut sugar can be excellent in a variety of baked goods, sauces, granola, oatmeal, coffee, tea, or whatever else you usually add cane sugar to. “But don’t expect recipes to taste the exact same if you’re switching to coconut sugar,” Pelitera emphasizes.

Is Coconut Sugar Healthier Than Cane Sugar?

So, is coconut sugar actually a healthier choice compared to cane sugar? 

While this trendy sweetener does have added micronutrients, fiber, and amino acids that cane sugar doesn’t, the amounts are quite small in normal serving sizes. This means that you’d have to consume a lot of this sugar to see any real benefit – which could be the case if you’re cranking out lots of baked goods.

But in everyday life, many of the same health concerns surrounding cane sugar stand with coconut sugar, as they contain the same amount of calories and carbohydrates.

“Oftentimes, I see people trying to swap out cane sugar with something like coconut sugar in an effort to lose weight. Unfortunately when it comes to weight loss, coconut sugar and cane sugar provide the same amount of calories, so if you are using the same amount of each, weight loss will not be seen with this change alone,” Pelitera explains.

Coconut sugar, like cane sugar, can also make blood sugar regulation more difficult for those with metabolic disorders as a concentrated source of carbohydrates. More optimal nutrient-rich ingredients to sweeten recipes include whole fruit, 100 percent fruit juice, no added sugar fruit preserves, or even honey. 

So, while coconut sugar does have some added nutritional benefits, this sugar should still be used sparingly – just like cane sugar.